Will Walden | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Road Back: After 46 Years, William Jackson Finds Solace in Stable Recovery

Stable Recovery is a rehabilitation program in Lexington, Kentucky that provides a safe living environment and a peer-driven, therapeutic community for men in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Along with going to 12-step meetings and support groups, residents attend the School of Horsemanship at Taylor Made Farm to learn a new vocation in the Thoroughbred industry. The School of Horsemanship is a project that was created by Taylor Made two years ago and has since seen over 100 men go through the program. Many of those graduates have gone on to pursue a career in an equine-related field. Spy Coast Farm, Brook Ledge, Hallway Feeds, Will Walden Racing, Rood & Riddle, WinStar Farm and Godolphin have recently partnered with Stable Recovery as the program looks to expand its reach throughout Lexington.

In this month's installment of TDN's series, 'The Road Back,' we introduce you to graduate William Jackson, now the house manager for Stable Recovery.

When crossing the threshold into Stable Recovery's house on Hummingbird Lane in Lexington, a true feeling of 'being home' washes over you. The sound of conversation and laughter fills the air as staff and residents make their way through the house while an assortment of dogs wag their way into the mix. And there in the front office on the right, seated at the desk across from me, is William Jackson.

The 46-year-old man with the kind eye and constant smile shares his life story with a calm that speaks to his character, spoken with a reverent tone of voice that reflects where he's been and how far he's come in his lifetime.

As he talks, the realization of how poignant this introduction and this conversation is settles in the room. Because less than two years ago, after decades of witnessing death and living on the brink of it, Jackson's heart stopped after an overdose.

“In September of 2022, I lost the house, the nice truck I had, we had all of the utilities turned off, and I was damn near about to go to jail. Then, I ended up getting hit by that car and later, overdosing in the room in that trailer,” recalled Jackson.

He had hit rock bottom. And it was the result of a life that revolved around one constant: drug use.

Born in Springfield, Mo., Jackson spent his early years primarily in the company of his mom, since his stepdad had been sent to prison early on and his five older siblings were much further ahead in their lives, all off on their own. By the time he was in fifth grade, they had relocated to Corbin, Ky., to live near the rest of his extended family.

“Most of my family, all my uncles and aunts and everyone, used a lot of drugs and drank. All the men drank beer all the time and most of my aunts were taking pills and smoked marijuana. I remember my cousins were doing it, too, they were a little older than me. And one of my cousins even grew some pot with his father. That was what they did,” said Jackson. “By the time I was 11, I was taking pills and smoking marijuana and drinking on the weekends. I started out just doing a little bit of everything.”

Growing up, the tragedy that Jackson experienced only perpetuated his dependence on using drugs as an escape.

“When I was 12, my sister committed suicide. That was pretty traumatic. And then, it was the next year I guess, I remember walking in the house and finding my grandmother dead. I was the one who found her.”

The loss of a close friend in high school, and later the loss of his girlfriend, only darkened his outlook on life.

“I had lots of little things that kept me angry, confused, and mad at the world. But I always felt like doing drugs was wrong. It was bad and I wanted to do the right thing. I always did good in school and I wanted to please people, but all this stuff kept always pushing me towards all of that other stuff,” said Jackson.

By the time he was 27, he'd already married and divorced his first wife, who sadly overdosed and passed away a year after their marriage ended. From there, Jackson went back home to live with his mom and eventually picked up drinking.

“I was an alcoholic for about 13 years. Pretty heavy. I could drink at least 3/5 of a bottle of hundred-proof a day by myself. That all led to me being diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. They gave me a year to live,” said Jackson. “It scared me, so I decided to quit drinking. By this time, I had already met my second wife, I was married again, and she went with me to Alcoholics Anonymous for a while. But I only went for about three months.”

William Jackson becomes a Legacy of Stable Recovery. Pictured: Tyler Harris, Josh Franks, Christian Countzler, Ashton Becker, Carrol McCromick, William Jackson, and Dan Pride | Stable Recovery

Though he'd saved his liver, Jackson continued to pursue other avenues in his drug use, turning to buying and using Suboxone before eventually caving to the enticement of heroin by the time he was 41.

There seemed to be no end to the lows in his life, the many holes that he couldn't pull himself out of, until he dug the deepest of all that fateful night in September of 2022. A deadly mix of a Xanax bar laced with Fentanyl and a small dose of heroin in the early hours of the morning led to him collapsing on the floor, the sound waking his wife in the other room. She called 911 and held Jackson as he laid there, foaming at the mouth, his body eerily still. And after minutes that felt like hours, first responders arrived on the scene and revived him.

