Longtime Florida horseman Barry Rose passed away last Wednesday, January 5, at the age of 79.
The Rose Family Stable has been a fixture on the South Florida racing scene for 50 years. Founded by Barry’s father Harold and then operated by Barry (and sister Joanie) after Harold’s death, the stable produced many top runners, including multiple Grade I winner and Florida Derby hero Hal’s Hope.
Away from the track, Barry was a highly respected Certified Public Accountant. It was those accounting skills that Barry volunteered to the FHBPA for many years. He served on the Board of Directors for nearly 20 years, both as a vice president and treasurer. It was in that latter position that Barry donated untold hours to making sure that the organization’s books balanced to the penny.
Also, for several years, Barry served as lead negotiator on all contractual issues with both Calder and Gulfstream. Barry went over every sentence with the proverbial fine tooth comb. And finally, Barry was a force in the establishment of our horse retirement program, Florida TRAC. This at a time when few such programs existed across the country.
Since Barry’s passing, Florida horsemen of every ilk have observed that, “Barry will be missed. He was one of the good guys.” He was.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that a donation be made in Barry’s name to either Florida TRAC (www.fltrac.org) or to Temple Beth Emet (www.TempleBethEmet.org).