Isidro Paez was the freelance groom hired to care for the horse that day. In February, Paez had his license suspended for 90 days by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) for disorderly conduct “under the influence of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine” on Jan. 27, at Santa Anita.

According to the stewards' minutes of the hearing, Paez voluntarily provided a urine sample that day which resulted in a positive finding for both methamphetamine and amphetamine. In explanation, “Paez stated he snorted methamphetamine while attending a New Year's party on January 1, 2024,” the minutes state.

On March 3, Morfin was issued an interim suspension by the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) as a result of Wishtheyallcouldbe's positive post-race test for methamphetamine, a banned substance under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA).

Since then, Morfin has remained provisionally suspended while his case is being processed.

According to John Tyre, Morfin's attorney, because of Paez's chronicled history of methamphetamine use, he has reached an agreement with HIWU that on April 6, Morfin's suspension will be lifted after some 30 days. Crucially for this more lenient sanction, Morfin did not pursue a formal hearing, said Tyre.

The length of Morfin's suspension also reflects a recent shift by HIWU in applying lesser sanctions than in the past for violations stemming from common drugs of human abuse like cocaine and methamphetamine, in accordance with proposed rule changes pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Rather than confront a possible two-year ban and $25,000 fine for a methamphetamine positive, say, trainers will face a maximum 60-day suspension and $5,000 fine under the proposed rules, if they are indeed approved.

In a note on HIWU's website, it states that the organization “has elected to stay all pending Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program cases whose potential periods of Ineligibility would be affected by these rule updates, including due to either the reduction of the applicable periods of Ineligibility or the removal of the automatic application of penalty points for certain violations.”

“[Morfin] will be back to training the first week of April. And then, that'll be the end of it,” said Tyre, who was quick to add that rampant substance abuse problems among backstretch employees–and its overlap with positive tests in racehorses–is an issue that's far from over, despite the proposed lessened sanctions.

“I've been doing criminal defense work for many, many years, and if it wasn't for methamphetamine, alcohol and marriage, I'd be broke,” said Tyre.

As such, the ultimate insurer rule that places the burden of responsibility solely on the trainer's shoulders is leading to decisions that don't always reflect the complicated nature of the problem, Tyre said. “HIWU and HISA need to conduct some kind of investigation to determine how widespread [substance abuse] is around the backside of the racetracks.”

Coady Photography

THE PROBLEM AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Tyre's suggestion hardly comes as a bolt from the blue.

The long hours, early mornings, sometimes poor pay and living conditions, coupled with the dangerous nature of backstretch work make drink and drugs something of an all-too convenient crutch–especially while blind eyes are turned in an industry where hard-drinking and hard-partying have long been worn as a badge of honor as much as a release from the grind.

Indeed, there's a reason so many exercise riders say they ride better after a drink, why so many shed-row ice machines have bottles of beer nestled in them, and why so many see the antidote to the dreaded four-a.m. alarm clock as an inhalable stimulant. Just look at the numbers.

Since HISA's ADMC program went into effect last year, there have already been 13 either pending or resolved cases for methamphetamine positives, and another two involving cocaine.

Darin Scharer is executive director of the Winners Foundation, a presence at every California track to provide information, support and referral services for backstretch employees and their families going though addiction issues.

Scharer said he was unable to estimate just how many backstretch workers have substance abuse problems. But he doesn't argue with the contention it's significant.

“We're not having the fentanyl problem or the heroin issues that other places have,” said Scharer, about California's backstretches. “But we definitely have a marijuana issue. And we definitely have a methamphetamine issue.”

Indeed, veteran California trainer Hector Palma was suspended for 81 days for a methamphetamine positive, a portion of that time after multiple grooms in his care tested positive for the drug. The positive occurred near the start of the ADMC program going into effect, before the new rules were proposed.

What Scharer bemoans is the lack of any unified approach to providing support to racing's phalanx of essential workers.

“Unfortunately it's only us, Kentucky and New York. That's the only three that I know of,” said Scharer, about the number of jurisdictions armed with substance abuse support programs like the Winners Foundation. “I would love to be involved in a program where we make this more uniform across the country.”

One key obstacle to meaningful movement in this arena is an ongoing cult of shame that surrounds the issue. “There's still a lot of stigma associated with people that have drug problems and mental health problems,” said Scharer. “For people accessing services, it's still a scary thing.”

Another reason appears to be more mercenary.

At a time when the industry grapples with a profound dearth of good, reliable help, there's a fear among some in the industry, said Scharer, that tackling the problem head-on could lead to an even more attenuated workforce. “Sometimes people don't want to know the truth of how bad it really is,” he said.

