Trainer Bios

Kenny McPeek

Born: Aug. 2, 1962, in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas; raised in Lexington, Kentucky

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 274

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
2024	Lat Long	9th
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 (3): 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan; 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 through May 12, 2024, exceed $124 million.

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background

Kenny was born at the Fort Chaffee military base near Fort Smith, Arkansas, where his father, Ron, was serving in 101^st Airborne. His mother had gone to visit him and soon went into labor. According to Kenny, he and his mother returned to the family’s Lexington home just a few days later. Both of his parents grew up in Lexington, and Kenny considers himself a Lexington native. On July 2, 2024, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton declared the day to be “Kenny McPeek Day” to honor his victories in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Kentucky Derby (G1).

While growing up, Kenny became interested in racing because his father 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.