gary contessa | Horse Racing Free Tips

Contessa Nearing Return to Training

Gary Contessa, who stepped away from training in March to try his hand at being a bloodstock agent and a jockey agent, is set to return Apr. 1. He has accepted a job as the private trainer for Nick Beaver's Bell Gable Stable and will be based at Delaware Park.

“Nick hired me about four months ago to organize his stable,” Contessa said. “He had horses everywhere, with Jamie Ness, Anthony Farrior, Mike Trombetta, and they were scattered all over the place. He told me he wanted to be more organized and be able to report to just one person and he thought I was the perfect guy for the job. He asked what would it take for me to become his private trainer. I gave him a number and he didn't even blink. It is a damn good salary and I will be working for a super, super good guy.”

Bell Gable Stable has been primarily a claiming outfit, but Contessa said the goal is to improve the quality of the stable and to compete at the highest level.

“He wants to become a top stable,” Contessa said. “It's going to take me a year or two to get rid of some of his cheaper horses and bring in better horses. We will have about 25 to 30 horses. He has about 40 but there are 10 to 15 that don't belong. We'll send them to some place like Charles Town. We are going to try to have a little more quality.”

When announcing his departure from the training ranks, Contessa said he was frustrated with his recurring battles with the New York State Department of Labor, which had targeted several NYRA trainers over possible violations.

“When I stepped away, I knew I would be open to coming back, but only as a private trainer,” he said. “But jobs like that are few and far between. When Nick came to me with the offer I thought that it was meant to be. He's an easy guy to work for.”

Contessa started his training career in 1985 and has had 2,364 winners. His top horses include Grade I winners Sippican Harbor (Orb) and Do It With Style (Pancho Villa).

The post Contessa Nearing Return to Training appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Once A Trainer, Always A Trainer: Contessa Returning As Private Conditioner For Bell Gable Stable

Gary Contessa, who had announced the closure of his public stable earlier this year, announced this week he will return to training in a private capacity for Nick and Delora Beaver's Bell Gable Stable. Contessa will aid in building the racing operation in addition to training the horses, and said he will continue to represent multiple clients as a buyer's agent at public auction.

Bell Gable is a small racing and breeding operation based near Delaware Park and runs horses primarily in the Mid-Atlantic.

Contessa said he believes training privately will eliminate a lot of the difficulties that prompted him to leave the racing business earlier this year.

“The effort you have to put forth in a public stable can be overwhelming and incredibly time-consuming,” Contessa said. “In agreeing to work privately for Bell Gable I am going to be paid a salary and work with Nick and Delora Beaver to promote Bell Gable and help mold it into a top stable and promote the brand. In exchange Bell Gable gets a trainer, partner, director, bloodstock agent and friend. I will have to report to just them and have the opportunity to share their vision.”

As Contessa's public stable grew smaller in recent years, he said the financial investment no longer made sense, particularly given the cumbersome and expensive requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor for time-keeping and record-keeping. Contessa's stable was one of several New York operations audited by the federal government.

As of his retirement announcement in March, Contessa had saddled runners in 18,142 races with 2,363 wins. His top runners included Grade 1 winners Sippican Harbor and Do It With Style, Kentucky Derby runner Uncle Sigh, and multiple graded stakes winners Rite Moment, Mission Approved, and True Affair.

The post Once A Trainer, Always A Trainer: Contessa Returning As Private Conditioner For Bell Gable Stable appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘A Wonderful Ride’: Looking Back On The Life Of Ken LeJeune

The racing world just lost a fan. Ken LeJeune died at home on Friday, Dec. 4 after a brief illness. In his 40-plus year career, he was a jockey, trainer, bloodstock agent, and all things in between; but always a fan.

He quietly went about his business; no advertisements, no parties, rarely a mention in the trade papers. That wasn't his thing. His involvement in horse racing reached far and wide. There are not too many people I can think of in the business who have not asked him to train, examine, fix, buy, sell, evaluate, or shelter a horse. He loved every minute of it. It was his life's blood.

We met at Delta Downs in winter 1980, He was hungry, trying to ride Thoroughbreds until the Quarter Horse meet came in spring. We lived in a tack room; we married four months later, and still didn't own a running car. No matter, we had each other, and racing. He rode a match race the day we wed.

He rode races for several years, sometimes away from home for months, other times dragging the family along – hotel to hotel.

We eventually moved lock, stock, and barrel to Ocala with $65 and a tank of gas. He started breaking Thoroughbreds for various farms, the first being for Fred Hooper, where he was a regular rider of the famed Precisionist.

When race riding ended, he dreamed of training, and buying horses. The first horse he sold went to Jack Van Berg; a horse given to him as a “thank you” for getting up at 4:30 a.m. to gallop a few horses prior to his usual job. He enjoyed helping others in the business, and that's where he spent most of any profit.

He partnered in the early 2000s on a few cheap horses, one, which he bought as a field buddy for $1,300 dollars, became my namesake Carey's Gold, who fell just short of sweeping the Florida Stallion Stakes circa 2001. Bad feet, oh my, the horse had bad feet. He worked endlessly on those bad feet.

New York trainer Gary Contessa was the first prominent trainer to see talent in Ken's horsemanship, and soon Kenneth was in business, in a big way.

In later years, we became close friends of Jim and Susan Hill, and enjoyed many racing related, and personal trips together, all the while talking horses. Always talking horses.

Over the years, he had the good fortune of finding, or developing some of the best; Peace Rules, Divine Park, Genuine Devotion, Anne's Beauty, Bay to Bay, Clearly Now, Flip Cup, and more recently, Totally Boss, Gufo, Mo Forza, and untold others I'm sure I've forgotten.

He was a true Cajun, and he never left his roots. He enjoyed fishing in the Gulf, a few cold beers at the end of the day, and a stop at the farm to check on the horses. He found total happiness in sitting on his pony, and watching his charges march like soldiers to the track. His faithful dog Sissy, always following behind, logging miles every day to keep up with him. She never wavered.

Although he was ill, even he did not know in the end that it would come so soon. He lived life by the drop and consumed every last bit. It may have seemed unfair, but it was long enough.

He adored, and was so proud of our children, John, and Piper—and I'm sure bent everyone's ear to speak of their success. They, in turn, adored him, and I am proud to say inherited a strong work ethic, humble gratitude, and a commitment of service to others.

To those who believed in him, I thank you. You allowed him to earn a living in a sport that he loved. For almost 40 years, I tagged along for the wonderful ride.

The post ‘A Wonderful Ride’: Looking Back On The Life Of Ken LeJeune appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post