BERKELEY, Calif. – Golden Gate Fields is deeply saddened by the passing of longtime Northern California trainer Duane Offield, who passed away on Thursday after a lengthy illness. He was 82 years old.
Offield began his training career in 1976. Throughout a career that spanned well over four decades, Offield saddled 721 winners from 8,038 starters, with lifetime purse earnings of $10,009,202. His most significant win came in the 1990 Grade I Haskell at Monmouth Park with Restless Con.
Offield also trained Lilacs and Lace, who broke her maiden at Golden Gate in 2004 before moving to the barn of John Terranova back east. She subsequently went on to win the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland. Among Offield’s other notable trainees were stakes winners Filomena Galea and Tense Wager.
“Our racing community here at Golden Gate will greatly miss Duane Offield,” said Golden Gate Fields Vice President and General Manager David Duggan. “Duane was a soft-spoken man who simply loved coming to the track and training his horses. Our hearts and best wishes are with Duane’s family and friends during this undoubtedly difficult time.”
Owner Rozamund Barclay, who has employed Offield to train a large portion of her horses since 2014, called Duane “a wonderful man.”
“His horses and his people that worked for him were everything,” said Barclay. “He took care of his barn help and horses like his family. Duane always felt that it was a privilege to make a living doing what he loved.”
Services for Duane Offield are pending.
Golden Gate Fields Press Release
Photo by Vassar Photography
