Boutin, Top Trainer From France, Is Seriously Ill

Francois Boutin, one of France’s most successful trainers and winner of three Breeders’ Cup races in the United States, is seriously ill, his clients and colleagues have confirmed.

According to one of Boutin’s clients, Boutin has cancer of the lung and liver. He recently was discharged from a Paris hospital and has resumed training his large stable of horses.

Boutin, 56, saddled Miesque, who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and ‘88, and received the Eclipse Award for best female turf horse in North America both years. In 1991, Boutin won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Arazi, who was the champion 2-year-old male and became the future-book favorite for the 1992 Kentucky Derby.

After the Breeders’ Cup, Arazi’s career soured. He underwent knee surgery, was able to run only one prep race as a 3-year-old and finished eighth as the Derby favorite. Arazi was retired to stud late last year.

In 1982, Boutin won the Turf Classic at Belmont Park and the Washington D.C. International at Laurel with April Run, who also got an Eclipse Award. In Europe, Boutin’s major victories include the French Derby, the Irish Derby and the Italian Derby.