From there, Jackson decided to redirect his breaking point into a turning point, as he went to the hospital for treatment and later went to a Stepworks Recovery Center.

“I had so much guilt, shame and remorse. I just wanted it to be over, I wanted it to be done. This was the first time I'd ever been in treatment or anything like this. It was the worst. There was just so much stuff happening. It was so bad and I was just crying, at wit's end, and I was just done. I was ready to die,” said Jackson.

But it was there in the recovery center that he found a pamphlet for Stable Recovery. In one of those moments where one might question how heavy the hand of God truly is, Jackson felt a dream had been fulfilled with the opportunity to get back out on a farm.

“My dream was to work on a farm again. It just so happens that when you're in Stable Recovery, you're on the farm taking care of horses, driving tractors and doing all this stuff. It's like God sent me this perfect place and completely changed my life,” said Jackson.

Despite his addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout most of his life, and the health issues that arose because of that, he never missed a day of work. He was a carpenter by trade and had spent over 20 years building houses. And though he'd been hesitant to enter the program due to his strong need to return home to his family, he knew that Stable Recovery was the best thing for him, for all of them.

“One of the best things my wife ever did for me was call and say, 'You're not coming home.' Once I got here, it just changed my life. It saved my life. I spent a year on the farm, taking care of the horses, taking care of babies. I helped foal out 80 babies last year. I found peace on the farm, just out in the fields, in the quiet with the horses,” said Jackson. “Then slowly, as I was making better decisions and doing the right thing, people [in my life] started talking to me again. My wife would talk to me a little bit and then she'd started coming to see me. And my daughter would always visit.”

Now 17 months sober, Jackson serves as the House Manager for Stable Recovery, a role he took on a few months ago. The job entails overseeing the houses that the men in the program live in, which can involve anything from handling paperwork to driving the men to the farm for work or staying up late with a program participant who just needs someone to listen. Though the horses and the tranquility on the farm soothed his soul, Jackson has realized that being a mentor and friend to those in the program is his true purpose.

“My wife and kids would call it an 'astronaut job,' because we were coming in here and you can't even imagine a place like this. Especially when we think of the shape that we're in as despicable addicts. We have the worst opinion of ourselves when we're out there, but to be able to come in here and have somebody trust you and to be a part of the farm, it's hard to believe. It gives you such an unfair advantage almost compared to other treatment centers because you come here and it's just like a dream, and then all you have to do is do things right,” said Jackson.

Though the drug use was detrimental from a health standpoint, the biggest burden to Jackson was the regret and guilt he lived with as a result of his addiction. It wasn't until he arrived at Taylor Made that he finally had the chance to process, reflect and heal.

“I just wanted do what was right and I was always doing something wrong. I always felt guilty for using and drinking. When you first come in, even though the guys are like you, you're so uncomfortable with yourself at first that you can't open up. You don't even trust them or yourself at first,” he said. “But when you can go out there in that field and be with the mommas and the babies, and all you have to be is genuine and care about them, it's amazing how they open up and love you.

“It's a growing experience between you and the horses. At first you go in there and it's just like it is with anybody else, you're uncomfortable, scared, and awkward for a while. But you spend time with them and before you know it, it's crazy how much you can fall in love with them and how much they depend on and trust you. It's unbelievable what it does for you. It brought me a peace that I hadn't had in years, a feeling that I remembered when I was a child, but barely. I never thought I'd see it for many years.”

William Jackson and family | Stable Recovery

Since taking on this position with Stable Recovery, Jackson has received certifications as a peer support specialist and a supported employment specialist, while continuing to take classes and participate in webinars on topics such as peer support. Though it comes with plenty of responsibility, Jackson truly believes that the job has fulfilled him in a way that he never thought possible.

It is the reason he chose a job in the house over one he'd been offered on the farm.

“It just seemed like it would have been selfish of me to go [that route]. If I took that [job] for a house and a truck, I would have been sick again in my heart and soul. Not because of anything anybody said or thought, but in my heart, it would have made me sick because I want to give back and help the guys,” said Jackson. “It's a mutual respect [with the guys] where they love me and we love each other. It's a great house. The guys, even the hard ones that come in, they end up opening up and fall right into it, too. If you can last and you don't leave pretty quick, you end up being a part of the family and it's amazing. I get that same kind of love here as I did on the farm with the horses.

