Trainer Forrest Kaelin dies at 83

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Forrest Kaelin, who trained Thoroughbreds for nearly 60 years following a brief riding career, died Thursday of natural causes at his Louisville home. He was 83.

Kaelin disbanded his Churchill Downs stable less than two months ago because of his deterorating health, with fellow trainer Jimmy Baker looking after the sale and placement of his few remaining horses.

Kaelin once rode six winners in a row on a card at the old Wheeling Downs in West Virginia as a teenaged jockey in the early 1950s. A serious injury soon thereafter led him to training, and for the last 50 years or so he was stabled in the same barn at Churchill, where his shed row entrance was only about 50 feet across from that of D. Wayne Lukas, who became a fixture in Kentucky in the late 1980s. Kaelin typically wintered in warmer climates, including New Orleans and more recently in Tampa, Fla.

As a trainer, Kaelin won 1,600 races, most notably back-to-back runnings of the Stephen Foster (1982-83) with Vodika Collins; the 1999 Kentucky Cup Classic with 65-1 shot Da Devil; four stakes with Crimson Classic, his lone Kentucky Derby starter (1997); and nine stakes with the sprinter Good Lord, an earner of more than $800,000.

Kaelin’s final winner was Shea’s Cool, who captured the first race May 11 at Churchill.

Known for a wry sense of humor and easygoing demeanor, Kaelin was widely admired and liked by horsemen and fans. “He was a real credit to the game,” said Baker.

Kaelin is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter, Terry; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Visitation is scheduled for Monday from 3-7 p.m. Eastern at Pearson’s on Breckinridge Lane in Louisville.