Virgil W. Raines

Who was Virgil W. Raines?

Virgil W. Raines was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

Known as "Buddy" Raines, in the 1930s he began working as a stable hand and became an exercise rider, notably for the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame colt Cavalcade. He went on to condition racehorses for 65 years, working primarily on the U.S. East Coast and was a regular at Delaware Park and Monmouth Park Racetracks.

Buddy Raines met with his greatest success training horses for Donald Ross's Brandywine Stable. He had great success with Cochise, winning several important races between 1949 and 1951, including the Massachusetts and Arlington Handicaps and the Saratoga Cup and set or equaled track records at Suffolk Downs and Delaware Park.

In July 1950, with the colt Greek Song, Raines won the Arlington Classic, a race that at the time was one of the most important in America. As a stallion, Greek Song was mated to the mare Lucy Lufton, a granddaughter of the great sire Nearco. Their union produced Greek Money who would give Buddy Raines his most important win in 1962 when the chestnut colt won a U.S. Triple Crown race, the Preakness Stakes.

In 1966, Raines conditioned Open Fire to a champion season. The daughter of Brandywine Stable's Cochise, Open Fire won the Delaware Handicap, the Spinster Stakes as well as the Diana Handicap en route to being voted Co-U.S. Champion Older Mare.