Though not everyone is as averse to such truth-telling. “I know that Richard Mandella tests everybody in his barn before they go work for him,” said Scharer. “He doesn't want anybody who works with his horses to be working under the influence.”

At the same time, some substance abuse rehabilitation programs offer a tantalizing answer to the industry's staffing woes.

“It could turn the backside upside down,” said Frank Taylor, director of new business development at Taylor Made Farms, about a joint venture he's helped build between Stable Recovery and the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship for men and women suffering substance abuse problems.

The partnership includes two halfway houses and a 12-step program, along with vocational rehab to teach those going through the 90-day course the basics of horsemanship. The idea is to provide them with an avenue towards meaningful employment–in the process, providing a new workforce source for the Thoroughbred industry.

Graduates of this program, said Taylor, have found work at a variety of key farms in the area including Coolmore, Darley and WinStar. “We've got about 10 farms that are currently working with us,” he said.

“If trainers started hiring these people, they would absolutely love it,” Taylor added. “It's just the right thing to do to help these people, give them an opportunity in life. Plus, we're putting them with the most therapeutic animal on earth.”

Taylor estimates upwards of 50 percent of backstretch employees have a potential substance abuse problem. And it's a topic Taylor knows well.

A recovering alcoholic, Taylor quit drinking a few years ago, which is when he visited the DV8 Kitchen, a Kentucky restaurant that provides employment to those in the early stages of substance abuse recovery.

DV8, said Taylor, proved the inspiration for the second chance venture he's built at Taylor Made. What's more, their program works.

“Generally, somebody goes into a 90-day program only about 15% of them stay sober to the end of the 90-days,” said Taylor. “We're running more like 85%. The reason is, they get completely out of their old environment and come out and work immediately.”

While the program is primarily geared towards those with little to no prior horse experience, they've taken on individuals from the racetrack–jockeys, trainers, even farm managers–who act as tutors, said Taylor.

“We'll have them helping the green guys coming in,” said Taylor, who explained how they adapt their program to the skill sets of the individual.

“Folks from the track, they're going to see some guys in there, picking feet and whatnot, and they're going to say, 'do this, do that,'” said Taylor. “The thing about addiction, to get and stay sober, you've got to help another addict.”

Ultimately, Taylor envisages a recovery program with a racetrack backstretch-located dormitory.

“The idea would be to put them through our program, get them sober 90-days, then move them into that dormitory with a house manager and keep the drug testing going,” said Taylor.

“I don't know how it's going to go or how it's going to grow,” Taylor added. “But I know there's a huge need for it. And I know it's a win-win for the industry, for the horses and the horsemen.”

Lisa Lazarus | Carley Storm

HISA'S ROLE?

Substance abuse on the backstretch is on HISA's radar, said the organization's CEO, Lisa Lazarus.

“If we have a significant amount of our population that we depend on to run racing that is struggling with addiction or abusing drugs, I think we have a moral obligation to help those people and to do something for them,” Lazarus said, adding that she's already discussed the need for providing a stronger network of industry treatment programs with those already working on the problem.

For the sake of improving safety and integrity in racing, “it's just not acceptable to say that meth in the workplace is okay. And I think it's everyone's job to fix it,” Lazarus said. “The trainers deserve to have a whole lot of help from racetracks and other organizations to help prevent employees from using meth on the backside. It's not only their responsibility.”

That said, “I would like to encourage more trainers to think to themselves, 'you know what? For $25 more, I don't need the cheaper groom. I could find a groom that I actually know and feel more comfortable with and use them instead,'” Lazarus said.

But given how ubiquitous drug use is on the backstretch, what about those trainers unable to find reliable drug-free help because of the industry's chronic staffing shortage? Or those struggling trainers unable to fork out premium prices?

“I recognize that sometimes it's not achievable,” said Lazarus. “But obviously, the anti-doping system is based on a system of fault. So, when trainers have come forward and have evidence of workers in their stable that are on the drug, they obviously get a much more relaxed penalty because they have an explanation. And that's only fair.”

The “complicated question,” said Lazarus, is how to find the correct balance between “being fair to horsemen and what they can control while also requiring some level of responsibility.”

At the launch of HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program, the screening limit for meth was the same as for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), said Lazarus. “We've ended up quadrupling it,” she added, of the screening limit.

Though many cases have been dismissed as contamination, has HISA's approach been a fair one for the horsemen and women so far?

“It may be that the science shows that in time the screening limit needs to be raised,” said Lazarus.