“This is my best medicine, to be right here helping the guys and interacting with them every day. It's the best thing that I can do. It's going to keep me alive and keep me sober.”

As Jackson speaks, you can feel the aura of selflessness that shimmers around him. He traveled the road not many make it back from and not only paved a new one for himself, but now does that for others every day.

Stable Recovery gave him the tools and the time, but Jackson dug the foundation and built his own house of healing.

“I'm truly blessed to be able to come in here and use the pain that I've felt to be able to help a man move on with his life and start over. I wake up thankful every day. It's crazy how wonderful that feels, right?”

To learn more, or to donate to Stable Recovery, visit stablerecovery.net/.

The post The Road Back: After 46 Years, William Jackson Finds Solace in Stable Recovery appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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$1.2-Million Tapit Colt Paces OBS March Opener

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened Tuesday with a solid session, and while the 2-year-old sales are usually all about speed, the day was topped by a colt by Tapit who galloped during last week's under-tack show. From the Lothenbach dispersal, the youngster sold for $1.2 million to the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds and D. J. Stables. He was consigned by Tom McCrocklin.

“I think it points to the fact that the under-tack show is one metric,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “There are a lot of different metrics that people use to buy horses. The under-tack shows get talked about a lot, but it's not the only thing. There were obviously people here who felt like they could get a good read on the horse and liked what they saw at the barn and what they saw on the racetrack in the way he moved. Everybody focuses on the time because it's an easy touch point, but there are a lot of other variables and intangibles that go into that decision-making process.”

During the session, 152 horses sold for $20,844,000 for an average of $137,132 and a median of $73,500. The average was down 11% from a year ago and the median dipped 18.3%. The buy-back rate for Tuesday's session was 26.9%. It was 32.1% a year ago.

“It's hard to compare day to days after the first day, but I thought it was pretty on line with last year overall,” Wojciechowski said.

Showing the breadth of the buying bench, the top 10-priced lots were purchased by 10 different buyers.

“The buying bench was pretty varied,” Wojciechowski said. “There were a lot of different people buying horses. I felt like we have good horses spread out through the entire catalogue. We obviously had some highlights today and I think we will continue to have highlights over the next two days.”

Of the top 10 sellers Tuesday, two were from the first crop of Gainesway stallion McKinzie, with Bill Childs going to $750,000 for a colt from the Wavertree Stables consignment and Belmar Racing, R.A. Hill and Gargan going to $450,000 for a colt from the King's Equine consignment. Both colts shared bullet furlong work times of :9 4/5.

The OBS March sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 11 a.m.

West Point, DJ Stable Unite for Tapit Colt

Proving that value rarely goes unnoticed among the savvy juvenile market buyers, Hip 173, a colt by leading sire Tapit, realized $1.2 million on the OBS March Sale's opening day. With the tempo picking up noticeably as the session progressed, West Point Thoroughbreds and D J Stable teamed up to land the opening session's sole seven-figure offering. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin, the Feb. 27 foal was a member of the Lothenbach Stables Dispersal.

Jonathan Green & Terry Finley | Photos by Z

“He's the kind that we look for. We figured he'd bring a lot of money, but I think he's got plenty of upside,” said West Point's Terry Finley. “The Tapits can be across the board in terms of their mental disposition, but he has a very cool mind and acted the right way. With these expensive horses, we tend to say the same things and just keep our fingers crossed. You just hope they live up to that expectation.”

Out of Distorted Music, herself a $190,000 Keeneland September purchase in 2011, the gray is a half-brother to Grade III winner She Can't Sing (Bernardini). The colt represents the family of GI CCA Oaks heroine Music Note, dam of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, in addition to French Classic scorer Musical Chimes.

“Obviously, we have a soft spot for Tapit,” explained Finley. “We love the fact that this [colt] is big and raw.”

The dispersal came up after Bob Lothenbach died suddenly at the age of 64 last fall. All of the Lothenbach horses galloped during last week's breeze sessions.

“I didn't know [Lothenbach] but I know he had a beautiful breeding program and ran a great operation,” said Finley. “We knew we were buying something from a very effective program.”

D J Stable's Jon Green was equally enthused with Tuesday's purchase.

“You look at these dispersals, and it seems like every year one jumps out of that program. We hope it works out that way. But we really thought he was the best of that group. The fact that he was galloping and not breezing, for a big horse like that, it only added to his appeal because we felt it would be more beneficial to his development. The world is his oyster.”

