The concept of super coaches is not a new phenomenon in horse racing at all, but huge stables run by super trainers have certainly changed the landscape of the sport in its own right. many ways, from the back to the races. Are super coaches bad for the sport? Are there any benefits to owners using a “smaller” trainer? We asked these and many more questions of a few trainers who might not be considered super trainers in terms of their cage count, but they made the most of the animals. horses to which they are assigned to build competitive race stability in their careers.
Growing up in Ireland, Eddie Kenneally’s favorite day of the week was when his father took him to visit their local tower track. Now a coach of eight Class I winners, Kenneally looks back and identifies those days at the track as defining moments in his life as he developed his love of horses as a child. After nearly 30 years running his operation, the Kentucky-based coach has developed two multi-million dollar earners – 2007 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winners Kelly’s Landing (Patton) and GI Stephen Foster H. won Bradester (Lion Heart) 2016. This year, he earned his 1,000th career win and is represented as a GI Bruce DS Point Me By (Point of Entry) winner.
KP: How did you get into horse racing for the first time?
EK: I grew up in Waterford in Ireland and my dad was a huge fan of tower racing. He would take us to local races at least once a week. That was the first time I liked horses and racing. We grew up on a dairy farm and we always had some horses there that my dad would break and train, so I grew up riding at a very young age.
I was lucky enough to get my first real job in the industry working for one of the top shooters in Europe with Tim Hyde at Camas Park Stud. He has a great reputation and I spent a couple of years preparing and breaking my cravings for him. He was connected to the Pegasus Stud Farm in Lexington so I was able to come here for a work experience program in 1987. I loved the Lexington area and decided to stay. I worked at Pegasus for a year and then rode for Rusty Arnold at Keeneland.
After a year of working with Rusty, I had the opportunity to become an assistant to Tom Skiffington, who was one of the top coaches in New York at the time. It was a great education and I learned a lot from him. Through my exposure to the role of an assistant, I decided to start training myself in 1993.
For several years, we started off quite small. It takes a while to set up. I spent my summers in Kentucky and winters in New Orleans, and we raised about 12 to 15 horses the first six or eight years. The business didn’t grow as big as I expected, and the success didn’t really happen as much as I expected.
Finally, we had the opportunity to start working for Jack Lally of Summerplace Ranch, who had a very nice horse named Kelly’s Landing (Patton). That horse helped push my business to the next level. At the same time, we started training Ron and Ricki Rashinski of Homewrecker Racing. They have a jackal named Bushfire (Louis Quatorze) who won three Class I races for us and made it to the Eclipse finals at the age of 3. We still train for both of those clients today, and they have really helped my career take off alongside our longtime client Joe Sutton, who won a First Class Bradester (Lion Heart) with us. a few years ago.
KP: How many horses do you normally have in your stable?
Eddie and Catherine Kenneally have two sons, Vincent and Liam | Photo courtesy of Eddie Kenneally
EK: We’re at a pretty comfortable number right now because I’m spending a lot of time with my two young children. They play baseball a lot so I have a lot to go on with my family. Our barn has been at around 50 birds for the past few years. We have about 20 at Keeneland and 30 at Churchill Downs, so we have two divisions and two coaching assistants, Kelly Wheeler and Kevin Glodowski, who play an important role in our operation.
Six or eight years ago we had almost 70 horses, but 50 is a good number for where I am now. About five years ago, I decided to stop my New York branch. I’ve narrowed it down a bit and we don’t spend much time in New York, partly because we decided to stay closer to home and also because our wallets have grown significantly in Kentucky. I could have more horses if I wanted to, but this number is fine for me.
KP: What do you believe makes your stables unique?
EK: I am very tall. I travel a lot between Louisville and Lexington all year round and I love being at the barn every day. I look forward to going out every morning, but it’s hard work and I think one needs to try. You can’t be complacent and you need to be willing to take the time to maintain it.
We’ve had some good people working for us in the past who have gone on to achieve their own success. Tom Morley is currently in New York and Brendan Walsh has also been with us for a few years. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve got some really good people who have made it through and continue to do great.
KP: What do you believe the owner benefits from using a “smaller” trainer?
EK: Obviously, smaller trainers won’t win many races because they don’t run as many horses. So you won’t get as much exposure as with a guy with 10 times as many horses as I do. But I’m not jealous of any of them [the larger outfits]. I say good for them because there are 300 or 400 horses. 50 works great for me and we have some great clients who appreciate what we do and we certainly appreciate them.
I think clients of super trainers may not get the same opportunities because for all conditions their trainer may have several horses and will probably run only one in a row. that number. For example, if you have a small cat on the field, the trainer may have 20 of them when the race starts but they will only run one or two. The owners of the other horses will have to wait their turn. So it won’t work for me. I think we could provide better customer service with a smaller operation like ours.
KP: Do you think super coaches are bad for the sport?
EK: A lot of things going on in this game are beyond our control. This is beyond my control so it doesn’t matter my opinion on it. If some people have a lot of horses, good for them.
KP: What do you like most about your job?
EK: I love waking up every morning and getting to practice with each horse in my stable, getting to know them and developing them. Self-employment and self-employment allow me the flexibility to spend time with my kids and wife. Sure, I have to get up in the middle of the night to go to work, but I’ve been doing it for a long time and I’ve adapted to it.
KP: What is the most frustrating aspect of your job?
One of the most frustrating things about the state of racing in this country right now is the uneven punishment for the same type of violation in different states. Violations and penalties are not implemented the same way, and the testing and rules are different in every state.
When we follow uniform rules, I hope that alleviates some frustration and can establish a more level playing field because I think it’s not quite as fair as it could be. . The penalties aren’t harsh enough for people who can’t follow the rules and it’s frustrating for someone like me who has never been suspended to run against repeat offenders and keep breaking bend the rules when there is no real motive they stop.
Bushfire won GI Ashland S. 2006 and then went on to win GI Acorn S. and GI Mother Goose S. | Horsephotos
KP: Do you think the Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) will help achieve the uniformity you mentioned?
EK: I think homogenization would be great if it could be done, but I think it would be a difficult process if we were in
now get to where it’s up and running and achieve what it was set out to accomplish. In theory it looks good and hopefully we should be able to get there, but it won’t be easy.
KP: Earlier you talked about being independent for the first time and your cage is very small. What advice do you have for young coaches just starting out and hoping to one day start a company like you?
EK: The advice I give to young people who want to train as key is to try to approach a successful person they admire and admire. Spend time as an assistant long enough that they can have enough contacts and experience before starting training. The game has changed a lot and I think communication is very important. For young people just starting out, I recommend traveling and going to another country to work on racing and see as much as you can before you start training on your own. Book your time ahead of time and it will benefit you on the road.
KP: Which horse do you look back on as a horse that you will always remember for having one of the biggest personalities?
EK: The first horse that comes to mind is a girl named Girls Know Best (Caleb’s Posse). I announced a partnership with her, which is what I do with a large portion of my stable, with Brian Chenvert. She won over half a million wallets after we asked her, winning three stakes and placing about seven others. She’s just a chubby, tough person who always tries her best. She has been around the barn for quite some time and is often on tiptoe. She would be what I call a real fun horse to be around.
Another horse is sure to come by Kelly’s Landing. He’s a powdery guy. He was special and definitely not nice to everyone, but we were great and he ended up being my stable pony when he retired from racing.
To designate a coach for this ongoing series, email [email protected] General Criterion: Ranked high winning coaches, 300 fewer starting this year, have trained for over 20 years and accumulated no more than $50 million in career earnings.
