Jenny Craig-owned thoroughbred horse training facility in Rancho Santa Fe to close

By Joe Tash

Rancho Paseana, a training facility for thoroughbred horses owned by Jenny Craig, will close its doors on May 31.

Craig, best known for the weight-loss company she founded, was traveling and unavailable for comment. But a spokeswoman confirmed that the 228-acre facility on San Dieguito Road in Rancho Santa Fe will close its doors.

The property is in escrow to an unnamed buyer, and it is unknown what the new owner’s plans are, the spokeswoman said.

According to online real estate sources, the property was listed for sale in 2010 for $29.95 million, and the price was later reduced to $24.95 million.

The property was originally developed by former San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein and his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, in the mid-1980s. It includes a seasonal stream and 3/4-mile race track. The Craigs purchased the property in 1995.

Nearly all of the horses that were boarded at the facility have been returned to their owners in preparation for the facility’s closure, the spokeswoman said.

Craig and her late husband, Sid, spent 20 years breeding, training and racing horses together, according to the official Kentucky Derby website. Their horse, Chocolate Candy, finished fifth in the 2009 Kentucky Derby. Another of their horses, Candy Ride, won the 2003 Pacific Classic.