Gleason Joining Margaux As Farm Trainer

John Gleason will assume the position of farm trainer at Margaux Farm effective Oct. 2, the operation said in a release. He will report directly to the farm's General Manager Richard Budge.

Gleason has amassed over three decades of experience in Thoroughbred horse care management in training, starting and rehab. After beginning his career showing halter and Western pleasure horses, Gleason transitioned into Thoroughbreds in his early 20s at Glen Ridge Farm, where he managed and prepared yearling and 2-year-olds for the sales. Gleason took a position with Bryan and Holly Rice's Woodside Ranch in 2001 and during his time there, helped to break and train horses for the likes of Bob and Beverly Lewis, Jay Em Ess Stable and Overbrook Farm. Gleason comes to Margaux off a 10-year run with Woodford Thoroughbreds in Ocala, where he started as training manager and added farm manager duties five years later.

“With the completion of the new Margaux Tapeta track this fall, we look forward to John making an immediate positive impact at the farm,” the release says.

Margaux Farm has been owned outright by Canadians Jim and Susan Hill (pictured) since 2014 after partnering on the farm for several years. With a variety of trainers, the Hills have campaigned the likes of GISW Grand Arch, GSW & GISP Daddy is a Legend and GSW Tizahit.

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Da Hoss Stakes, Juvenile Turf Sprints Headline Monday Card At Colonial

The third week of the Colonial Downs summer racing season kicks off Monday, August 2 with a trio of $100,000 stakes races, including a pair of Virginia-restricted turf sprints for 2-year-olds and a rescheduled stakes from the July 26 card when storms caused its postponement. Colonial Downs is located in New Kent, Va.

The five-furlong Hickory Tree Stakes attracted a field of ten colts/geldings including Sean Feld's Evan Harlan, the morning-line favorite. The Graham Motion trainee finished third in a maiden special weight turf race at six furlongs June 20 at Belmont, his only career start. The Temple City colt was two lengths back at the wire. Victor Carrasco has the mount from post three.

Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer, second early choice, finished second in his career bow July 20 at Colonial, but was bumped up to the top spot when initial winner Capt. Candy was disqualified and placed down a notch. The Summer Front colt is trained by James Lawrence and will be ridden by Feargal Lynch, who was up in the start two weeks ago.

Four first-time starters are also in the field. The Hickory Tree has been carded as the eighth race of nine at a scheduled post of 5:01 PM.

A field of nine fillies will compete in the Keswick Stakes, also at five furlongs, led by Big Lick Farm's Cavalier Cupid. The Sarah Nagle trainee is fresh off a two-length victory in a maiden special weight turf sprint opening day at the New Kent track. The daughter of Quality Road was the favorite with Horacio Karamanos in the irons. She is the morning-line choice in the stakes and Karamanos is scheduled to ride again.

David Ross's Rambert finished second to Cavalier Cupid in that maiden race July 19 and is the second early pick in the Keswick at 4-1. Michael Stidham, leading Colonial trainer in '19 and '20, conditions the Declaration of War filly. Colby Hernandez is back as rider.

Three other horses in the field come in fresh off maiden victories, though they all came on dirt. O K Smarty Pants and Fancy Her Up prevailed by five-plus lengths at Charles Town Race Track in Charles Town, W.Va., while Buff My Boots dominated gate-to-wire by ten lengths at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. Determined Truth, third early choice, lost by a neck at Pimlico in her debut July 9 which was also was on dirt.

The Keswick Stakes has been carded as the seventh and will go to post at 4:33 PM.

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Six of the seven Da Hoss Stakes entrants have a bankroll of $220,000-plus including Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farm's Just Might, the 9-5 early favorite. The 5-year-old Justin Phillip gelding captured the Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., last out and earlier this year, powered home to a five-length win in the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. In 2020, Just Might was stakes placed in a pair of Grade 2's — the Woodford Stakes and Twin Spires Turf Sprint. In all, he has bankrolled $400,309. Colby Hernandez will ride.

Ed Orr and Susie Orr's Virginia-bred Boldor, conditioned by Steve Asmussen, is the second early choice at 7-2. The 5-year-old Munnings gelding prevailed in the King Cotton and Sam's Town Stakes earlier this year at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and Delta Downs in Vinton, La., in back-to-back starts. Jockey Sheldon Russell gets the call Monday.

Jim and Susan Hill's Holiday Stone, top money earner in the field with $521,159, is the third early pick. The 7-year-old Harlan's Holiday horse has a turf allowance victory in each of the last three years. Feargal Lynch will ride for trainer George Weaver.

The Da Hoss, open to three-year-olds & up at 5 1/2 turf furlongs, will kick off the stakes action in the third race at 2:41 PM. First post at Colonial is 1:45 PM.

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‘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.

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