Nolan Ramsey, a longtime assistant to trainer Mike Maker, is starting to make waves since establishing his own stable. In his 29th start, the 27-year-old recorded his first win as a trainer when Street magician gelding When is heaven? finish in the $75,000 Ben’s Cat Stakes on July 14 Laurel Park. This momentous win was made all the more special because the gelding was owned by Ramsey’s grandfather, renowned horse owner and breeder Ken Ramsey, who was recovering from a recent kidney transplant.
Nolan Ramsey spoke with Horse Blood about the important racetrack lessons he learned from both his grandfather and Maker, his decision to move from assistant to trainer, and his goal of one day breeding horses and winning races in his home state of Kentucky.
Horse Blood: You won your first stakes race last weekend with Whenigettoheaven. Did you ever think this was something you could achieve in your first 30 starts?
Nolan Ramsey: I didn’t think it would happen so quickly, but a good horse can make anyone look good. He’s been in good form for us and I thought it was a pretty good place for him after his allowance win (June 7 at Laurel), so we gave it a go. It was nice to get it over with so quickly. And winning for (Ken Ramsey) makes it even more special. He’s been my biggest supporter, so not only did he beat my first win (May 10 at Gulfstream Park with Ken Ramsey ownership Marshamarshamarsha ) and my first win was also the best.
Whenigettoheaven wins Ben’s Cat Stakes at Laurel Park
BH: Can you share about your relationship with your grandfather?
Do not have: I grew up running around the racetrack with him. From a young age he taught me how to read condition books, how to read the Racing Form, the Rag. He taught me to be a pretty good bettor. Without him and my grandmother, I don’t know if I would have found my way around horses. He was always the one who pushed you. He had very high expectations. He always told me that I should go out on my own.
BH:Your grandfather introduced you to horse racing, but what inspired you to become a trainer?
Do not have: I started working on my grandfather’s farm when I was 8 or 9, working with mares and foals. I’ve always loved horses. I’ve always loved being around them and working with them. When I was 15, I went to Saratoga and Mike Maker offered me my first job on the racetrack. I just loved it. The hard work, the excitement, the action—everything. It was fascinating, and I knew from that day on that was what I wanted to do. It was just a matter of time.
BH: You worked for Mike for a long time. What was your biggest takeaway from working in his barn?
Do not have:I started working with him when I was 15, and after graduating from high school, I started working as his full-time assistant until last April.
A lot of Mike’s work is learning patience. Learning to listen to horses, being patient with horses. Horses can’t talk but they will definitely give you a lot of signals if you know how to listen to them. One thing I think is really beneficial about working with him is that he has all kinds of horses. He has your Saturday afternoon, Grade 1 horses, and then he also has your $7,500 claim horses. You learn a lot from all different types of horses. So being able to work in a barn where you see all these different types of horses at different levels, you really learn a lot from them. Another thing I appreciate about working with him is learning the “Lukas way” of working, the old-fashioned way of riding. I think that’s something that seems to be getting lost lately, so being able to see that and learn from it and have that in my pocket as I start my own coaching career, I think will be very beneficial for me.
(Maker is a former assistant to D. Wayne Lukas.)
(LR): Nolan Ramsey, Javier Castellano and Mike Maker at Gulfstream Park
BH: How would you best summarize the “Lukas way”?
Do not have: How he trains them, treats them, feeds them. And that’s not everything that everyone sees. But sometimes those little details can make the biggest difference.
BH:What made you decide to embark on the path of becoming a coach?
Do not have: It’s something that’s been on my mind for a while. I have a young family, and while I love working for Mike and traveling around, it’s hard having a family. I have two young kids that I need to think about. I want to be able to take a day off if I need to do something with them or go on vacation with them. I just want to have more control over my personal schedule. So that’s one of the things that’s driving me. And secondly, I want to win some races for my grandfather. I think that’s something special and I want to accomplish it. Thankfully, his kidney transplant has gone well so far, but at the end of the day, he’s 88 years old and I want to make sure I get it done before it’s too late.
BH: Why did you decide to set up your stable at Gulfstream? What do you like about racing and training in South Florida?
Do not have: I feel comfortable here. Gulfstream is like a second home to me. I’ve been coming here every winter since I started working for Maker. I really like it here and consider it home. I think it probably helps to start training somewhere I know the terrain and feel comfortable.
BH:And now you also have a chain of horses raised in Laurel Park in Maryland. Why did you decide to send the horse there?
Do not have: I chose to open at Gulfstream, but then once I started bringing horses in and getting a feel for what my barn would look like, it became pretty clear that we weren’t balanced. I have mostly grass horses and a lot of them are the same type of condition, the same type of horse. And with less running opportunities, I felt like I had to spread out the barn to get the most out of it. I think Laurel is probably the most logical place for me. They have a lot of grass racing, a lot of people who want to have conditions, and I think that book really fits me. And if you get rained out of your grass or a race doesn’t happen, there are a half dozen tracks that are a four- to six-hour drive away.
I plan to stay in Laurel at least through the hay season. Right now, we are still mostly haying horses in the barn. I am thinking of taking a rope to Kentucky for the winter and trying it out. Turfway Park; they offer general merchandise. The money is great. I know my grandfather would love to see me break into Kentucky, and so would my other customers. So I’m thinking of trying Kentucky in the winter and splitting between Kentucky and Gulfstream.
BH:What goals do you hope to achieve with your stable by the end of this year? And then what are your goals for the future?
Do not have: As for the more short term logical goal, I want to see things continue the way they are going for the rest of the year. We had a lot of ups and downs at the start but I think we’ve finally found our footing and we’re starting to roll. So I want to see the rest of the year go well. I’m planning on bringing a few horses to Kentucky Downs. I would love to win a race or two in Kentucky before the year is out. Especially at Keeneland. Keeneland is a special place for me. I’m from Lexington, Keeneland is my hometown track, and I have family in Lexington, so if I can win a race at Keeneland this fall, that would be very special to me.
What about long-term goals? Well, I guess I have the same goals as every other horse trainer. I would love to win the Kentucky Derby (G1). That’s a big goal. It’s a special race and it’s very difficult to do. But it’s even more special as a guy from Kentucky. It’s a race that a lot of people have never run, and if I can do that, that would be something big.
