A trainer’s first win is an exciting and emotional moment for any horseperson. For Stephanie Keeble, her first victory was made even more poignant when it came from a family horse on a special day.
That horse was the 3-year-old filly Waving Sandy Home, named for the late Sandra Laszlo, mother of Keeble’s stepsisters Rebecca and Lee-Ann and a successfu; trainer at Ajax Downs. The Ontario-bred led from start to finish in a 250 yard allowance race worth $14,580 on Mother’s Day, May 10.
“It was our first starter and our first win,” said Keeble, 34. “It was awesome.”
Keeble took over the training of the large stable of runners from her stepfather Greg Watson this year. Watson, a top Quarter Horse trainer at Ajax Downs, and his wife Susan, Keeble’s mother, own Full Circle Farm in Bethany, Ontario.
Keeble has 25 horses in training for 2015 which include eight for Full Circle and others for clients such as Brian and Betty Cummings (Cummings Cattle Co.) and Richard Laszlo.
Horses and racing run deep in the pedigree of Keeble. Her father, Drew Brown, worked as the starting gate chief at Ajax Downs and also worked with Thoroughbreds at Woodbine. Susan worked with Thoroughbreds as well while Greg was active in Quarter Horse racing in the early years of Picov Downs. Keeble was riding three-day eventing from the age of eight and always surrounded herself with horses.
When Keeble left home to join the workforce – she studied human resources in post-secondary education – her mother and new husband Watson had not been in racing for some time but then stepped out and bought the Bethany farm in 2006.
“I joke with them that they waited until I moved out of the house to do that,” said Keeble. “They got back into Quarter Horse racing when the slot machines came in.”
Keeble worked in human resources for a few years out of school and then sold tractors for John Deere until she was drawn back to the horses. For the last eight years she did double duty as a veterinary assistant and assistant for Watson with the racehorses.
“Greg wanted to retire from the training last year,” explained Keeble. “But I didn’t think I was ready so I spent the year learning about the day-to-day training. Quarter Horses don’t need as much galloping as Thoroughbreds and I wanted to figure out a program.”
Keeble, who is married with two young daughters, admits that her first year of training has been “a little stressful” as she developed her own routine with the staff. “Greg is still involved a bit, he helps me out with the gate training which is a two-person job anyway.”
The stable won again on June 7 at Ajax with Dontellmemybusiness, a homebred for Full Circle who won a speed index race under jockey Aron Hunt.
Keeble is also active in social media (follow her on Twitter, @stephkeeble) where you will find plenty of photos of her horses and staff. And if 2015 has not been exciting enough already, Keeble is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Seize the Win, winner of the $417,575 Hialeah Derby in Florida in January. The 3-year-old colt, owned by Glenn and Kelly Graff of Ohio, will be pointed to the Adequan Derby at Ajax Downs on July 12.
Keeble knows that not every trainer gets to start a career with a barnful of good horses but she has put years of hard work towards her goal. “It takes a whole lot of good people around you to make everything work.”
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