Trainer Lacey Gaudet finishing year strong

Lacey Gaudet has had a career year, with highs in number of starters (218), victories (44), and purses earned ($1.42 million). She’s been on a remarkable roll the past two months.

In October, Team Gaudet, which includes her mother, Linda, went 7 for 19. Through Tuesday, they are 8 for 16 in November.

“I’ve never been on a streak like this,” Lacey Gaudet said. “It’s been terrifying some weeks trying to keep it going.”

Gaudet, 30, is the daughter of the late Maryland horseman Eddie Gaudet. She and her mother took over the stable when Eddie became ill in 2011.

The operation has grown markedly the past three seasons. Team Gaudet had 200 starters last year, up from 171 in 2016, a year in which the team enjoyed a record 31 wins and $852,000 in earnings.

Lacey Gaudet attributes the stable’s success this fall to a number of factors, including the high number of races moved from the Laurel Park turf course to the main track.

“We’ve got a great team of girls working hard every day,” she said. “It’s been a combination of our horses fitting conditions, getting the right distances, and finding off-the-turf races. We made a couple of nice claims at Saratoga, and those horses have fit real well in Maryland.”