Spending Time With New Trainer Kent Sweezey

Content from America's Best Racing.

He grew up around horses and he’s learned from some of the most prominent horsemen in recent history; now, Kent Sweezey is taking his shot at the big time.

Sweezey, 31, has spent the past several years as an assistant to trainer Jimmy Jerkens and recently started training a stable of horses on his own.

America’s Best Racing’s Dan Tordjman caught up with the young trainer about the big move from assistant trainer to trainer.

Tell us a little bit about yourself - where are you from originally? How did you get involved in racing? 

I'm 31 years old, from Lexington. I've been around horses my whole life. I grew up on Darby Dan Farm where my father was general manager for 15-plus years. I did everything from foaling mares, maintenance, and daily farm work to yearling sales prep, which gave me the most thrill on the farm and eventually took me around the world.

I did the Irish National Stud Breeding Course in 2007 and then went straight to Windsor Park Stud (in New Zealand), then to Arrowfield Stud (in Australia) doing yearling prep and sales, which is what I saw myself doing at the time. Upon my return to the States, my parents started Timber Town Stable after departing Darby Dan Farm nearly 10 years prior. After returning from my travels, I began to work on the farm helping my dad with the few mares and foals we had to start with, eventually growing the farm to close to where it is now, foaling down almost 75 mares and selling almost 50 yearlings yearly.

How did your career shift from the farm to the track as an assistant trainer, and ultimately now as a trainer?

About a year into starting the farm, Christophe Clement (trainer of 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist) came to visit some mares on the farm and asked what I was going to do for the winter. After I gave him an unworthy answer, he convinced me to come work at the racetrack where he hired me as a barn foreman at Payson Park. After I finished my year with Christophe, I thought the time was right to return to the farm, possessing much more knowledge than when I left.

Christophe then encouraged me to go to California, where he sorted me out with a job as assistant trainer to Eoin Harty. I spent three years at Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Santa Anita Park as Eoin's assistant – and loved every minute of it. In 2014, I felt it was time to come back east, and I was hired as assistant to Jimmy Jerkens at Belmont Park in New York.

During my time with Jimmy we had a very strong group of runners including Wicked Strong   (Wood Memorial (G1) winner), Effinex   (multiple graded stakes winner who finished second to American Pharoah   in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic [G1]), V. E. Day   (Travers Stakes [G1] winner), and most recently graded stakes winners Shaman Ghost and Unified. Beginning the first of April, I began training on my own here in Kentucky, with hopes of basing myself here and having summer strings in Saratoga and spending my winters in Florida.

You mentioned Christophe Clement, Eoin Harty and Jimmy Jerkens. You’ve worked under some of the most respected trainers in the sport. Tell us what each of those experiences was like?

Christophe Clement is incredibly organized and one of the best communicators out there. He has a knack for successfully bringing European horses to the U.S. and improving on them with time with his patience, understanding their form, and placing them correctly. He’s one of the top trainers in the country, whether it’s on the dirt or turf; going short or long. He spends a ton of time in the barn, whether it's walking up and down the shedrow or on the phone with overseas owners. He’s detail-orientated and a master of his tribe. Working with him was a fantastic steppingstone into the racing game.

Eoin Harty, as a former assistant to Bob Baffert and training privately for Godolphin, his main focus was his 2-year-olds, and hopefully developing them into nice 3-year-olds. During my time with Eoin he was a very good teacher, he allowed me to develop my communication skills with owners, jockey agents, and the racing office. I ran his West Coast string while Eoin spent half of the time with me and the other with his string on the East Coast. This allowed me to make many decisions on my own, seeing firsthand how and what made the horses and the barn run smoothly.

Jimmy Jerkens is, without a doubt, the best trainer I've been around. He is so extremely dedicated to each of his horses. He knows and understands every horse's individual needs, and nearly gets into their head, himself. He sees exactly what makes each one tick. It's amazing to watch his dedication to every horse. Anyone who has had horses with Jimmy would definitely agree. His feed program is second to none and everyone will agree that his horses really stand out in the paddock.

He taught me that attention to minor details can tell you a lot about how a horse is doing and training- watching them train daily is only part of what makes them successful on the racetrack. He taught me that every horse is different, yet when you've been around enough of them, you have an idea of how to deal with each one through experience, and how to rely on what you've been taught to make a decision.

I learned from him how to properly develop a horse, and then once you've developed it you know exactly when and exactly how hard you can push it. We worked those good handicap horses like Effinex, Wicked Strong, V. E. Day long all the time, they breezed miles nearly every week, because he knew he could do it because he had laid that foundation before they got to that point. It was always a progression—he knew they could handle the work he was throwing at them. Those distance works, the long, strong gallops and the day-before blowouts were a norm in his barn. And they could always handle it.

Having worked with Jimmy Jerkens and a lot of the bigger horses in his barn over the past few years, did that make it harder to leave such a successful operation or did it fuel your passion to go out on your own even more?

Leaving a barn like Jerkens' was not an easy decision. Unified is a top-class sprinter, Shaman Ghost is one of the top handicap horses in the country. Of course, it wasn't easy putting them on a van to New York, knowing I wouldn't work with them again. But it's the blessings I received from Jimmy, and the owners, that made it easy. It was my time. It was my time to get the big horses. I feel working with these "big horses" has given me the foundation I was talking about earlier. The way Jimmy pushed me, he knew when to drill me and when to take it easy. I was conditioned to take the pressure, and I felt the time was right to go out on my own. 

