John Toffan

John Toffan
Died	June 18, 2019 Hidden Hills, California
Nationality	American
Occupation	Thoroughbred racehorse owner-breeder
Years active	1989 - 2012
Spouse	Cheryl Toffan

John Toffan was a Canadian-born American Thoroughbred racehorse owner-breeder in California. He came to fame with his partnership with Trudy McCaffery. He had a long career racing purebreds ranging from 1989-2012.

Toffan began his career in 1989 with his partnership with Trudy McCaffery, which went on to become one of California's top racing-breeding operations. In 1997 McCaffery and Tofan were named as "Owners of the Year" by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Their most renowned purebred was 'Free House'.^[1][2][3] After McCaffery's death in 2007,^[4] he continued his career with purebreds partnered by his spouse Cheryl Toffan.^[5]

Toffan died on June 18, 2019 at the age of 83 after suffering from a lengthy illness.^[5]

Top Runners

• Mane Minister (b. 1988) - Finished third in the 1991 Belmont Stakes^[6]
• Bien Bien (b. 1989)^[7][8]
• Free House (b. 1994) – A homebred who was a two-time California Horse of the Year and whose eight stakes race wins included California's three most important dirt races: the Santa Anita Derby (1997), the Pacific Classic Stakes (1998), and the Santa Anita Handicap (1999);^[1][9][10]
• Came Home (b. 1999)^[11][12]

References

1. "Tofan and Trudy strike Gold". The Washington Post.
2. "Free House dead after fall". ESPN.
3. "Free House dominates Santa Anita". Los Angeles Times.
4. "Trudy McCaffery, 62; horse breeder and owner worked to improve racing". Los Angeles Times.
5. "Prominent former California horse owner John Toffan dies at age 83".
6. "Looking back at Belmont Stakes 1991". Blood Horse.
7. "Bien Bien - profile". Racing Post.
8. "Bien Bien dies at the age of 13". ESPN.
9. "Free House defeats Silver Charm". New York Times.
10. "A Grateful Trainer Puts His Faith in Free House (Published 1997)". New York Times.
11. "Came Home wins it for McCaffery and Toffan". The New York Times.
12. "Came Home prevails again". The New York Times.