Winchell honored by KY owner-breeders

Ron Winchell was honored last week with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders’ Lifetime Contributions Award for both his impact on the state as co-managing partner of Kentucky Downs and nationally with his breeding and stallion program.

The KTOB also announced its 2024 Kentucky-bred champions and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund leaders and merit award winners at the organization’s Champion Kentucky-bred Awards Dinner presented by Hallway Feeds.

Winchell, and Kentucky Downs co-managing partner Marc Falcone, continued and greatly enhanced Kentucky Downs’ policy of sending both KTDF funds and association funds generated by the track’s historical horse racing gaming to other tracks in the state. At some point, every Kentucky track has received funding from its purse account, most notably Ellis Park and Keeneland, whose own HHR program is at The Red Mile harness track, with the Lexington tracks sharing in the revenue. Kentucky Downs’ funding to Ellis Park includes making its popular Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend possible. KTDF purse transfers must be approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corp., while association money is sent to other tracks in an agreement with the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association.

Winchell’s impact on the breeding industry has been huge, starting with the transformative stallion Tapit, one of the last yearlings Winchell purchased with father, Verne, who died two months after paying $625,000 at Keeneland’s September sale for the Pulpit colt. Arkansas Derby winner and millionaire Sandman, a leading Kentucky Derby contender, is a son of Tapit. 

More recently, Winchell campaigned 2017 Horse of the Year and $15.9 million-earner Gun Runner in partnership with Three Chimneys. He’s been an outstanding stallion since his first crop, including unbeaten 2-year-old filly champion Echo Zulu.

Winchell also co-owns a leading Kentucky Derby prospect in Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic, trained by Steve Asmussen, North America’s all-time win leader.

The KTOB press release included this proclamation about Winchell: “Whose venerable family legacy in Thoroughbred breeding & racing, shrewd acquisition of Kentucky Downs with partner Marc Falcone, and altruistic investment of Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Funds with multiple sister racetracks transformed Kentucky into the leading year-round racing circuit in the United States.”

Asmussen was the KTDF trainer of the year, which is based on his horses’ KTDF earnings in 2024. The brilliantly fast Cogburn, trained by Asmussen and winner of the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint, was feted as the Kentucky-bred champion sprinter and male turf horse.

Goliad, who in a six-day span at Kentucky Downs won a $500,000 handicap and the $2 million Mint Millions (G3), was recognized as the KTDF leading earner of the year.

Kentucky Downs and FanDuel Racing analyst Caton Bredar received the Charles W. Engelhard Award for outstanding coverage of the thoroughbred industry. Bredar also was the ceremony’s emcee and didn’t know she was the recipient until her husband, Doug Bredar, came up to present it to her.

Former Kentucky Downs leading owner Godolphin was crowned KTDF Owner & Breeder of the Year, with the former being the fourth consecutive year of being awarded the title.