“The one thing I would say is there is no racing jurisdiction in the world or horse sport in the world that doesn't test for and sanction for meth. And actually, our rules are amongst the most lenient with regards to meth because we do take into consideration the risks on the backside,” Lazarus said, pointing to the recent case of Harness racing trainer Clarence Foulk suspended for one year stemming from a 2023 methamphetamine positive.

When asked if the way Morfin has been treated has been reasonable, his attorney, Tyre, responded that the constraints of the system guided their approach.

“If we were to fight the case forward it would take months,” said Tyre, adding how his client could have remained suspended for that period. “This was the best way to get him back to work,” he said.

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“We are humble and grateful to receive the Faith and Community in Action Award,” said CEO of Stable Recovery Christian Countzler. “We wake up every day and try to make a difference. Our mission is challenging but worthwhile, and it is heartening to be recognized by the governor and the state for all the hard work we do.”

More information about Stable Recovery and their mission can be found at their website.

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Nearly 70 participants across Ireland and elsewhere tuned in to the panel led by Dr. Jennifer Pugh, Senior Medical Officer of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), Lisa O'Neill, Welfare Coordinator of Equuip, and Dr. Ciara Losty, a sports psychologist for The Jockey Pathway.

“When your mental fitness is in a good place, you have clear space for thinking, you make better decisions, your mind is clear and you have a structure and a pathway to how you handle things. When you're in a negative mindset and you don't have a lot of mental fitness, everything's scrambled and you may not be able to make good decisions,” said Pugh, as she dove deeper into the definitions of mental fitness and resilience. “Whether you're big or small, there are challenges at every single level and success brings its own challenges as well. Mental health difficulties don't belong to one particular group, we are all susceptible to them.”

“The other thing that's important here is that you don't have to be in the middle of a major life event to need resilience, I think you're probably facing times every single day in your work where you need to be resilient. If something's stressful for you, it's stressful for you, you can't put it in a compartment.”

Alcohol misuse, depression, anxiety and psychological distress were all common mental disorders identified in Mental health difficulties among professional jockeys: a narrative review, a study conducted in 2021 where 105 jockeys across the UK were surveyed. The researchers identified four core categories of stressors experienced by jockeys, relating to competition (ex. pressure, injuries), the wider racing industry (ex. making weight, workload, travel demands), interpersonal challenges (ex. relationships with trainers, expectations) and career stressors (ex. career uncertainty, transitions).

“Mental health is really an area that is being discussed more, it's an area that we're talking about a little bit more in society and it's an area that is being researched more, but I would say overall, it is probably lacking behind some of the physiological sciences or some of the sciences that support the physical performance of certain things,” said Losty. “When we compare and put these statistics with other sports and other athletes in other areas, the jockeys are generally outliers. They are presented with much higher common mental health disorders.”

The study also revealed that burnout was a common feature among the jockeys, along with the high prevalence of adverse alcohol use, and nearly a quarter of the jockeys revealed that they were contemplating retirement.

“Racing is such a one-man's game. You're paddling your own canoe. You think 'I must be strong by myself, I just keep it to myself, I handle everything else.' I drive myself everywhere, I sort all of my rides, I sort my finances. You just become independent because you absolutely have to be, and I think it drips into the psychological side as well,” said one jockey who participated in the study.

However, when asked about why they were not seeking out support from medical professional health services in the study Barriers and Facilitators to Help-Seeking for Mental Health Difficulties Among Professional Jockeys in Ireland conducted in 2022, barriers included 'a need to appear strong in front of others' and a stigma towards accessing support services, a lack of knowledge about the support services available, confidentiality concerns and a self-stigma about asking for help.

“Confidentiality is a big part of my work as well, in that jockeys are very concerned about that if they actually seek out support, how confidential that particular service will be and how others will perceive that. If a trainer knows that a jockey is getting some kind of health support, are they maybe going to make different decisions about putting that jockey up on a horse? Will that affect their perception of that jockey from a hardiness type of perspective? These are some things to think and reflect on,” explained Losty. “If we understand these risk factors, we can put in programs and supports in place very early. It's okay to seek out support.”

Losty shared a similar study conducted in 2021 on Racehorse Trainer Mental Health: Prevalence and Risk Factors, which revealed many of the common mental health disorders that impact jockeys also impact trainers, in the form of depression, alcohol use, distress and anxiety. The stressors for trainers revolved around career dissatisfaction, lower levels of social support and financial difficulties, which would increase the likelihood of meeting the threshold for depression and anxiety.

“They are under pressure from owners to ensure high performance, a high standard, and they are also required to manage the staff. They are looking after staff welfare and they're looking after the horses' welfare, which again is high stress, and not a 9-5 role or somewhere where you can just leave your job at the gate when you leave the yard,” said Losty.

