Chris Baker has accepted the position of chief operating officer at Three Chimneys Farm, the Thoroughbred operation near Lexington announced Dec. 21.
Baker has more than 30 years of experience in the Thoroughbred industry. He spent 11 years as general manager at Edward P. Evans' Spring Hill Farm in Virginia, followed by two years in the same role for WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky. He joins an established team managing Three Chimneys, the business owned by the Borges Torrealba and Clay families after the recent acquisition of numerous high-quality mares.
"I could not be more excited about this opportunity to assist Three Chimneys in building on the 40-year legacy they have created in the Thoroughbred industry through strong relationships with great horses and great people," Baker said in a press release. "Now is an optimistic time in the horse business overall, but an especially optimistic time at Three Chimneys as we set out to be stronger than ever. I can't wait to get started."
Baker graduated from the University of Maryland in 1986 with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and initially worked for Lane's End Farm in its broodmare, stallion, and training divisions. Seeking international experience, he got into training in several different racing jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, and England. Back in the States, Baker worked in California as an assistant trainer to Hall of Famers Neil Drysdale and Richard Mandella, working with such champions as A.P. Indy, Kotashaan, and Phone Chatter before training on his own. A return to farm management brought him back to Kentucky and eventually to Evans in Virginia.
"Chris and I met in Bage (Brazil) last October and our beliefs on how to raise top class racehorses were amazingly similar," said Three Chimneys' Gonçalo Torrealba. "At Spring Hill, Chris's program produced over 100 stakes winners, including Saint Liam and Quality Road . They were TOBA National Breeders of the Year in 2009 & 2010.
"We are very excited about Chris joining Three Chimneys team and look forward to a bright future together for many years to come."