The winner’s circle at Del Mar has seen countless champions, but every so often the spotlight shifts beyond the horses and trainers. For Gail Matthews, the woman behind “Winning Hands,” that moment often arrives quietly — with a pat on the neck, a relieved breath from the horse, and sometimes, a kiss of gratitude from a trainer who knows just how much her touch has mattered.
Matthews, an equine massage therapist whose career has spanned more than two decades across California racetracks, is proof that racing is not only about speed, stamina, and bloodlines. It’s also about the invisible work that keeps equine athletes supple, relaxed, and ready to run.
Winning Hands and the Journey to California Tracks
Her story began in 1999 with two horses of her own — Becky, a mustang, and Braidy, a Quarter horse colt. A magazine ad for an equine massage course caught her attention. With a loan from her father, Matthews flew to Virginia to study under Mary Schreiber at Equissage, one of the country’s earliest and most respected programs.
“I was in my forties, starting all over,” Matthews recalls. “My father waited my whole life for me to find the right job, and suddenly it was horses.”
Armed with anatomy lessons, long days on the backstretch, and business cards fresh off the press, she showed up at Bay Meadows at 7 a.m. after calling the director of operations. By that evening, she had her first client in trainer Jeff Bonde — still with her to this day.
Word spread when Bonde’s runners began stringing wins together, and “Winning Hands” quickly became part of the California racing conversation. “The first five horses I worked on all won,” Matthews says, still in awe at her good fortune.
From Bay Meadows to Santa Anita and Beyond
By 2001, she was convinced by outrider Spud Proctor to take her skills south to Santa Anita. There she met trainer Howard Zucker, who took a chance on her with Derby contender Crafty C. T. Though the colt was beaten by the great Point Given, the result cemented Matthews’ reputation.
Soon, she was working with Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, performing sessions at dawn and keeping meticulous records for the California Horse Racing Board. Her rules are strict: never touch a horse within 24 hours of post time, no machines or oils, only her hands.
Trainers rely on her judgment, but she insists the biggest believers are exercise riders. “When they get on after I’ve worked, they tell me right away — the horse just moves better.”
A Life Shaped by Horses
Her schedule is grueling, often stretching from 7:30 a.m. to late evening. Race days add another layer: observing the horses she has treated, studying their breathing after the wire, and considering what they’ll need next time.
“It’s wonderful getting into the winner’s circle,” she admits. “Better than falling in love. When you win, it’s the biggest thrill that can possibly happen.”
That thrill came again on Pacific Classic Day when Om N Joy, a filly she treated, captured the Torrey Pines Stakes. “I couldn’t believe I was sitting at Del Mar,” Matthews says. “It felt like waking up on another planet.”
Now in her third decade as California’s trusted equine massage therapist, she remains devoted to keeping horses relaxed and strong, believing her quiet work helps them find that extra gear. As she prepares to move on from Del Mar to Los Alamitos and Santa Anita, her Winning Hands remain a small but vital part of racing’s fabric.
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