Though there has not been as much research in a broader sense on employees across Ireland's Thoroughbred industry, outside of the specific roles of jockeys and trainers, O'Neill referenced research from several studies conducted in Australia and the UK on stable staff that revealed they were experiencing extreme fatigue and poor sleep habits, along with symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Stressors included high workloads, poor work-life balance and a lack of training and career progression.

She explained that an industry-wide staff shortage was negatively influencing an already stretched workforce, dealing with increased workloads, heightened demands and intensified hours.

“Stable staff and those in the breeding sector are the largest population, they're the largest cohort within the Thoroughbred industry and they're the most important. They are the people that are the backbone of the industry. They're passionate, they're dedicated, they're determined to commit their lives to the care and welfare of the horses. Their dedication is vital to the welfare of the industry,” said O'Neill. “It's very notable that you don't see them as statistics, but they're real, they are individuals. They are the people that we need to be able to develop interventions with in this country, which we hope to be able to do in the future.”

Farmers are very relatable to those in the equine industry, and Thoroughbred industry more specifically, as they are a unique cohort themselves, often situated in rural, isolated places with isolated work and a seemingly endless workload, as independent sole traders.

“In general we are pre-wired to be negative about ourselves and hard on ourselves, so if we're not able to believe in things like, 'I am loved. I am worthy. I am good at this. I have good friends. I make good relationships. I'm successful,' then we start to feel the opposite of all of that and that can be a horribly negative space to live in,” said Pugh. “In general, the higher our self-esteem, the better our mental fitness is.”

In terms of moving forward and offering further support to those in the Thoroughbred industry, a common message among the panellists was an increased emphasis on removing the stigma that asking for help reveals weakness, when in reality, it's one of the bravest things an individual can do. This begins with education on what mental fitness and health is and what services are available to those in the industry, with a request for organisations to take a bigger role in sharing this information.

Helping to increase mental health literacy among those in the industry is a main priority. Along those lines, encouraging individuals to analyse what support they are getting for themselves and what they could offer in terms of support was also discussed.

“You don't take your car to the garage when it breaks down, you service it regularly so it's able to ferry you to and fro. So it's very important to be able to look after yourself. Often the greatest strength is to be able to ask for help and I think it's very important for everyone to realize that there is support out there for anyone who does need help,” said O'Neill.

Losty shared the major points that fall under 'how to be a good adult,' which can be applied broadly in every day life, including listening to people, giving them time and space, looking for windows of opportunity to have those important conversations about someone's mental health, not judging them and using personal experiences to relate to the conversation at hand.

“You don't have to have the answers for them, but you can be that key 'one good adult' or that link person for them to engage in those support services. Again, it's about not being afraid to have those conversations,” said Losty.

A new concept that the panellists shared will hopefully be rolling out in the next few months is that of 'Well-Being Champions,' where individuals who are interested will undergo resilience training, mental health awareness training, risk management training, and bullying and harassment training. After training, the well-being champions will serve as an extra source of support for their peers in the industry.

O'Neill also shared that further research will be conducted on relevant industry personnel to explore the challenges and difficulties they face, organizing a panel of external counsellors across the country and including mental health training within the overarching field of first aid training.

Though the lives of those in the industry revolve around the horses, first and foremost, it's crucial that industry participants remember that their well-being and mental health is just as important. There is never a bad or wrong time to ask for help and accept support.

For more information on this seminar and the information discussed, visit the ITBA website.

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“It's just a title, but it's pretty cool,” Berryman said after wrapping up a busy morning at Turfway Park. “I only have maybe five months of experience working with horses right now, so I'm still brand new and still learning a lot.”

He may shrug off those recent achievements, but Berryman's long days at Turfway this winter are worlds away from the life he was living when the calendar turned over last year.

Berryman is a member of the improbable team that makes up Will Walden Racing. The group consists of six men recovering from substance addiction. They all have their eyes on the winner's circle, but the overarching goal of the team is to encourage each other in remaining sober.

“There is no shedrow if this group of guys makes a decision to go do what they used to do,” Berryman explained. “There would be no Will Walden Racing. Sobriety is our number one thing and the care of these horses is number two. They wouldn't get the care they needed if we weren't sober.”

Will Walden, the 32-year-old son of former Grade I-winning trainer and WinStar's President and CEO Elliott Walden, went through his own painful battle with drug addiction and alcohol abuse. After spending nearly a year at the Shepherd's House, a drug treatment facility in Lexington, Walden began laying out the plans for a substance recovery-based racing barn.

