Richard Budge Named General Manager at Margaux Farm

Richard Budge, who oversaw the early training of Triple Crown winner Justify  and numerous other stakes winners as farm trainer at WinStar Farm, is joining Margaux Farm as general manager beginning March 4.

Jim and Susan Hill's Margaux Farm near Midway, Ky., features a state-of-the-art training center and a newly upgraded rehabilitation facility and joins WinStar and Blackwood as Lexington-area operations serving as an alternative to sending young horses to Ocala, Fla., or South Carolina to be broken and receive early training.

"I am thrilled to have Richard, with his extensive Thoroughbred training and management experience, join the team at Margaux," said Jim Hill. "The farm has many experienced but still young managers who are looking forward to the mentorship Richard can provide."

Budge, a former racetrack trainer who has worked in Europe and South America as well as in the U.S., spent more than a decade at WinStar before leaving last spring, shortly after Justify completed his Triple Crown sweep. Audible, last year's Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) winner who finished third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), also came up under Budge's tutelage at WinStar.

"Mr. Hill wants to continue to grow Margaux and, especially, the rehab center," Budge said. "We have a new facility with Aquatred, vibration plates, and Halotherapy, and we're hoping to bring in clients who might not be aware of us. With Keeneland coming around in April and then the Derby, it will be a good time to bring people out and show them Margaux and let them know we're on the same level as the other operations around Lexington."

Margaux has several training track configurations, including a synthetic 1 1/16-mile circuit, a lengthy straightaway, and a turf gallop based on a European model. 

"You can definitely get them legged up and fit over the course," Budge noted. "It's not just a little half-mile. The facility has been primarily based on breaking young horses and legging them up and moving them on. Now, with the rehab facility being upgraded, it gives us the opportunity to bring in older horses coming off injuries and getting them going again."

Dermot Littlefield serves as farm trainer at Margaux, so Budge's duties there will be more of a supervisor than was his position at WinStar.

"I'll be overseeing rather than doing the day-to-day, hands-on training," he said. "I'll be able to serve as a mentor or give counsel, with an eye on building Margaux's business going forward. This is something new and exciting, and I look forward to the challenge. I know a lot of trainers and owners, and I want to bring awareness to Margaux. There's a big opportunity for a facility like this in Lexington. People like to come out and visit their horses and watch them gallop or breeze. Honesty and integrity are such a big part of the game for owners, and if they can come out and talk to you about what's going on with their horses, that's a big plus."