Partnering on a handful of horses in the past, including Grade III winner Turned Aside (American Pharoah), longtime friends Len and Jon Green and Finley thought it seemed like the right time to take the relationship to the next level.

“We have had a couple of horses with the Greens in the past, but this is by far the best we've ever got our hands on together, so we're excited to go forward,” said Finley.

Green echoed the sentiment.

“The important thing about this horse are the people behind it. Terry and I have been talking and we were just waiting for the right horse and we felt this was absolutely the right athlete to go after. He looks like he has two-turn ability and we're going to take our time with him. This was just the right opportunity.” —@CBossTDN

Not This Time Colt Heads to Japan

A colt by Not This Time (hip 183) will be heading to Japan after selling for $850,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent Shingo Hashimoto, acting on behalf of Katsumi Yoshida. The dark bay colt was consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds on behalf of trainer Tom Durant. He worked a furlong last week in :10 flat.

“His workout was really good and his appearance was really nice,” Hashimoto said. “We really liked the colt and we are very excited about him. We will bring him back to Japan and see how he goes.”

The colt is out of Dos Vinos (Twirling Candy), a half-sister to stakes winner China Grove (City Zip) purchased by Durant for $230,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.

Hashimoto, who purchased a $1.05-million son of Arrogate on behalf of Yoshida at last year's March sale, was making his second purchase of the 2024 auction with hip 183. He went to $310,000 for a filly by Take Charge Indy (hip 110) earlier in the session.

Of the March sale's appeal, Hashimoto said, “It's good to know how the horses change from what we saw at the yearling sale and how they train. I think the level of training that they do in the U.S. is very high.” @JessMartiniTDN

Colts Group Adds an Uncle Mo Juvenile

The BSW/Crow Colts Group and Spendthrift Farm partnership, which has been active at the yearling sales the last few years, supplemented its 2024 roster heading to the barn of trainer Brad Cox with the purchase of an Uncle Mo colt (hip 106) for $750,000 during Tuesday's first session of the OBS March sale. The bay colt, consigned by Pick View, is out of Canteen (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Hip 106 | Photos by Z

“Everybody on the team liked him,” Liz Crow said after signing the ticket on the juvenile. “Katelyn Jackson, Ned Toffey and his son Daniel and Seth [Semkin] and then Brad Cox, everybody on the whole team felt like he fit what we were looking for.”

The partners had success buying at OBS last year, purchasing Jimmy Winkfield S. winner Bergen (Liam's Map) for $375,000 at the OBS April sale.

“It was hard to buy yearlings last year,” Crow said. “We have a small number, we only have 10, and so this will be our 11th horse for the group.”

Stock Thoroughbreds purchased the colt for $270,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. He worked a furlong during last week's under-tack show in :10 2/5. @JessMartiniTDN

Childs Jumps into the Fray Early at OBS

Bill Childs sat chilly until the closing moments of last year's OBS March Sale to land a Justify colt for $700,000. This year, the Texas businessman reversed course and extended to $750,000 for Hip 89, a son of freshman sire McKinzie, early in the sale.

The bay recorded a :9.4 move for Wavertree Stables during last Wednesday's breeze session.

“I really liked everything about him,” said Childs. “I liked the way he worked–that was an obvious reason. But I also liked him because I thought he'd want to go two turns.”

Bill Childs | Photos by Z

Out of Breech Inlet (Holy Bull), the Ontario-bred is a half-brother to Canadian multiple stakes winner and graded placed Merveilleux (Paynter). The colt's 14-year-old dam, a granddaughter of GISW By Land By Sea, is a half-sister to GSW Bauble Queen (Arch). In foal to Olympiad, she brought $50,000 at Keeneland November last season.

“He doesn't look like a horse that should work that fast going that short,” added Childs. “But when they do, they'll often turn out to be good.”

According to Ciaran Dunne, the colt has flourished since his arrival in September.

“He's a beautiful horse and worked really well,” he said. “He is one of those rare things, he was well sold and well bought. I think it hurt him a little bit being so early in the sale. People might have been expecting him to bring a little bit more or they weren't quite ready. But I think it was a fair price for him.”

According to Childs, the colt will go to trainer Bob Baffert, who also trained the youngster's sire, McKinzie.

“It's his first crop, so we don't know how that'll go,” he added. “But based on the way they worked here, it looks like they will be good.”

