The man who trained ZENYATTA to a Hall of Fame career and saddled longshot 2005 Kentucky Dery winner GIACOMO has passed away.

John Shirreffs died in his sleep February 12th at his home in Arcadia, California. He was 80 years of age.

Known for his patience and individualized attention to his horses, Shirreffs left his mark in some of Thoroughbred racing’s greatest events.

“The industry lost a great man today,” said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rode both ZENYATTA and GIACOMO to their most memorable victories, “and I lost a good friend.”

Shirreffs began training in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1990s that his career took off.

He will forever be linked to ZENYATTA, whose late-closing style led to wins in 19 consecutive victories before her lone loss to BLAME in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

ZENYATTA became the only female to win the BC Classic in 2009, and was voted Horse of the Year in 2010, despite her loss in the Classic.

Smith, her regular rider, said Shirreffs’ long-term approach with horses made him a perfect conditioner for ZENYETTA.

“He would never rush a horse. He would give them time, and when he got them good, they would stay good for a long time,” he said. “Some of them would not only stay good, but they would also get better and better. If you saw ZENYETTA at 2 or 3, you would never have guessed what she would become. But John saw it and gave her that time.”

Shirreffs and Smith also teamed together to take the Kentucky Derby with GIACOMO, who confounded the crowd at Churchill winning the Run for the Roses at odds of 50-1.

Based for many years at Santa Anita Park, Shirreffs was widely admired for his calm demeanor and reluctance to grab the spotlight. Reporters wishing to receive a comment from Shirreffs after he won a major race often had to hustle to grab him before he followed his horse back to its stable.

But he was also known to sit down and have thoughtful conversations at his barn with people he encountered.

On the track, Smith said he was one of many riders who enjoyed riding for Shirreffs.

“I think any rider will tell you that when you rode for John, you just felt good about it. It’s hard to describe, but he was such a good person, and you knew that everything would be done right for the horse.”

Safe trip John.