Will VanMeter steps away from training

Will VanMeter has disbanded his public stable after nearly six years of training. VanMeter, 37, said he was unsure what he will do next but did not rule out an eventual return to the horse business.

VanMeter said he and his wife, Kristin, have decided to “step away for a while” and that they are “excited about the next chapter in our lives.” He intended to issue a public release this week about the move.

VanMeter graduated from the University of Louisville equine program before working for several years under D. Wayne Lukas. He went out on his own in January 2014, winning 64 races, including six stakes, from 527 starts. His final starter ran on Friday, when Surmont finished seventh in the seventh race at Churchill.

VanMeter is the son of Tom VanMeter, a well-known Lexington, Ky., consignor and a former practicing veterinarian. The elder VanMeter has been ostracized by the racing industry since early July, when he posted racially charged comments on social media, but his son said Monday his decision to stop training had little to do with that situation.