Offered at last year's Keeneland September sale, the Feb. 26 foal was secured by Ron Fein's Superfine Farm for $205,000.

Asked about the feel of the market halfway through Tuesday's session, Childs said, “It was actually a little softer than I thought. I saw a few that I thought would have brought a little more money. However, I do think it will probably get stronger as the sale goes along.”–@CBossTDN

Mischief Returns to OBS

Rarely absent from the leaderboard at any sale in the country, Into Mischief was represented by Hip 202, a colt that realized a $700,000 final bid from Muir Hut Stables. Out of GSW Electric Forest (Curlin), the bay colt is a grandson of MGSW and MGISP Forest Music (Unbridled's Song), herself responsible for graded winner Uncle chuck (Uncle Mo). Spendthrift Farm was among the underbidders on the colt.

“Muir Hut Stables has put a lot into the game,” said Southern California-based trainer Mark Glatt, stationed alongside the Muir Hutt team during the bidding. “I have been trying to get them to buy an Into Mischief for some time now. We were able to get this one, so we're excited.”

The Mar. 19 foal breezed an eighth in :10.1 during the initial breeze session last week.

“We are high on the sire, of course, but also on [broodmare sire] Curlin. This colt is a very athletic horse and seems to have talent. We hope he stays sound so we can get him to the races.”

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, the bay was consigned by Old South Farm on behalf of Bow River Ranch.

“I bought him for a new group of guys. That's their first pinhooking venture,” confirmed consignor Hoby Kight, who signed for the colt after the Oregon-based group paid $250,000 at last September's Keeneland sale.

When asked what drew him to the colt, Kight explained, “Everyone knows what I like–I like a horse with angles. I like a stretchy, big and fast horse with just enough pedigree. That's what it takes. If they can run, you're good. That's what I like to buy and this colt fit the bill.”

According to Kight, the fledgling partnership also sold Hip 19, a colt by Munnings, for $250,000, in addition to a Gun Runner colt (Hip 155) for $100,000.

“For me, the sale has been very fair so far,” Kight added. “The Munnings could have been anywhere from $250,000 to $400,000, depending on the breeze. He worked with a headwind [10.1], so that might have affected things a bit, but I thought it was fair overall.”–@CBossTDN

Munnings Filly Jump Starts March Sale

With the March sale less than half-an-hour old, a filly by Munnings (hip 26) kick started the action in Ocala Tuesday when selling for $700,000 to the bid of trainer Will Walden, acting on behalf of John Sykes's Woodford Thoroughbreds. The bay filly, consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, shared the :9 4/5 bullet on the first day of last week's under-tack show.

“I thought she had all of the parts,” Walden said. “She is a little bit on the smaller side, but with plenty of muscle. She had a great walk and temperament at the barn. I thought the breeze was outstanding. It was the best gallop out of the day and it was on the toughest day. She did it into a 10 mph headwind.”

Will Walden & Niall Brennan | Photos by Z

The filly is the first foal out of the unraced Ansaam (Bernardini), a half-sister to Grade I winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet) and from the family of multiple Grade I winner Evening Jewel. She was a $95,000 Keeneland September purchase by Ryston Stables.

“She's probably a filly who is going to be early,” Walden said. “We will get her back to Turfway and then Keeneland and start looking for starts around Churchill. We are really excited to have her.”

Walden has been buying horses for Sykes across the globe over the last several months.

“He has been a great supporter of ours,” Walden said of Sykes. “He supported us when we went overseas when we bought some out of Tattersalls. We are just trying to buy runners and get in the winner's circle. He has a breeding operation, so with this filly's pedigree and hopefully with what she does on the track, she will hold some residual value as a broodmare.”

Walden agreed, with the juvenile sales season just minutes old, it could be difficult to anticipate prices.

“I had her between $600,000 and $800,000,” he said. “I would have liked to pay six instead of seven, but she is a quality filly and we are happy we got her. But you have to trust your gut. If you like the horse, the horse speaks to you and, on numbers and on paper it works out, you have to take a swing.” @JessMartiniTDN

All Dreams Equine Absent from OBS

Juan Centeno's All Dreams Equine consignment, which was pulled into controversy when a filly it sold at last year's OBS June sale broke down at Finger Lakes in November and subsequently tested positive for Clenbuterol, had six horses catalogued to the OBS March sale, but the entire group was scratched from the auction.

