Assistant Trainer James Wellman Dies at 55

James Wellman, a veteran Kentucky horseman and longtime assistant trainer with Eric Reed, died in the early morning hours of May 21 after a five-month battle with cancer. Wellman was 55.

A native of Lexington, Wellman and Reed had known each other since their high school days when they both worked at the Thoroughbred Center galloping horses. Wellman had a short career as a jockey, riding primarily throughout the Midwest from 1982-85. He rode 15 winners and placed in another 37 races, but race riding was not where his horsemanship was most valuable, according to Reed.

"He was probably the best exercise rider that ever sat on a horse," said Reed, who worked with Wellman for 30 years. "People would borrow him for a tough horse no one could gallop. He didn't have to rough-house them; he was naturally good at it."

Wellman worked as an assistant trainer for Reed, running the trainer's stables at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Sam Houston Race Park, Belmont Park, and at meets throughout Kentucky.

"I could send him anywhere and never worry once about how the horses were being handled," Reed said. "I can't remember a day on the job without him. It is awfully sad times for us."

Among some of the best horses Wellman managed is stakes-winning Irish-bred Rinterval, who raced for owner Jerry Jamgotchian and just missed beating 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta by a neck in the 2010 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. Wellman also was a fan of the hard-trying Langfuhr gelding Bagpipes, who Reed picked up as a yearling for $11,000. Bagpipes compiled 9-6-2 record out of 29 starts, placed in the Allen's Landing Stakes at Sam Houston, and earned $144,600 while in Reed's stable.

Toward the end of 2019, Wellman developed a bad backache that he thought was a slipped or injured disk. The diagnosis wound up being cancer.

"When we got the real bad news, I took the best of the yearlings I bought last year and named it Wellman," Reed said. "That horse will be racing at Churchill soon and hopefully will honor him. James and I talked every day, and every report on the horse put a smile on his face. I told him, 'This horse is as tough as you.'"

Wellman, a son of Twirling Candy  is out of the stakes-placed Chatain daughter Pardonemecomingthru, who is a half sister to grade 2 winner Postponed and stakes winner Bridesmaid. The colt has been working steadily at Reed's Mercury Equine Center north of Lexington since March 30. Wellman is owned by Jerry Brumley, who was a co-owner of Bagpipes.

Survivors include a daughter, Mariah Jolynn Wellman, granddaughter, Lilly Rayne Wellman, and a sister, Angela Wellman (Ron) Pennington. Because of ongoing restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic, Wellman's family will have a private graveside service May 26 at Bluegrass Memorial Gardens.