The stable launched in April last year and has steadily added new members–both human and equine–since. Taylor Made's School of Horsemanship, a program designed to work with people recovering from substance abuse and teach them a new vocation in the Thoroughbred business, has sent several graduates interested in furthering their career in racing on to Walden.

“It's about giving guys a second chance,” said Walden. “It's for guys who were in the system, who served prison time, who came from sordid backgrounds and have had their tails kicked in by life. When I got sober, [racing] was all I knew and is what I've always loved. I couldn't think of anything better than to be able to give this to guys I met through something so ugly and so heinous.

“Most of these guys have never touched a horse before, but because of where they came from, they have a hunger for a purpose and a drive for life, and these horses give that to them.”

Eight months after saddling his first starter, Walden closed out the year with promising statistics for 2022. From 41 starts, the stable maintained a 21% winning percentage and ran in the money in nearly half its starts. In December, they brought home a major victory when Kate's Kingdom (Animal Kingdom) gave them their first stakes win in the My Charmer S. at Turfway Park.

While the win was a significant personal achievement for Walden, it meant even more to be able to watch the celebration unfold amongst his team.

“These guys were homeless, they were in jails–myself included,” Walden said. “We've been in some really hopeless places, some really tough spots. But the day that Kate's Kingdom won, they were on top. That day they had the victory. That day they were the champions.”

Walden said that Kate's Kingdom, who was purchased for $400,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton Digital Flash Sale in November by Stephen Screnci, remains in training and is pointing for an upcoming stakes at Turfway on January 14.

Kate's Kingdom's success is doubly special because the 5-year-old is owned by a partnership that includes Frank Taylor. To help Walden get his stable off its feet last year, Taylor formed Ready Made Racing–a pinhook-to-race venture that provided Walden with his 10 original trainees.

Walden's stable has grown so rapidly since it first launched that they are now transitioning away from relying on Ready Made Racing as its sole client and officially transferring into Will Walden Racing. With 15 horses currently stabled at Turfway, they're steadily adding in new owners like Cypress Creek Equine, Elliott Logan's TEC Racing and Three Diamonds Farm.

“These [owners] are willing to put in their time and money to back us when not a lot of people would,” Walden explained. “But our goals are big in this game. We're not out here for any participation trophies. We want to be the best. We hope to accrue more horses, but we're not really worried about that now. We're grateful for the 15 we have.”

Tyler Maxwell is an integral member of Walden's team. Maxwell grew up out West riding cutting and sorting horses and now serves as Walden's assistant and exercise rider. The pair met at the Shepherd's House and after they both completed the program, Walden invited his friend to join him in starting up a stable.

“Never in a million years did I think that I'd be riding for living,” said Maxwell, who has been sober for two years. “I had never ridden Thoroughbreds before and I really didn't know anything, but I have come a long way and it's because of Will. I never would have done this if I didn't trust him.”

Maxwell added that he considers Walden to be a brother first and an employer second.

“Some days that gets a little quirky,” he said with a wry grin. “But God has put me in his life and him in mine for a reason.”

Walden's team is more than just a collection of co-workers. The group is working and living together during the Turfway meet, but the bond they share runs much deeper than their admiration for the horses they care for. Along with Will, Tyler and Kyle, the team includes Scott, who has been with them for almost two months, as well as Mike and Nate, who both joined the group two weeks ago.

“These guys are coming to us from addiction or alcoholism and they see all these different walks of life and all these different lengths of sobriety that come together to form our team,” Walden explained. “We enjoy each other's company. We enjoy each other's mentorship. We enjoy this journey that life is. Where I used to be addicted to how I felt every single minute of the day, now I can walk into the barn and take a deep breath, let the slack out of my shoulders and just enjoy what is in front of us today.”

There's an unmistakably light atmosphere in Walden's barn at Turfway and the conditioner said that the horses have responded to it.

“What you think, they feel,” he explained. “So if you're walking around with a low head worried about yourself and how miserable your life is, you're going to pass that on to these horses. If you keep things light and positive and jubilant, that energy passes on to them. If you walk down our shedrow at any given time, these horses aren't sitting in the back of their stalls with their ears pinned back. They're out there bobbing their heads and looking for attention.”

“The energy and love that we have for these horses is contagious,” added Maxwell. “And they carry it out there on the track.”

Last week, the Will Walden Racing team got its first win of the year with Clear the Air (Ransom the Moon), who broke his maiden at second asking on Friday while carrying the Cypress Creek Equine silks.

