For Lexington locals, a Breeders’ Cup win would be special

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Winning a Breeders’ Cup race is a remarkable accomplishment for any trainer, but for a select few with close ties to Lexington, winning one at the first Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland would be all that more special.

Shug McGaughey, Kiaran McLaughlin, and Ken McPeek are among the trainers who are returning to the place where they first dared to dream about making names for themselves in racing.

“I wrote a school paper when I was 12 years old saying I wanted to be a horse trainer,” said McLaughlin, born and raised in Lexington. “It’d really be something to win a Breeders’ Cup race this weekend, absolutely.”

McLaughlin, 54, graduated high school and attended one year of college in Lexington before forging a fabulous career, with one Horse of the Year (Invasor, 2006) and $93 million in stable earnings to his credit. He now lives primarily in New York, but virtually all of his family is still right here.

“My mother and six siblings will all be here, and my daughter [Erin] works for Breeders’ Cup,” said McLaughlin. “I’m living my dream.”

McLaughlin has four BC runners: Wedding Toast (Distaff), Cavorting (Filly and Mare Sprint), Sentiero Italia (Filly and Mare Turf), and Frosted (Classic).

McGaughey, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, is a 64-year-old icon with $131.6 million in stable earnings, one Kentucky Derby winner (Orb, 2013), and nine Breeders’ Cup wins. Born and raised here, he turned to training in 1979 and experienced much of his early success at Keeneland before taking over the Phipps family stable in 1986.

McGaughey has two sons in the horse business – Chip, 29, and Reeve, 26 – and both grew up here while also splitting time with their dad in New York or Florida. McGaughey’s mother, Mildred, also still lives in Lexington.

“My dad talks a lot about what a great horse town Lexington is,” said Chip McGaughey. “We’re all really excited about the Breeders’ Cup being here.”

McGaughey has Honor Code (Classic) as his lone starter this year.

McPeek, 53, graduated from Tates Creek High in Lexington and the University of Kentucky before immediately pursuing a training career in 1985. His feats include a Belmont Stakes win (Sarava, 2002), four training titles at Keeneland, and nearly $67 million in stable earnings. He has raced on numerous circuits but has circled back home and now lives on a Lexington farm with his wife, Sherri, who is expecting their first child any day now.

From 25 BC starts, McPeek has had five seconds and eight thirds but no wins.

“I’d love to get that monkey off my back at home,” said McPeek, who has two starters this year in Dothraki Queen (Juvenile Fillies) and Rated R Superstar (Juvenile). Laughing, he added: “One thing about being here – the accommodations are better than being in a hotel in California or wherever.”

Two other trainers with a local connections have their first Breeders’ Cup starters this weekend: Ben Colebrook has Limousine Liberal (Sprint), and Anthony Hamilton has Fioretti (Filly and Mare Sprint).