by handicapper Art Parker

Keeneland paddock (copyright All Star Press)

   It would be a mistake to overlook some of the connections as far as owners are concerned when it comes to Keeneland racing. Trainers do not take their entire stables with them wherever they go, unless they are very small operations. Since purses are superb at Keeneland and since the meetings are short and prestigious, many owners are going to want to be there. Trainers play many roles as previously discussed and one of those roles is politician. A trainer does not want an unhappy owner because an owner controls the inventory of soldiers a trainer has for battle. Without horses a trainer cannot make a dime. Many times an owner connection means nothing, but it is important to keep alert as a horseplayer owners can provide important clues to what is going on. Let’s take a look at some of the discoveries of the 2010 Keeneland Fall Meeting. There is no doubt you will see several, if not a majority of these in 2011.

The biggest trainer name in America is Todd Pletcher. When you look into his barn one of the first things you notice are a couple of winning owners from last year that rings bells. Dogwood Stable and Overbrook Farm are Pletcher clients and they are a couple of the very elite names in American thoroughbred racing. Pletcher won for both of those last fall.   

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott continues to be around big money race meetings and he picked up a couple of winners last fall for Juddmonte Farms, an operation that has won many awards and made tons of money racing in America and Europe. Juddmonte is owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, and a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family.

Wayne Catalano invaded Keeneland from Chicago and experienced much success. Catalano had multiple winners with owners Gary West and Talons Racing.

There was a trio of trainers that recorded two wins for the same owner. Tevis McCauley won a pair of races for Ron McCauley. Al Stall hit the winner’s circle twice and Columbine Stable was the winner of both. Jamie Ness won two races at Keeneland’s Fall Meeting for his client Midwest Thoroughbreds.

Ken McPeek won a couple of races for Joseph Engelhart and a couple for Magdalena Racing. McPeek even had one winner with a horse the two owned together.

The very talented Wesley Ward was co-owner of a runner that scored twice at the Keeneland Fall Meeting. His co-owner was Gatewood Bell.

The 2011 Kentucky Derby winning trainer, Graham Motion, was successful at the Keeneland Fall Meeting last year. Motion won three races for Augustin Stable, and he did so using three different riders.

Mike Maker won four races for Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey. One of the victories was a first time claim and the other was a second time claim.

Tom Proctor did a great job for his client Glen Hill Farm. One three consecutive days the trainer won a race for his owner and Garrett Gomez was aboard all three winners.

Charles Lopresti won two races for owner Morton Fink with the same horse. Lopresti also scored three times for client Four D Stable.

Musical owners: Not all owners stick with one trainer. There were several owners who enjoyed visiting the Winner’s Circle with different trainers last fall:

Green Lantern Stable had winning runners with George Arnold and Charles Lopresti; The duo of Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey had success with Mike Maker and Wesley Ward; The Augustin Stable had a successful fall meet with trainers Graham Motion and Jonathan Sheppard; and Courtlandt Farms enjoyed victories with Neil Howard and Bill Mott.

Art Parker is the author of the newly released publication “Keeneland Winning Trainer Patterns – 2011 fall meet edition.”  Learn the winning tendencies of the successful horsemen at Keeneland – click here for more details.