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Kenneth McPeek
McPeek in 2018
Occupation	Trainer
Born	(1962-08-02) August 2, 1962 (age 61) Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
Career wins	1,992+ (ongoing) Stakes Wins: 266 (ongoing) Earnings: $116,000,000+
Major racing wins
Preakness Stakes (2020) Breeders' Futurity Stakes (1994, 2009, 2021) Falls City Handicap (2020, 2021) Beaumont Stakes (1994, 2009) Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes (1994, 2001) Fort Harrod Stakes (1996) Widener Handicap (1997) Turfway Championship Handicap (1997) Tampa Bay Derby (1999) Tropical Park Derby (2000) Alcibiades Stakes (2000, 2001, 2008, 2018, 2020) Iroquois Stakes (2001, 2018) Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (2001, 2018, 2021) Fair Grounds Oaks (2002) Ashland Stakes (2002, 2014, 2023) Dogwood Stakes (2002, 2011) Florida Derby (2002) Blue Grass Stakes (2002, 2013) Louisiana Derby (2002) Spinster Stakes (2002, 2003) Sir Barton Stakes (2003) Ohio Derby (2003) Edgewood Stakes (2004, 2005) Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Turf Stakes (2004, 2005) Delta Jackpot Stakes (2006) Louisville Handicap (2007, 2014, 2017, 2018) Commonwealth Turf Stakes (2008) Aristides Stakes (2009, 2011) Summer Stakes (2009) Breeders' Futurity Stakes (2009) La Cañada Stakes (2010) Bourbonette Oaks (2010, 2016, 2017) Bourbon Stakes (2010, 2014, 2021) Golden Rod Stakes (2010) Rachel Alexandra Stakes (2011) Mint Julep Stakes (2011, 2012) Matt Winn Stakes (2011) Regret Stakes (2011) Virginia Oaks (2012) Gardenia Stakes (2012) Travers Stakes (2012) Hollywood Starlet Stakes (2012) Virginia Derby (2013) Indiana Oaks (2013) Commonwealth Stakes (2014) Sixty Sails Handicap (2014) Ben Ali Stakes (2014, 2018) Eclipse Stakes (2014) Pocahontas Stakes (2015, 2016, 2022, 2023) Carry Back Stakes (2016) Bashford Manor Stakes (2017) Lexington Stakes (2017,2021) American Oaks (2017) Modesty Handicap (2018) Mrs. Revere Stakes (2018) Alabama Stakes (2018, 2020) Opening Verse Stakes (2020) Gulfstream Oaks (2021) Summertime Oaks (2021) Beholder Stakes (2021) Southwest Stakes (2024) American Classic Race wins: Belmont Stakes (2002) Preakness Stakes (2020) Belmont Derby Invitational (2022)
Racing awards
Big Sport of Turfdom Award (2002)
Significant horses
Tejano Run, Harlan's Holiday, Sarava, Einstein, Take Charge Lady, Repent, Hard Buck, She's A Devil Due, Dream Empress, Prince Arch, Noble's Promise, Kathmanblu, Rogue Romance, Curlin, Golden Ticket, Frac Daddy, Rosalind, Java's War, Daddys Lil Darling, Signalman, Eskimo Kisses, Restless Rider, Harvey Wallbanger, Swiss Skydiver, Princess Warrior, Simply Ravishing, Crazy Beautuful, King Fury, Rattle N Roll, Tiz the Bomb, Envoutante. Smile Happy, Classic Causeway, Defining Purpose, Sun Thunder.VV'S Dream, Corningstone, Fretdis the Red(FR)
Website
www.mcpeekracing.com

Kenneth G. McPeek (born August 2, 1962, in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

Life and career

Kenneth G. "Kenny" McPeek was born August 2, 1962, in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He graduated from Tates Creek High School and then the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In 1985 McPeek received his Thoroughbred Trainer's License.

