New York Trainer Luis Barrera Dies

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Luis Barrera, who trained 1981 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summing, died May 1 of a heart attack. He was 80. Barrera, a brother of the late Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera, was found unconscious at his Belmont Park barn.

Summing ended Pleasant Colony's Triple Crown bid when he won the Belmont under George Martens. The victory was the third graded stakes win of the year for Summing, whose maternal grandson, Essence of Dubai, is expected to run in the May 4 Kentucky Derby (gr. I).

"When I came to the racetrack, I went to his barn and got on a few horses for him," said Martens, who went to high school with Barrera's daughter, Carmen. "The deal with Summing was that Angel (Cordero) was riding him, but he had to ride Fappiano in the Met Mile (gr. I) and Luis needed someone to ride Summing in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. III) at Keystone. He let me ride and we won at Keystone. Two weeks later, we won the Belmont."

Born April 15, 1922, in Havana, Cuba and one of nine training brothers, Barrera moved to the U.S. when he was 14 and worked at the Florida tracks. He was an assistant to Laz at the time the latter won the 1976 Kentucky Derby with Bold Forbes and when Affirmed was champion 2-year-old male of 1977. He went out on his own in the first part of 1978, and won the Affectionately Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct in January with One Sum. He still helped his brother with Affirmed, who won the 1978 Triple Crown.

Barrera, who trained about a dozen stakes winners, including additional grade I winner Prismatical, is survived by daughters Briana, Louisa, and Carmen, who is the NYRA director of horsemen's relations; and a son, Tommy. Laz Barrera died in 1991.

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