I know Jimmy had my back, and he told me many times he will do what he can to help me to be successful.

What are some of the challenges, and potentially some of your fears, as a younger person in the sport trying to build up your own training operation?

As a young trainer in the business, having owners who have been in the game for longer than I've been alive, has not only humbled me but it has reminded me of how much goes into getting these horses to the racetrack. That’s when I really rely on my background on the farm to constantly remind me of the work and dedication it takes to just get a horse into our barn. I train for a lot of end-users and breeders—they're the ones who stressed over getting their mares in foal, to raising a good horse and I know first-hand the struggles these owners have had along the way. I can really appreciate the work that's been put in and, therefore, treat the horses with the same passion and dedication as if they were my own.

I know you’re from Kentucky originally, but surely you know people in their late 20s or early 30s who can’t relate to racing or what you do for a career. How do you explain what it’s like to work in horse racing?

I have had many people tell me how hard my job is. And I'm the first one to admit that it's not easy, but I'll also tell them to come out to the races, come to the barn, watch how passionate the people who work for me are, how much time goes into getting one to the paddock, and then hopefully into the winner’s circle. That's really when they see that it's not just the horse that carries the weight, it’s a real group effort; it’s the team behind that horse who put the hours in to get them there. I've missed weddings and plenty of family holidays, but I hope that the work we put in eventually pays off, and they can enjoy a win as much as we do!

Along those lines, and as a younger guy, how can racing appeal to a younger audience and draw them in as both fans and as people who might want to explore a career in the sport?

Most people don't really know what goes on in a stable full of horses. I try to get as many young people involved as I can. I've had family friends come work for us, and sometimes it works out, mostly not, but the job isn't easy. It takes passion to work in this industry, and that passion is fueled at a young age. Whether they've been drawn to horses from attending the races, or visiting mares and foals at a stud farm, we need to be more open to allowing young people to get their hands dirty, to get in the trenches and really see how hard work can pay off. There’s nothing more gratifying than watching a horse you foaled, prepped, sold or groomed win at Keeneland or Saratoga—it’s an incredible feeling to see that. Believe me, I've felt all of the above! Now, as a trainer, I want nothing more than to prove exactly that: Hard work doesn't go unnoticed in this business. Our results are black and white!

What’s your strongest asset as you embark on this new journey?

Nowadays, communication has become so important. Technology has really changed the game in an immensely positive way. Years ago, an owner would have to call a trainer on a landline and most likely get their voicemail and would struggle to get to speak to them one-on-one. In today's world, communication is possible in so many different ways. If you have a good horse, it’s nearly impossible to get news from a trainer's mouth—you'd get it from Twitter, Facebook or a website way before you'd get a report from the trainer himself.

Videos and text messages have become the norm, and weekly, if not daily reports have become mandatory for trainers. All this is very good; it’s allowing the people who pay the bills a chance to enjoy what you offer while caring for their very valuable investment. Working for Jimmy Jerkens allowed me to form relationships with syndicates and owners who were up to date with technology and really appreciated getting these updates from me.

I've sent videos of horses breezing, pictures, and daily and weekly reports, depending on how the owners preferred. That's the day and age that we live in, that’s what they expect and I'm happy to do it.

Apart from the aforementioned trainers, who have your biggest influences been in racing and in life?

Some of my biggest influences in life have come from people inside and outside of racing. In particular, I have always admired trainers who have success with a very limited number of horses—people like Jimmy Toner, who trains for Darby Dan and Phillips Racing Partnership. He has successfully grown a family, a business and a stellar career around a small string of horses. He has won a Breeders’ Cup and numerous Grade 1s, yet keeps his numbers down and his percentages up. I've spent many mornings picking his brain on the training track at Belmont, and I consider him a close friend and a great example. He's so positive and enthusiastic, day in and day out. He never gets too high or too low, and I really admire that.

Since we’re a couple weeks away from the Kentucky Derby, we’d be interested in knowing what you think about this year’s Derby picture. It seems so wide open. Is there any horse in the Derby picture that stands out to you?

This year's Derby has been a puzzle since the Breeders’ Cup. Honestly, as much as Classic Empire has intrigued me with his training antics, he seems like the horse to beat this year. Credit to the Casse organization and Julien Leparoux, he seemed almost untrainable early this year, yet he seems to be the horse to beat today. I don't care if you have to train him on I-64, get that horse to the Kentucky Derby (Presented by Yum! Brands [G1]) starting gate and make somebody beat him. He seems to have the style and the class to not only get the distance, but the ability to change his running style during a race. He's by the right sire in Pioneerof the Nile  , and Mr. Casse is definitely due a classic win. I'll be rooting for Classic Empire in the Derby.

Getting back to your horses, tell us how large of a string you have down in Kentucky and who are some of your horses that people should keep an eye on (any of them close to running)?

I currently have seven horses in training, most of which are babies (2-year-olds) or horses coming off layoffs. I had my first runner this Saturday (April 22) at Keeneland named Lela's Gift.

What are some of your short-term and long-term goals?

My short term goal is to have 20 horses in my barn by the summer, and my long term goal is to win a Grade 1 in my first five years training. Both are very possible—with a little racing luck, and the right horses, anything is possible.