When they're not busy at the barn, Walden places an emphasis on furthering the education of each member of his team. Recently, the group began taking off-track field trips to learn about various aspects of the industry. Their first outing was to Jonabell Farm, where they visited the Darley stallions.

“We don't want to bring them onto the racetrack and say, 'This is it for you,'” Walden explained. “We want to encourage these guys to pursue their dreams in whatever facet of the industry, if it even is this industry, that they want to be involved in.”

While Walden aims to maintain a recovery-based stable even as his list of employees grows, his goals for the operation go beyond just the members of his team. He hopes that their barn can be a safe haven for people on the backside who carry struggles similar to the ones he and his team have gone through.

“Nobody wants to go around and talk about their alcoholism and addiction,” he said. “But if people know we're here and they know we're open and willing to talk about it, maybe they come in and voice what they're going through.”

During his first year in the industry, Maxwell has found a lifelong passion for the sport and for sitting on the back of a Thoroughbred.

“Horses have definitely played a big part in my recovery,” he said. “On the days that it was hard for me to find God, horses were there to talk to. Some people probably think I'm crazy because I'm sitting there talking to a horse, but these horses are intuitional.”

While he could easily further his career by finding another job, Maxwell said that Walden's barn is where he belongs.

“It's not about me anymore,” he said. “It's about these guys coming in and watching that spark come inside.”

Maxwell stays with Walden's team for people like Kyle Berryman, who made a commitment to living and working alongside people who are also recovering from substance addiction during the first year of his sobriety.

“Experience is the greatest teacher,” Berryman explained. “Chances are that Will and Tyler have been through what I'm going through. We all share this common bond.”

While the encouragement of his teammates has been key to Berryman's sobriety over the past six months, so too has been the connection he has formed with the horses.

“The bond I share with them is like no other,” he said. “If you really don't feel like dealing with humans that day, you go in and start grooming a horse and I know they're listening. I can feel it. I can see it in their eyes. These horses, they rely on us. I take pride in that. When you take one up to the paddock, there's that minute where I'm thinking of nothing but what is going on right in that moment. That's not how my past has been. It's been ten miles in the future or ten miles in the past. But I feel like with this, I can finally feel like I can be in the moment, and that's precious to me.”

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“I got to a place that I'm not proud of. I was at the end of my rope. I was broken,” Walden said.

But his time at Wendy's, as humbling as it may have been, was an important step. He needed a job because a job was part of the process, one that he hoped would lead him away from years of substance abuse to a career as a Thoroughbred trainer.

Now sober, that goal is about to become a reality. Walden has 10 horses and is ready to begin his training career at the upcoming Keeneland spring meet.

He is the 31-year-old son of Elliott Walden, the former trainer who is the President and CEO of WinStar Farm. The younger Walden grew up around the barn, was always interested in horses and his father is a leading figure in the industry. He grew up watching his father win races like the GI Haskell with Menifee (Harlan), the GI Belmont S. with Victory Gallop (Cryptoclearance) and the GI Super Derby with Ecton Park (Forty Niner). He said if he wasn't in school he was around the barn. When his father left training in 2005 to go to work at WinStar, he put his equipment in storage, believing that some day his then teenage son would put them to good use.

“I remember when my dad first handed me shank. It was when I was 8 or 9-years-old,” Walden said. “I wanted a pair of Jordans. I couldn't afford them and he wasn't going to pay for them. So, he handed me a shank and had me hot walk to earn the money to buy them. I always had a connection with the horse. When I wasn't in school, every Saturday and Sunday, I was at the barn.”

Considering his upbringing and his family connection, Walden's path into the training profession should have been a smooth one. But nothing is smooth when you are an addict. Around the time he turned 18, the drugs took control of Walden's life. It was no longer a matter of becoming a trainer but figuring out a way to stay alive.

“It's pretty much been a 12-year run,” Walden said. “Started going to treatment centers and jail. I was pretty much an equal opportunity drug user. It wasn't anything specific. It was mainly heroin and crack cocaine and alcohol. Those were my things. It took me to a place where I about lost my life several times. I kept waking up in hospitals or jail cells or with a defibrillators on my chest or Narcan in my nose.”

It's not that he didn't try to get better. It's just that nothing worked. That was until he met Christian Countzler, who worked at Shepherds House, a drug treatment program in Lexington. He convinced Walden to give the facility a try.

“He kind of saved my life,” Walden said. “He was running a treatment facility in Lexington and was a sergeant in the military. He did two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I knew his passion and his heart was in it. There was no agenda with him. He just wanted to help people.”

Walden entered Shepherds House in November, 2020. It was at a time that he had hit bottom and was, he said, finally ready to make some changes in his life.

