Keeneland Spring Meet: Which jockeys and trainers should you be following?

Tom Collins identifies the key horsemen to look out for during Keeneland’s important three-week spring fixture that begins on Friday.

Trainers

Wesley Ward

Ward’s primary training facility borders Keeneland and his year-round operation here gives him the upper hand on many of his competitors during the Spring meet. As others try to acclimatise to the colder conditions, his horses thrive.

The nine-time Keeneland leading trainer titleholder is known for introducing physically imposing and speedy two-year-olds in April every year, many of whom subsequently go on to race at Royal Ascot. Lady Aurelia and No Nay Never are just two examples of superstars initially unleashed here. But his fortune at this annual meet doesn’t start and stop with the babies as his 29% strike-rate (45 winners from 151 runners) since 2021 proves.

Brad Cox

Winning in Kentucky means more to Brad Cox than many. Born in Louisville, Cox would regularly attend racing at Keeneland and Churchill Downs as a child and always dreamed of becoming a star in the world of training.

Now a two-time Eclipse Award winner, Cox has achieved his dream while intentionally becoming almost untouchable with his runners here during the Spring. He has saddled multiple Grade 1 stars Essential Quality, Caravel and Monomoy Girl to win at this meet in recent years and will hope to build on his phenomenal 39% strike-rate (11/29) achieved 12 months ago. 

Chad Brown

Look out for Chad Brown on the turf. The 45-year-old has a soft spot for Keeneland after saddling his second ever winner as a trainer here back in 2008 and, despite being used to the winner’s enclosure now with over 2,500 US victories to his name, success here is a must for his powerful barn.

A total of 45 Keeneland stakes wins sit on Brown’s résumé, the majority of which have come on grass. He won’t have as many runners as Ward or Cox over the next three weeks, but it’s almost a foregone conclusion that he will challenge them for the training title despite suffering a below-par winter at Gulfstream.

Ian Wilkes

If big prices are your thing, keep an eye out for this underrated Australian handler. Ian Wilkes saddled his first winner here back in 2006 but it took him 14 years to really burst on the scene by sharing the leading trainer’s title with Wesley Ward in 2020.

Trainers can be creatures of habit and Wilkes has adopted a successful strategy in recent years. He targets maidens with Gulfstream Park shippers and dirt/turf routes with his older horses. Miss Yearwood, who won an allowance race at this meet last season, will head his interesting and largely overlooked team.

Jockeys

Tyler Gaffalione

A rough-looking fall at Gulfstream Park halted Gaffalione’s winter preparations and he hasn’t been riding with as much confidence since getting back in the weighing room. Perhaps the beginning of this meet is the mental boost he needs given his recent success there.

The 29-year-old boasts a whopping seven leading jockey titles at Keeneland, which includes the 2022 and 2023 Spring meets, and he’s widely considered the most trusted jockey to produce his mounts with a winning chance on both surfaces. His connections with Brendan Walsh, Michael Maker and Chad Brown helps him pick up rides in all race types.

Luis Saez

Irad Ortiz Jnr and Flavien Prat may be regarded as Gaffalione’s biggest rivals when it comes to amassing the most winners, but Luis Saez might have something to say about that. The Panamanian rider has notched some of his biggest victories at Keeneland and possesses a particularly impressive record in Grade 1 events.

Used by a variety of trainers, including those locally based and others who will ship in a small selection of horses, and known for being proactive with a comprehensive understanding of pace, Saez is a man to follow.

Frankie Dettori

An initial stint and subsequent move to America has certainly helped bolster this Italian legend’s bankroll with over $6million earned since the start of 2023. His 15% strike-rate is lower than many might have anticipated, but Dettori is now riding for the vast majority of trainers on the west coast and will split his time between Santa Anita and Keeneland over the next few weeks.

Thanks to his association with Godolphin, Dettori is likely to pick up rides on several of Charlie Appleby’s US raiders when William Buick isn’t available. Add that to a sprinkling of outside mounts and he should grab his fair share of winners. 

Brian Hernandez Jnr

Trainer Kenny McPeek might have the biggest string at Keeneland this year and, although quantity doesn’t always equal quality, he is almost certain to grab a handful of winners. The chief beneficiary of his success will be stable jockey Brian Hernandez Jnr, who comes here fresh off a good winter campaign at Oaklawn Park.

Hernandez Jnr, who is now in his 20th season as a fully fledged professional, has developed into a prolific dirt rider on closers. He’s strong in the saddle and exceptional at saving ground on the sweeping turns.