Coach Pat Kelly, who has been slowly bringing down his New York-based stables for several years, has officially retired as a coach after 45 years of competition.
Kelly, 75, said: “There were so many other hats that I wore in New York so we were ready to do all the other things.” But now the time has come. I’m still lucky enough to play golf. I don’t feel 75 years old, so I’ll enjoy it when I can.”
Kelly, son of late coach Tommy “TJ” Kelly, said he never thought of another career. He attended the University of Miami so he could go for a weekend walk for his father at Hialeah Park.
“I thought about a few other things but this is a natural process,” he said, noting that his younger brothers Larry, Tim and Dan, and an older sister, Patricia, are all was involved in the business. Larry used to be a trainer and now works as a horse carrier. Dan helped his father at Calder Racecourse and later became a launch assistant. Tim is currently the safety manager for the New York Racing Association, and Patricia used to help the horses at Racecourse Saratoga.
“It’s a family tradition. In our group it’s the Kellys and the horses and that’s about it,” he said.
Kelly has reassured graded 50 bet winners over her career, including stipulating tier 1 stars like evening dress , risk , Christiecat and Live Oak Plantation’s half-brother annoying song And Magnificent solar energy.
Since 1977, he’s won 8,795 hailed starts in the 877-time winner’s ring. His runners took part in another 2,073 races en route to a total of $42,399,845.
Kelly’s last racehorse proved to be a testament to his lifelong contributions to the racing community. fight with lucy 7 year old daughter of musket man , recently became the 1,000th horse to be retired by New York’s LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP program, for which Kelly serves on the board. The program was created in 2013 by late trainer Rick Violette to assist owners and trainers at NYRA tracks in finding post-accredited care for their horses. LEADING LEADERSHIP acts as a liaison between horsemen and women as well as aftercare organizations, gathering the necessary information, diagnostics and paperwork about each horse, then finding a position with a partner approved by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and arrange transportation from the track.
Taking care of all the horses and horseback workers has long been as important to Kelly as the racehorses he looks after. He is a trustee to the Backstretch Retirement Fund and has also served on the board of the New York Thoroughbred Riders Association since 1990, when the organization was part of the Horsemen’s Protection and Benevolence Association. .
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years to work with some really good horses and some great people,” says Kelly. “Without people, you can’t train horses. You can’t just close the mill for a few days; it’s a seven-day-a-week job.”
Kelly and his 43-year-old wife, Karen, will spend the winter at their home in Miami Springs and plan to return to New York for the summer.
“I have a one-and-a-half year old niece at Flower Park, so we’ll be around,” he said.
