Summertime on the California fair circuit was the best time of year for trainer Ray Thomas.
Thomas, who died in late November after a brief illness, was a mainstay at venues throughout California, and especially on the northern circuit at tracks such as Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, and at fair meetings in Ferndale, Fresno, Pleasanton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Stockton, and Vallejo.
“He loved the fairs, absolutely,” his son, trainer Jamey Thomas said on Thursday. “On the fairs, it’s more of a family.”
When the fair circuit was underway, Thomas was active with several breeds, running Appaloosas, Arabians, Mules, Quarter Horses, and Thoroughbreds. His final winner was Jp Choice in an allowance race for Quarter Horses in Fresno in October 2011.
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Thomas, who lived near Sanger, Calif., was 78, according to his son. Ray Thomas had health issues in the 2010s, shortly after his retirement, Jamey Thomas said. In recent years, Thomas had a presence at the track even though he was no longer training.
Complete career statistics are unavailable, notably the results of mixed breed races prior to 1991, but Thomas won 608 races from 1991 to 2011.
One of only a few Black trainers in California, Thomas trained the Quarter Horse Danville Station to multiple wins in Northern California before the mare was sold to race at Los Alamitos, later winning the prestigious Vessels Maturity in 1982 for owner Ed Allred.
Thomas trained One Trash Man, an Appaloosa who won multiple stakes on the California fair circuit in the late 1980s and earned more than $145,000.
“He started out with Quarter Horses, that was his main thing,” Jamey Thomas said. “He did fairly well. One thing led to another, and he got into Appaloosas. He had a few Thoroughbreds here and there.”
Thomas trained the Mule Taz, who was part of a 2002 match race at Del Mar with another well-known Mule, Black Ruby. Taz was trained by Ed Burdick at the time, and finished his career with Ray Thomas.
Many of Thomas’s stakes wins in the 1990s and 2000s had low prize money, high four-figures or barely five figures.
Thomas raced on a limited basis at the Los Alamitos evening meeting of Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds, and at the Los Angeles county fair in Pomona.
Away from the activity on the track, Ray Thomas had a larger-than-life presence in the stable area, according to his son.
“He was the type of guy that wanted to help the next person,” Jamey Thomas said.
The son of trainer Amos Thomas, Ray Thomas was at the racetrack for most of his adult life. He got his trainer’s license shortly after finishing high school, Jamey Thomas said.
Aside from Jamey, Ray Thomas is survived by his wife, Ruby, who trains in Northern California, and a son, David.
The family has not finalized plans for a memorial service, Jamey Thomas said.
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