Trainer Greg Foley, a fixture on the Churchill Downs backside for better than 40 years, was represented by his 500th winner beneath the Twin Spires when No Time Left (Not This Time) broke her maiden at third asking at odds of 8-1 Saturday afternoon.
A career-long inhabitant of Barn 11 at the Louisville oval, Foley is now tied for eighth on the track's all-time wins list with Bernie Flint.
“Churchill Downs has always been home,” said Foley, whose first win at the track came on Apr. 27, 1981 with Sky Light Princess. “To win 500 races here is really special. It's a credit to all the horses, owners and people around me who've made it possible.”
Foley has sent out nearly 10,000 starters to date for 1,577 winners and has amassed stable earnings of over $42 million. His best runners include MGSW Sconsin (Include) and GI Kentucky Derby runners Major Fed (Ghostzapper) and O Besos (Orb). He recently won the first Grade I of his career when Troubleshooting (Not This Time) took out the Frankin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
He joins an elite list of trainers near the top of the leaderboard, which is headed by Steve Asmussen's 992 wins. He is followed by Dale Romans (827), Bill Mott (795), Kenny McPeek (592), Tom Amoss (585), Mike Maker (564) and D. Wayne Lukas (562). Foley and Flint are tied in eighth with 500 wins apiece, just ahead of Brad Cox with 497.
“I don't think I'll ever get as many wins as Steve (Asmussen),” Foley joked. “Maybe I can get to Lukas. There are some really good trainers on this list.”
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