“When I got there, it was at a point where I was going to wake up or I wasn't,” he said. “I called Christian and asked him to take me to detox. I was in such a bad place that a willingness to change had been produced. I have been clean ever since I went into Shepherds House.”

Those going in for treatment at Shepherds House usually stay from 12 to 18 months, but Walden did so well that he was let out early. His 10-month stay ended in September. Next up was the job at Wendy's.

Showing that he was sober and could hold down a job, Walden was ready to start training and his father was there to lend his support.

“He's always been supportive,” Walden said. “He just wanted the personal issues that I had to be in the rear view before this jump was made. Something that he's always told me was 'it's never been your professional life that's been in question. It's been your personal life.' Once those two got on the same page, he didn't see why I couldn't have a successful career doing this.”

In rehab, he made two close friends, Tyler Maxwell and Michael Lowrey. Walden said their support was an important factor in his recovery and he wanted to stay close to them. So, he convinced them, upon their release, to sign up for the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship. The school, created by Taylor Made's Frank Taylor, was created to teach horsemanship skills to people recovering from substance issues and provide them with the skills needed to get a job on the racetrack.

“I'm off at Wendy's or wherever I am at and I get texts during the day from Tyler and Michael,” Walden said. “There were all these questions, like how do I get this foal to walk into the paddock? It had been two years since I had been on the track but I recognized that spark. They had the passion.”

So Walden hired the two as part of his training team.

He expects his first starter will be the 2-year-old Sergeant Countzler (Bolt d'Oro), who was named for Christian Countzler. The colt was bought at Keeneland September for $45,000. It's a modest price, but was part of an overall strategy. Walden wants to focus on young horses who are eligible for maiden races that are restricted to horses that sold for less than a certain price.

“These horses run for $90,000 in Kentucky and for $85,000 in New York,” he said. “If you win or run second in one of those races the odds are you've covered the purchase price or gotten pretty close. Everything after that is profit.”

He will not have any horses for WinStar.

“I haven't earned something like that,” Walden said.

Ten horses isn't going to guarantee success, especially when many of them were inexpensive yearling buys. For Walden, it could be tough at first, but he's not complaining. It beats the life he had been living.

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The School of Horsemanship was designed by the farm's Vice President Frank Taylor, who now oversees the project along with the program's coordinator Josh Bryan.

“Frank started this because he wanted to help people and there is also a labor shortage in the horse industry, so we thought those kind of went hand in hand,” Bryan explained. “It's really about giving people a second opportunity at life. What we've figured out is that people who are battling alcohol and drug addiction have a great work ethic and they're grateful for the opportunities that they're given. They're very humble, determined and disciplined.”

Bryan said Taylor first got the idea for the project from DV8 Kitchen, a local restaurant in Lexington that created a highly-successful vocational training program for those in the early stages of substance abuse recovery.

The School of Horsemanship, which is paid for by the Kentucky Career Center, was initially created in partnership with the Shepherd's House, a transitional residential drug addiction treatment center in Lexington. During the three-month program, participants return to the Shepherd's House every evening after their work on the farm. In addition to food and housing, they also receive counseling services at the Shepherd's House.

Upon graduation of the program, participants can start a full-time position at Taylor Made or seek work elsewhere if they so choose.

“We've had 20 people go through so far,” Bryan said. “We have nine guys who stayed on at the farm and then we have other guys who have ventured out to other places still working with horses. We've had a few who didn't graduate just because they didn't like it, which is fine. It's not for everybody and you have to have a passion for it, but I've found that people in recovery really like it out here because you can get away from the outside world and horses can be very therapeutic for the soul and the mind. Most people have come to really like it once they get over their timidness of the horse.”

As the program coordinator, Bryan is tasked with instructing all of the trainees–most of whom have never touched a horse before they stepped onto the farm.

“It's a good environment for them to stay relaxed because we usually have them working with maiden and barren mares,” he said. “I'm teaching from the ground up, from picking feet to showing a horse and everything in between. It's about getting them into the routine of working on a farm because it's a lot of hard work. It's very tiring and demanding, and they also have things they've got to do at their sober living house. I'm always making sure everybody's in a good place mentally and physically where they can handle the house and the farm.”

Bryan, who first started working at Taylor Made when he was 18, said he too has battled alcoholism and once lived at the Shepherd's House himself, but he has been clean for almost two years. One year ago Frank Taylor called him to share his idea for the School of Horsemanship and ask if he would be interested in helping get the program off its feet.

