         “A Shrewd Judge of Horses”
The Gracida tradition of training world class Thoroughbreds dates back to the 1930s when Gabriel Gracida Sr. made a name for himself training horses for the general staff of the Mexican Army. In the decades that followed this legacy was continued by his six sons, his grandsons, and great-grandsons, all of whom trained their own mounts. Memo’s abilities as a horseman coupled with his skills as a trainer were evident at the earliest stages of his career. After winning the 1976 Camacho Cup, the 19-year-old sold his string of three horses to John Oxley for the astronomical sum of $12,000.
Since then, Memo’s abilities for breeding and training the world’s best polo ponies has been without equal. He is the only four-time winner of the Willis Hartman Trophy for the Best Playing Pony in the U.S. Open Championship with Kalliman (1987), Deja Vu (1995), and Sasha (1993 and 1997), the brilliant mare pictured at left. Currently, the Gracida stables have more than 50 world-class polo ponies available for sale at all levels: club polo, medium goal, and high-goal competition. The only way to enjoy polo is on a quality mount, one that has been trained to handle the pressures of competition in a manner that is safe to all horses and players.
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