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Kenny McPeek
Trainer Bios

Kenny McPeek

Born: Aug. 2, 1962, in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 269
Stakes Wins: 35

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 2002 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park with Harlan’s Holiday
First Stakes Win: 1991 Red Wing at Canterbury with Miss Echo
First Graded Stakes Win: 1994 Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland with Her Temper
First Career Win: Oct. 27, 1985, at River Downs with Final Destroyer

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes


Year

Horse

Finish

2023

Sun Thunder

4th

2023

Mendelssohns March

6th

2023

Hayes Strike

7th

2020

Swiss Skydiver (filly)

2nd

2019

Signalman

3rd

2017

It's Your Nickel

6th

2013

Java’s War

Won

2009

Theregoesjojo

9th

2002

Harlan’s Holiday

Won

2000

Deputy Warlock

4th

1999

Pineaff

7th

1995

Tejano Run

3rd

At Keeneland


Five training titles (Fall 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015 [tie]; Spring 2011).

Five wins in the Darley Alcibiades (G1): She's A Devil Due (2000), Take Charge Lady (2001), Dream Empress (2008), Restless Rider (2018) and Simply Ravishing (2020).Three wins in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1): Tejano Run (1994), Noble's Promise (2009) and Rattle N Roll (2021).

Three wins in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1): Tejano Run (1994), Noble's Promise (2009) and Rattle N Roll (2021).

Three wins in the Central Bank Ashland (G1): Take Charge Lady (2002), Rosalind (DH in 2014) and Defining Purpose (2023)

Two wins in the Toyota Blue Grass: Java's War (2013), Harlan's Holiday (2002).

Sent out Take Charge Lady to four stakes wins to rank third behind all-time leader Wise Dan (7) and Rushing Fall (5). Take Charge Lady also won the 2002 Ashland (G1) and 2002-2003 Spinster (G1).

Four stakes winners in 2021 all were ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.: Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) with Rattle N Roll, Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) with Tiz the Bomb, Stonestreet Lexington (G3) with King Fury and Bryan Station with Camp Hope.

Rattle N Roll won the Ben Ali (G3) during the 2023 Spring Meet.

Won first Keeneland race during the 1986 Spring Meet.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 1992 Green River with Warside.

Career


Triple Crown wins (2): 2020 Preakness with the filly Swiss Skydiver; 2002 Belmont with 70-1 longshot Sarava

Recorded his 2,000th career win Feb. 21, 2024, when Winnable captured the fifth race at Turfway Park. His career earnings exceed $117 million.

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background


Kenny grew up in Lexington and became interested in racing because his father, Ron, owned several Thoroughbreds. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in business administration, he took an entry-level job with a Keeneland-based stable and obtained his trainer’s license when his father asked him to oversee some of his runners. He saddled his first winner, Final Destroyer, at River Downs in October 1985.

In June 2005, Kenny decided his stable of 160 horses in six states had grown too large and that he could serve his clients’ interests better by concentrating on being a bloodstock agent. One of his purchases was future two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, sold for $57,000 as a yearling. Kenny turned the bulk of his stable over to longtime assistant, Helen Pitts. He returned to training in the spring of 2006.

Kenny owns and operates Magdalena Farm in Lexington. He developed the Horse Races NOW app, which allows users to watch racing on their mobile devices and retrieve other racing information.