Barefoot was bred by G Crompton from his homebred mare Rosamond who produced 3 winners, including Barefoot, from her union with the good stallion Tramp (b c 1810 Dick Andrews), the latter owned by Richard Watt. A sister to Barefoot was the 3rd dam of the Prix de Diane winner Jenny (b f 1865 Drumour).

Mr Crompton was an associate of Richard Watt and the Reverend Henry Goodricke, Rector of Aldborough, and between them they bred, owned and raced a number of fine horses, including the St Leger winner Quiz (ch c 1798 Buzzard). Richard Watt of Bishop Burton, near Beverley, Yorkshire, won the St Leger with Barefoot, Memnon (b c 1822 Whisker) and Rockingham (b c 1830 Humphrey Clinker), and owned one of the finest collection of horse portraits in the north of England. Barefoot and Memnon, along with two other horses (Swiss and Serab) were purchased by Lord Darlington (later the Duke of Cleveland) for £12,000.

Barefoot raced with some success from two to six, although he never met the best of his generation, the Derby winner Emilius (b c 1820 Orville). He was undefeated at three and recorded a win in the troubled Doncaster St Leger of 1823. Twenty-seven horses were saddled for the race and following three false starts the field departed leaving four at the post. The group raced to the finish, with Carnival just beating Barefoot who had got a bad start and was pinned against the rails at one point. However, since the starter declared he had not sent them off, the race was started again with, after withdrawals, twelve competitors.

He was the first St Leger winner exported to America, purchased by Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin and brought to Massachusetts in 1828. Despite his quality he was shuffled through numerous studs in New York, New England, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. With limited opportunity he sired the good mares Clara Howard (b f 1831) and Motto (ch f 1839). Clara Howard, bred by Charles Henry Hall, New York, and owned by Colonel Elliott, Tennessee, was the 3rd dam of the Kentucky Oaks winner Liatunah (b f 1876 John Morgan). Motto, owned by the Woodburn Stud, Kentucky, was the ancestress of the Leading Sire and Belmont Stakes winner Commando (b c 1898 Domino), Hunter's Lexington ( b c 1859 Lexington), John Morgan (b c 1858 Sovereign*), Onondaga (ch c 1879 Leamington*) and Sensation (br c 1877 Leamington*). Barefoot died from snake bite at David Morrison's stud, in Tipton County, Tennessee, at the age of twenty.