“I was a little nervous, but it's been great so far,” Bryan said. “I like that I have the opportunity to help other people who are in the same situation I was once in. It keeps me going on the right path and shows me that from where I started to where I am now, I've come a long way. I'm able to help someone else that is struggling when they can see that I came from that situation and know that you can get over it and you can have a life without drugs and alcohol.”

As the program now looks to expand, Bryan said they have been networking with other local treatment facilities and rehabilitation programs to bring in more participants.

One of many successful School of Horsemanship graduation ceremonies | photo courtesy Taylor Made

“We want it to get big enough to where we can start sending groups of guys to other farms and I'll go out and check on them,” he explained. “We've talked to other big farms and they're on board. We really want to have our own housing out here for everybody, but that's way in the future. Our short-term goal right now is to still work with the Shepherd's House, but also start to branch out a little more.”

While the School of Horsemanship is a definite 'win' for Taylor Made, the program has been a life-changing opportunity for many of its participants.

After completing the three-month program, several participants were asked the following questions: How would you describe yourself and your situation when you were at your worst? How has recovery changed your plans and hopes for the future? What do you feel Taylor Made has done for your recovery? The following is a small excerpt of their written responses.

Will Walden:

“To surmise the week leading up to the Shepherd's House I'll say this: [the words] hopeless and defeated don't begin to explain the state of mind and body that I was in. My daily life was a collage of overdoses…All I wanted to do at that point was overdose and not wake up.

Recovery has actually given me the ability to even consider hope for the future. For the longest time, a drug-induced groundhog day was the only future that seemed possible. Due to this new way of life, which consists of a program of action and an irreplaceable relationship with God, plans and hopes for a future are a series of endless possibilities.

This opportunity with Taylor Made has given me a purpose, which is all I've ever wanted in this life. I am eternally grateful.”

Tyler Maxwell:

“I separated myself from my family, my friends, and most importantly myself. I didn't care about you, I didn't care about me, I didn't care about anything. I was content with wasting my life away.

My recovery has given me a new-found love for not only my life, but the lives of others. It has opened my eyes to a new world filled with joy and peace. I went from being content with living the way I was living to earning an opportunity to pursue a career that I live in the hopes that I can pave the way for others just like me to follow.

I will forever be grateful to Taylor Made. I owe a big part of me being sober for over a year to the farm and the Taylor family. That farm has God all over it and thankfully, I spent eight months of my early sobriety witnessing it on a daily basis. Through hard work and having a sense of accomplishment, at the end of the day Taylor Made paved the way into the man I am today. Those horses and the family environment led me to finding who I truly was. I'll never forget Frank Taylor telling me that Winston Churchill once said, 'There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.' Taylor Made will forever hold a place in my heart.”

Mike Lowery:

“Being homeless at Woodland Park last September until early November, I went through things that I never imagined I would ever go through. I came to the reality that if I kept living the way I was living, I would not be living very long.

Recovery has given me the chance to clear my mind and realize that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. For many years my drug addiction kept me from being the worker that I am today. I am blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the first class of the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship. Not gonna lie, I was really nervous about working with such a large and powerful animal. About two months into the program, I realized how much passion I had for not only these beautiful Thoroughbreds but the horse industry as well.

There is something so spiritual and peaceful about seeing the sunrise while bringing a horse up to the barn. I feel like a good day of hard work is great for people in recovery. For me personally, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. At the end of the day when the barn is all blown out, the stalls are all clean and the horses are looking the best they can look, I can say with pride that I did that.”

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“I commend Magdaleno and the entire Racing team in their diligent efforts to move this project forward,” said Arizona Department of Gaming Director, Ted Vogt. “The Healthy Humans, Healthy Horses program will directly support Arizona horsemen and create a safer and healthier backside, driving us forward in meeting our mission to ethically and effectively regulate horse racing, while ensuring it is conducted in a socially responsible manner.”

In the upcoming racing meet scheduled to begin on Jan. 4 at Turf Paradise, the Arizona Department of Gaming – Racing Division will be implementing the following measures to help curb substance abuse at Arizona racetracks:

• Suspension reductions for those who seek help with substance abuse
• Random drug testing for licensees on horseback
• Partnering with subject matter experts to address the influx of substance abuse
• Adjusting fines and suspensions for repeated drug-related offenses
• Proactively connecting those seeking help with substance abuse to available resources statewide

“A big thank you to the Racing Division for their hard work to support the Arizona racing community,” said Racing Commission Chair, Rory Goreé. “It is a priority for the Commission to help ensure the health and safety of racing participants, and this project furthers that goal while providing necessary aid to those in need.”

The post Arizona Gaming Department Announces Wellness Program Targeting Substance Abuse appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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