Lacey Gaudet Poses Triple Threat in Saturday’s $1.1 Million Claiming Crown
Lacey Gaudet Poses Triple Threat in Saturday’s $1.1 Million Claiming Crown
Up-and-Coming Maryland Trainer Born into Thoroughbred Racing
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HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Daughters of highly respected Maryland trainers Eddie and Linda Gaudet, sisters Lacey and Gabby Gaudet were born into Thoroughbred racing.
While Gabby gravitated to the broadcasting, handicapping and writing sides of racing, becoming an on-air host and handicapper at Gulfstream Park, Saratoga Race Course, Pimlico and Laurel Park, Lacey was destined to follow in the footsteps of her parents.
“Everyone in Maryland jokes that they remember me riding my dad’s shoulders when I was young. I was always by his side. I always wanted to be at the races,” Lacey Gaudet said.
“When Gabby was playing soccer in school, I was homeschooled and rode the hunt meets and pony races when I was 13 and 14, and then started galloping. I rode a couple amateur races, because I wanted to be a jockey. Being 5-8 or 5-9, it was a short-lived career.”
The Gaudet sisters will be reunited Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the 28-year-old Lacey is scheduled to saddle three horses in the nine-race $1.1 million Claiming Crown and 26-year-old Gabby will offer her expertise as a handicapper and horseperson during the Opening Day program of the 2016-2017 Championship Meeting.
Lacey Gaudet had first ventured to Gulfstream Park 10 years ago.
“When I was 18, I worked for Helen Pitts at Gulfstream. I was galloping and doing whatever
she wanted. I was at the barn all day,” she said. “It was a great first time away from home, especially working for another young woman. It was a year after she sold Curlin and she had Einstein in her barn.”
She also worked as an assistant to Allen Iwinski at Saratoga – “He was tough on me, but he had a lot of the ways my dad did, the old-school ways of horsemanship.” – before going back to Maryland to work for her father until his retirement.
She went out on her own before joining forces with her mother to train for Team Gaudet this year.
”It was a great idea. It’s been beneficial for both of us,” she said. “It’s added a lot to the barn – clients, horses, wins. It was a good idea.”
Gaudet enjoyed her most productive day as a trainer Nov. 6 at Laurel Park, saddling the winners of three Claiming Crown ‘Win & You’re In’ races.
"It was a great day for all of us, the whole team,” Gaudet said. “I had three different grooms, three different jockeys, so it was a fun day.”
Gaudet is scheduled to saddle John Jones for the $200,000 Jewel (Race 10), Marabea for the $125,000 Glass Slipper (Race 9) and Music Critik for the $125,000 Emerald (Race 11).
“When Marabea won in the first race that we ran that day, I said, ‘we might have a shot to win two races today. When we did (with John Jones), I said, “Ok, the day is done. Music will come over and run his race. We’ll look for him to be third or fourth, and when he won, I was ecstatic the way he ran. He really surprised me the way he ran,” she said.
John Jones will enter the 1 1/8-mile centerpiece of the Claiming Crown with four commanding victories in four starts since being claimed by Matt Schera and Gaudet for $25,000 at Laurel Park July 17. After winning a six-furlong turf race by two lengths, the 4-year-old gelded son of Smarty Jones won three straight on dirt by a total of nearly 13 lengths.
“We just put him into the program. What we do put a lot of emphasis on is feet. We put glue-on shoes on him. Is that the big difference? I can’t say. Other than that, he got into the program real well. He never missed a beat. He’s been happy in the barn,” Gaudet said. “Maybe he was just coming into himself. With every race he’s run, he’s gotten better and better and more confident. He trained well going into the first race, the grass race, and I think he maybe even surprised himself with how big he ran. It just absolutely boosted his confidence.”