“There was some publicity about me and my consignment and I just felt like it wasn't going to be a fair judgement on the horses,” Centeno said of the decision to withdraw his horses from the auction. “I could feel the energy wasn't all there. So the best thing for the horses and for everybody else was to scratch them for now.”

Two of the horses from Centeno's March consignment were involved in incidents during last week's under-tack show, with a filly collapsing on the track following her breeze and a colt getting loose before breezing and galloping around the infield.

OBS sales officials confirmed that Centeno had voluntarily scratched his horses from that sale and that the All Dreams horses were all tested before the under-tack show, but that results of those tests were not yet available.

“Yes and he welcomed it,” OBS President Tom Ventura said when asked about testing the horses in the consignment. “We did hair samples and additional blood samples. We don't have the results to share back at this point, but whatever he had here, he welcomed any additional scrutiny that might show that they had nothing in their systems.”

Of the additional testing, Centeno said, “All of my horses were tested, I don't know the results because they have them. But I have nothing to hide. I have always been honest and I have a good record. My tests have always been clean. And anybody who has questions or wants to test the horses, they are available to be tested or inspected. Not a problem.”

He continued, “I was happy to be tested. I have nothing to hide. I treat my horses with the highest standards. I am very dedicated to my horses. I am attached to my horses. And I am very proud of what we do together.”

Trainer Jeffrey Englehart was facing a two-year suspension after the Classic Empire colt he purchased from the All Dreams consignment last summer tested positive for Clenbuterol after breaking down in November. The case against him was dropped when segmented test of the colt's hair sample revealed that the drug had been administered before Englehart had become the horse's trainer.

“I was surprised when I was accused about that,” Centeno said of speculation that he had given the colt the drug. “I never gave anything to my horses. I wanted to prove that. And for that reason, the horses are available to be tested, to show the buyers I am honest and I play by the rules.”

Of the filly that collapsed after breezing during last week's under-tack show, “The horse was fine and we asked him to keep it here so that everybody, including us, could go and inspect the horse,” Ventura said. “And we talked to the vet and we aren't sure exactly what caused it, but she came out of it fine.”

The horse that got loose on the track was also uninjured in the mishap.

“If he had gotten loose on Wednesday, he would have had the opportunity to come back and breeze on Saturday, but given that he got loose on the last day at the under-tack show, there was no opportunity for him to come back,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. @JessMartiniTDN

The post $1.2-Million Tapit Colt Paces OBS March Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Road Back: Joshua Franks, A Story Of Horses, Hope And Healing

In this month's installment of TDN's series, 'The Road Back,' we introduce you to graduate Joshua Franks, now program coordinator for the School of Horsemanship.

When Joshua Franks speaks about horses and the impact they've had on his life, the passion reverberates through every spoken word.

But it was only a year and a half ago that Franks first laid a hand on a horse, a moment he remembers vividly.

“It was at Keeneland, in Barn 10, and the horse was Big Lake [American Pharoah]. It was like I touched a ghost. Walking up to that horse, it was just magical.”

It marked a turning point in Franks's life. A page was opening to the start of a new chapter, one driven by faith, purpose and passion, that would pave over a past marred by drug addiction and incarceration.

Taylor Made Stallion Complex sign | Sarah Andrew

“I was born in California, but my mom and dad separated at a young age and then my mom moved back to Kentucky, so I grew up in Boone County. I lived with a single mom and two younger brothers. We lived in poverty,” said Franks. “In my household, I didn't grow up with goals. My mom didn't know how to love, there wasn't a lot of love in the home, so growing up, I felt lost and alone. I got addicted to drugs at a young age and from there it spiraled out of control.”

His issues with drug use eventually led him to prison, where he served a 10-year sentence. After he was released in 2020, he entered Recovery Works, a comprehensive inpatient addiction treatment center in Georgetown, Ky. It was there that he heard about Stable Recovery and its partner, the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship.

At this point, according to Franks, God stepped in. Because though he'd fallen down a path that many don't come back from, the light that kept him going was a hope that one day he would end up working within the Thoroughbred industry in some capacity. And the inspiration behind that? It was none other than the queen herself, Zenyatta (Street Cry).

“I believe she kind of changed the whole direction of my life. I used to watch Zenyatta race and she was electric. She touched me in a way that I can't even describe. She would bring tears to my eyes. Every hair on my arm would stand up when I watched her, and when she lost her last race, it just captured my heart,” said Franks. “I always wondered how to get here, how to get to Lexington to work with horses, but I never had that outlet. I think God knew in the depths of my heart what I truly loved. He met me where I was.”

