Kentucky-based trainer Garry Wayne Simms, Sr. passed away on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 after a 15-year bout with cancer. He was 73.
A conditioner and the owner of Garry Simms Racing, his obituary on the Ratterman Funeral Home site described him as having had a passion for developing Thoroughbreds.
The post says he was one of only three trainers to win the Debutante Stakes and Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs in the same year. He achieved that feat in 2012 with Blueeyesintherein (Magna Graduate) and Circle Unbroken (Broken Vow).
According to Equibase, Simms amassed 248 wins in 1,665 starts, which resulted in over $6-million in earnings.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. ET Thursday, July 24, 2025 at Ratterman & Sons Funeral Home, 10600 Taylorsville Road, Jeffersontown, KY 40299. The burial will take place at the Grove Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville, KY. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 from Noon to 8 p.m. ET and on Thursday from 10 am. to 1 p.m. ET.
Funeral services will be held Thursday for trainer Garry Simms, who passed away Tuesday after a 15-year battle with cancer.
Obituary: https://t.co/ah2AlZoPqP pic.twitter.com/QMEXA8bnjd
— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) July 17, 2025
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