Reade started to work with horses at the racetrack during the summer break from high school, and college. Born in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Reade grew up with horses and his career was predestined. Reade has worked for such distinguished thoroughbred operations as Windfields Farms, Conn Smythe's Stable, and in the U.S., Ogden Mills Phipp's Stable and Spendthrift Farms.

Reade was the regular exercise rider for such outstanding horses as KENNEDY ROAD, the horse of the year in Canada and a U.S. G-1 winner; NUMBERED ACCOUNT, Eclipse award winning champion filly in the U.S.; and SNOW KNIGHT, the Epsom Derby winner. Reade was also employed by the Ontario Jockey Club for more than ten years during this time.

In 1977 Reade started two new ventures: he began his own bloodstock service and at the same time became a jockey's agent. As a jockey's agent Reade represented three Sovereign Award winning champion jockeys; Ron Hansen, Avelino Gomez and Gary Stahlbaum. Reade was elected president of JABA - the Jockey Agent's Benevolent Association headquartered at Belmont Park in New York. Reade presided over JABA from 1984 until 1986.

Reade and Rick Kennedy formed an association in 1985 whereby Reade took responsibility for all racing operations. Such an association was the reason, according to Kennedy in an interview with The Blood-Horse magazine of Kentucky, for the revival of his racing fortunes. "Reade Baker was the main ingredient in the success of our homebred Champion and Horse of the Year AFLEET", stated Rick, "Sure I did the mating but from the time AFLEET was a yearling Reade oversaw his development; he put the stable team together and kept them together. Every race AFLEET ran was part of Reade's plan and then we capped the whole thing off with the successful syndicate of AFLEET as a stallion prospect. The decisions were my responsibility but the concepts and the successful employment of such all originated with Reade. You could say I got the award (outstanding breeder) because I was smart enough to listen to Reade."

Since 1987, in addition to AFLEET, Reade has also overseen and managed/ trained the racing careers of Champion filly ONE FROM HEAVEN, stake winners MATTER OF HONOR, MIRACLES HAPPEN, A GREATER MAGIC, CELCIUS CLAY, BROCK STREET, HONOURED ONE, MUSKRAT SAMMY, and ANNIHILATE.

Reade has purchased or claimed such racing prospects as MIRACLES HAPPEN for $4,500 who then went on to win the Natalma Stakes and over $80,000; DYNAMICAL was purchased for $5,000 and has won more than 30 times that amount; GOLD SOURCE was bought for $5,500 and became a stakes-placed allowance winner of over $100,000; PROCEED was bought for $10,500 and then won over $180,000; SAY BEAUTIFUL cost $15,000 and then was a stakes-placed allowance winner of over $100,000, and VAN PATTEN who was an $85,000 purchase has won five of his six career starts.

In addition to his training and bloodstock endeavours Reade is an award winning breeder. Of all the horses he has bred, more than 10% have won stakes, including ANNIHILATE, BROCK STREET, MYSTERIOUSLY, MIKE'S EMMA ROSE, and WAIT FOR SILENCE.

Besides his activity in Canada and the U.S., Reade has sold horses to farms in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Britain, France, and South Africa. Reade has sold various stallion prospects out of the racing stable besides AFLEET, including STORM ON THE LOOSE for one million dollars to Japan, PRE EMPTIVE STRIKE and ARCHREGENT to Australia, CIVILIZED to England and sold STRANGER TO FEAR who stands in Barbados.

Reade was elected Director of the CTHS - Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society, and served from 1992 until 1994. In the September 1994, Reade was elected Director of the HBPA - Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association and served as a director from 1994 until 1997.

An avid traveller, Reade has observed racing and training methods in numerous countries around the world including Australia, Dubai, England, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, North America, and Puerto Rico. Following his Dubai trip, Reade wrote a feature story and was published in the April 2nd, 1994 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine.

During the summer Reade can be found at his Woodbine stable feeding the assortment of ducks and chickens that he raises as a hobby, and shows at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.