Franks came to Taylor Made to enter Stable Recovery and partake in the School of Horsemanship program in July of 2022, soaking up everything he could in the barn and on the farm, before graduating and heading out to join fellow School of Horsemanship graduate Will Walden at the track. He worked as the foreman of the young trainer's stable, a time highlighted by a first stakes victory for the Walden team when Kate's Kingdom (Animal Kingdom) took the 2022 My Charmer Stakes at Turfway Park.

Joshua Franks | Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm

Though Franks did struggle with a two-day relapse while on the road, he returned to Taylor Made last December to continue to work on himself, his sobriety and his career as a horseman.

“I think God took my pain, with addiction and all of that, and gave me something that would really touch my heart. It's really special,” said Franks.

Things have come full circle for the 37-year-old, who now works full-time as the program coordinator for the School of Horsemanship.

“The biggest thing about this program is that we're trying to help people stay sober. It isn't necessarily about trying to change the horse industry, you know that comes with it along the way, but first and foremost we want to save lives,” said Franks. “The best advice I'd give people is to seek God and trust God. That's something I've done every day. I hit my knees, day and night, and throughout the day. He's developed something that's astronomical for a guy like me.”

Franks spends day in and day out with the men in the program that spans 90 days, teaching recovering individuals' life skills and employable skills through working with the horses on the farm, participating in support groups and attending 12-step meetings.

“When they come in, I try to lead them in recovery first and then into horses. I tell them all the time, 'This job will always be here.' When it comes down to it, I want them to stay sober and develop a good foundation,” said Franks.

One of the most crucial aspects of the program is instituting structure, something that a lot of the participants have never had in their lives. During the program they go to work daily, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., while also keeping up with a schedule throughout the week that includes Monday Motivation classes, School of Horsemanship meetings on Wednesdays, Community meetings on Thursdays and in-house meetings, called 'Off to the Races,' on Saturdays.

“A lot of us didn't grow up with that stuff, we didn't grow up with structure, so it's a really intense 90 days. This program is like no other. [CEO] Christian [Countzler] is very stern, he expects things to go a certain way, which I appreciate. I've been other places where as bad as it is, there's drugs filling these places, there's no accountability, while here, Christian demands that. All the outside issues, we don't have to deal with those. We're here to recover and to help each other recover,” said Franks. “It goes hand-in-hand with how detailed the horse industry is. From the way the blankets are folded, to bandages, to medical charts, to bringing your horses in in the morning and checking to make sure they're well, with no cuts or swelling. It all comes down to structure and accountability.”

As much as the program places an emphasis on the individual's well-being and progress in their journey to sobriety, it also helps them build comradery and a recovery network amongst their peers and the staff.

Joshua Franks | Kelcey Loges/Taylor Made Farm

“What I try to do in my barn is to gain momentum behind guys, find out what they're good at and team build around them, getting them pointed in the right direction. Getting them to work together, lean on each other, that's important. Sometimes throughout the day I might stop the barn, get them all together and rally them. I think momentum is key with recovery,” said Franks. “When they get out of treatment, most of them haven't seen the doctor, or maybe they have court stuff going on, so we try to get all of that taken care of in those 90 days. That way, when they gain full-time employment, they already have that foundation set.

“They come in here broken, they need to feel good about themselves, so I try to place them in good positions to help build themselves up.”

Franks, who is just days away from celebrating his one-year anniversary of sobriety on Dec. 24, admits that if he'd told his younger self that this is where he'd be at this point in his life, he would have never believed it. But when he looks back on the places he's been, a valley of lows and lower, Franks knows he has found renewed purpose and a true home in the presence of horses.

“I heard Will Walden say this and it's so true: the horse doesn't ask where I'm from or what I've done, they accept me as who I am. They are the heroes. They are the therapeutic value in this thing for guys like me,” he said. “What I've noticed is that most of your broken souls don't have any family support, just like myself when I came into this. My mother is deceased, my father is deceased, I never really had family growing up, that was nonexistent, so the horses became my friends. It was tough for me sitting here when they would have family days and I would have no one show or call, but the horses, they're the ones that were there for me.”

If you come out to Taylor Made and look around, you'll likely see someone working on the farm that is in recovery. But it's not until you've seen a man working with a horse, standing there with a glimmer of hope in his eye, that you understand the true impact of the program developed by Frank Taylor and Countzler.