McPeek serves on the Boards of the University of Kentucky College of Agricultural Equine Program Advisory Committee, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). He is a member of the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine Equine Veterinary Medical Director Search Committee. ^[1]

Major horses

McPeek has trained a number of racehorses. In 2002, he won the Belmont Stakes with Sarava. ^[2] His horses won back-to-back Spinster Stakes' with Take Charge Lady in 2002 & 2003 and back-to-back Gulfstream Park Breeder's Cup Handicaps with Hard Buck (BRZ) & Prince Arch in 2004 & 2005. ^[3] Other Grade 1 victories include the Florida Derby, Ashland Stakes (3 times), Blue Grass Stakes, Dixiana Breeders Futurity and the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (4 times) in his career. ^[3] He has also trained all-time leading North American money earner Curlin, Dream Empress, Tejano Run, Golden Ticket, Harlan's Holiday, Hard Buck (BRZ), Java's War, Pure Fun, Repent, Take Charge Lady, Salty Strike, Sweet Talker, Leah's Secret, She's A Devil Due, Wild Desert, Einstein, Prince Arch, Noble's Promise, Kathmanblu, Rogue Romance, Daddys Lil Darling, Eskimo Kisses, Signalman, Restless Rider, Swiss Skydiver, Simply Ravishing, King Fury, Crazy Beautiful, Tiz a Bomb, Rattle N Roll, Dash Attack, Butterbean, Classic Causeway, Corningstone and Mystik Dan among others.

McPeek has won more than 266 stakes in his career, with 111 of them graded. Through September 17, 2023, he has 1,955 career wins with earnings of more than $116Million. ^[4]

McPeek currently races primarily at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park and Saratoga, as well as keeping a division at his Magdalena Farm in Lexington. ^[5]

Graded Stakes Wins

Training facilities

In 2006, McPeek purchased the former Pillar Stud Farm, a 115-acre parcel in Lexington, Kentucky, from William duPont III, who was selling off pieces of his massive landholdings portfolio due to financial difficulties. ^{[6] [7]} McPeek renamed the farm to Magdalena Farm in honor of Magdalena Weber Shely (b. 6/2/1793), the original Matriarch of the land. ^[8]

The office at Magdalena Farm is the home base for McPeek Racing, Magdalena Racing Partnerships, and Horse Races Now, the comprehensive horse racing APP. Currently, the farm has over 150 horses that are either racing, training, or being broken to saddle. The farm also handles mares and foals, as well as layups, thereby covering all stages of a horse's career. ^[9]

McPeek purchased Silverleaf Training Center in Ocala, Florida, in 2019. Formerly the Padua Farm Training Center, the property includes a six furlong training track, four 24-stall barns, four paddocks, 20 stall/turnout paddocks, six covered round pens, and a five stall quarantine barn.

When horses are purchased as yearlings, they are taken to Magdalena Farm in Lexington. As they mature into two-year-olds, they are transferred to the Silverleaf Training Center in Ocala to be saddle broken, started under tack, and trained to use the starting gate. McPeek then moves the horses to finish their training at a race track, once each horse is ready to compete.

McPeek has made improvements to Silverleaf Training Center that directly benefit the two-year-olds' training such as having the track graded and adding a fully operational starting gate. New fencing and paddocks were also added.

The McPeek Silverleaf Team includes Lead Assistant Trainer Dominic Brennan, Assistant Trainer retired Eclipse award-winning jockey Robby Albarado, and Assistant Forman Shaun Charlton.

Mobile app

McPeek has developed a mobile app to provide comprehensive horse racing video and data for new fans and veteran horseplayers, called Horse Races Now. ^[10] He reported that he came up with the idea for a horse racing app while watching CNBC's Planet of the Apps, a one-hour program that explored the explosion of mobile technology, specifically through phone applications. ^[11] "During the show, I Googled 'horse racing apps' and there weren't any. I kind of politicked around and checked with some people to see if this was something that was happening. Long and short, I ended up doing it on my own because I just felt like it needed to be done." ^[12]

McPeek launched Horse Races Now on March 27, 2012, ^[12] and four years later, McPeek reported in a radio interview that the app had been downloaded over 500,000 times. ^[13]

References