Barton buying Magali Farms in Calif.

Richard Barton, a Southern California businessman who has taken an increasingly prominent role in California Thoroughbred racing in recent years, is finalizing the purchase of Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, Calif., according to his daughter, Kate.

Kate Barton, who manages the family’s racing and breeding holdings, said Friday the deal is in escrow and set to close July 31.

“We’re wanting to centralize our operation and have everything at one farm,” Kate Barton said. “This seems the perfect operation. We can have Barton Thoroughbreds in one location instead of spread across the state.”

She said her family’s 225 broodmares will be based at the farm, which will be renamed Barton Thoroughbreds.

Currently, the Barton-owned stallion Champ Pegasus, whose first foals are 2-year-olds, is based at Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif. Champ Pegasus will stand at Barton Thoroughbreds in 2018, Barton said.

The property is being bought for an undisclosed sum from Rich and Gaby Sulpizio, who acquired the farm in late 2001. Prior to that, the farm was owned by Magness Arabians.

The deal came together rapidly, Barton said.

“It came out of the blue,” she said. “We had heard the owners were interested in selling. It seemed like a good time. It finally makes sense to have our own place.

“It was an attractive deal for us.”

There were seven stallions at Magali Farms for the 2017 breeding season. Barton said those stallions are likely to stay.

“We would be looking to provide good additions,” she said.

Barton said Magali Farms will continue to be a layup facility.

“We are wanting to keep the client horses,” she said. “We want to expand that.”

Richard Barton has been a racehorse owner for decades but has expanded his holdings with the acquisition of broodmares. Last November, he bought 51 horses at the Keeneland breeding stock sale, mostly broodmares.

Barton is the owner of California Packaging of Ontario, Calif., which provides cardboard products for a variety of businesses.