Trainer Kathleen O'Connell is steadily closing in on Thoroughbred history. Heading into Friday's program at Gulfstream Park, where she has two horses entered to race, O'Connell has saddled 2,381 winners, just four victories shy of all-time winningest female trainer Kim Hammond's total of 2,385.
Hammond, who has been training since 1980, is still active in the Midwest but has saddled only 15 starters without success in 2023. O'Connell, who saddled her first horse at Hazel Park in her native Michigan in 1981, has notched 11 victories thus far this year between Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.
Friday, O'Connell, a South Florida mainstay since the late 1980s, is scheduled to saddle American of Course for a start in a seven-furlong optional claiming starter allowance in Race 2. The Jacks or Better homebred, who is rated second in the morning-line at 5-2, was an eight-length winner in the same condition two starts back. In Race 4, a mile starter allowance on turf, O'Connell-trained Judge Judith, who was beaten last time out by less than a length following a troubled trip, is rated second at 7-2 in the morning line.
O'Connell, a multiple graded stakes-winning trainer, has four horses entered at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday and two entries for Sunday's card at Gulfstream.
Hammond has no entries listed through Saturday.
The post Kathleen O’Connell Poised To Become All-Time Winningest Female Trainer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
