Jimmy Jerkens, a multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning trainer who recently returned to the U.S. after a two-year stint in Saudi Arabia, has taken a job as an assistant to Kenny McPeek, who plans to maintain a year-round operation in New York beginning this spring. McPeek, who maintains a strong Kentucky division as well, announced the move in a video posted on X Sunday afternoon. “Jimmy’s an iconic name in New York racing, a lot of history with him and his father [H. Allen Jerkens] there, I’m going to call it a partnership and collaboration with the New York division,” McPeek said. “This will offer me more time to stay in Kentucky with less worries about a New York division and Jimmy is such a world-class horseman I feel very fortunate to have an opportunity to work with him.” McPeek said he planned to send six horses to Belmont Park on Tuesday with the hopes of having 20 to 24 horses stabled there in the coming weeks. McPeek will add to his New York string during the summer at Saratoga, where he will be based while Jerkens oversees the string at Belmont. McPeek, whose stable has grown to about 150 horses - including a slew of 2-year-olds - said he wants to maintain a year-round presence in New York in advance of the reopening of Belmont Park, which is scheduled for fall 2026. “I think Belmont Park, with the new grandstand and everything that’s going to be happening with New York racing, we want to be there with a firm division of horses and have someone that we can completely trust to be on top of things and Jimmy is exactly that guy.” McPeek said by hiring Jerkens it will give him more time to spend time with his family and to work the horse sales both stateside and abroad. “I’m based in Kentucky and I have family here and my history has been with yearlings and working yearling sales,” McPeek said. “I’ve been fortunate to build my racing stable with yearling actions and working with a lot of people over the decades.” Jerkens, 66, trained 12 individual Grade 1 winners including two Breeders’ Cup winners in a 26-year career before taking a job in Saudi Arabia to train for Faisal bin Khalid Al Saud in 2023. His two-year contract expired at the end of March and Jerkens wanted to return home. Upon his return at the beginning of April, Jerkens said he wasn’t interested in trying to rebuild a stable from scratch and was considering either this offer or exploring opportunities in the bloodstock arena. “I would have gotten some support from former owners to get started again, I didn’t feel I was quite up to the expense of it at this time,” Jerkens said Sunday. “This was the next best thing. I get to work with horses daily for a top outfit and be in New York.” Jerkens said that like McPeek, “I’m interested to see when the new Belmont opens. I’d kind of like to be here.” McPeek is coming off a year in which he won the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan and Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna. The latter went to win four more Grade 1 stakes in 2024 and was voted Horse of the Year. Thorpedo Anna is 2 for 2 this year and is entered to run in Friday’s Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs. McPeek also has horses entered in both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.