A shining testament to that, Franks gives the utmost credit to the program, Taylor Made and the Thoroughbred industry as a whole for where he is today.

“Nobody could put this together but God. He takes our pain and he develops it into something magnificent,” he said. “I will say this. Though I loved her dearly, my mom and I weren't close and she didn't know how to express her love. But the only thing I knew about my mom was that her favorite animal was a horse. I'm not sure if that was passed on to me, but I do believe she looks over me every day on this farm.

“Everyone has been so supportive of Stable Recovery. This is a non-profit organization and to know that there are people around the world that care about us enough to help get us back on our feet and heading in the right direction, it's special. I'm very grateful.”

The post The Road Back: Joshua Franks, A Story Of Horses, Hope And Healing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Raise Cain Eyes Blue Grass, Mr. Swagger, Clear the Air Likely for Wood

Andrew Warren and Rania Warren's Raise Cain (Violence), who romped home in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S., will likely forego a return trip to Aqueduct and make his next start in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, according to trainer Ben Colebrook.

Raise Cain had his first work since the Gotham when going four furlongs in :49.00 (1/3) at Keeneland Mar. 22.

“He's been training great and put on weight,” said Colebrook. “He'll breeze again [Thursday] at Keeneland. I think he really gets it now and now he's confident and feeling good. I think he's sitting on a big race wherever we go. It's exciting.”

Colebrook continued, “I don't think the Blue Grass will be a full field and it's one of those things where if we can run in our own backyard, it will take a strong reason for us to go to the Wood. But, it could still happen if something changes with defections and it's still on our radar. We're taking it day by day.”

Two horses who finished behind Raise Cain with troubled trips in the Gotham are expected to line up fo rthe Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial.

Victoria's Ranch's Mr. Swagger (Maclean's Music), sixth over a muddy and sealed main track in the Gotham, is expected to return to Aqueduct for the Wood.

A maiden winner in his 6 1/2-furlong debut at Aqueduct Jan. 28, the Juan Avila trainee was making just his second career start in the one-mile Gotham. He worked six furlongs in 1:19.47 (1/2) over a muddy Parx surface Saturday.

“He's perfect,” Avila said. “He went easy and strong and finished up very nice. We are ready for the Wood Memorial and I think he's ready for a nice race.”

Mr. Swagger, who added blinkers when exiting post three in the Gotham, was bumped at the break and prompted the pace from fourth position at the half-mile call, but failed to fire after saving ground through the turn.

“In the Gotham, I said to Carlos [Olivero] that I want to see Mr. Swagger be in last place, but he was much closer,” Avila said. “Hopefully, this time he can stay back.”

Avila said Mr. Swagger will keep the blinkers on for the Wood Memorial.

Also expected in the Wood Memorial line-up is Cypress Creek Equine's Clear the Air (Ransom the Moon), who maintained rail-skimming position from seventh in the Gotham before going four wide in upper stretch and checking around the three-sixteenths pole. He continued to find more down the lane and finished 10 3/4 lengths in arrears of the victorious Raise Cain.

“It wasn't really what we drew up on paper going into it,” trainer Will Walden admitted. “I know when you get a bunch of horses running around in the slop, it almost never goes according to plan. Raise Cain got some momentum. He went inside and we went outside. The hole we were going for closed at the three sixteenths. When you get fully stopped on a big horse, it can be hard to re-rally. But he started picking off horses and started to get going. But by that time, it was too late in the game. If he doesn't get stopped, I think he ends up second or third.”

A maiden winner going six furlongs at Turfway in January, Clear the Air was a troubled fourth in a one-mile optional claimer at Turfway Feb. 11 before his Gotham effort. He worked four furlongs in :48.00 (3/77) at Turfway Saturday.

“He's a big, long stretchy horse and he's very efficient,” Walden said. “The way he breezes and gallops out, he looks like a two-turn horse. He also did run two turns at Turfway going a mile. That was again a horrible trip. He never got out of cover until well inside the sixteenth pole. But the two turns that day never seemed to be an issue. He looked loaded the whole time.”

Walden said he expects to see continued improvement in his charge.

“He won't officially be a 3-year-old until May 5,” Walden said. “I've felt all along that this horse has all the talent in the world. I believe he has graded-stakes type of potential. I don't know exactly when the lightbulb will fully go off. He's still big and green, but if things go right for him, he can put it together. It wouldn't shock me if he went up there and ran really big.”

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