I grew up the son of a thoroughbred trainer who raced in Illinois during the summer, and Oaklawn (AZ) and Florida in the winter months.  I started working in the barn when I was 6 years of age, and grew from feeding to mucking stalls to grooming.   I lost connection with the sport when I went to college. Then, upon finishing my degree, I moved to an area that did not have racing.

A banker by trade in my late 20’s, I moved back home and got re-introduced to the sport.  I attended my first Kentucky Derby in 2008, taking a job just outside of Lexington, KY in 2010.  Daily I drove past the famous thoroughbred farms of the industry.  While I always thought I could pick winners, being thrown into this environment only re-fueled my passion for the sport.  After trying unsuccessfully to volunteer for horse organizations (HBPA, Jockey club, etc.), I decided to start publicizing my handicapping thoughts.  I never charged a fee. I did this to help introduce others to the game.

I was introduced to Dr Stephen Sinatra and is wife Jan when a horse they had bred, Desert Party, ran in the 2010 Kentucky Derby.  A few years later I began to write for their website, www.racehorses.com, a column focusing on thoroughbreds training and prepping for the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. That first 2014 column was entitled BabyTalk for the 2-year-olds and 3-years olds making their racing debuts. Now, Derby Details 2020 continues that tradition. 

Taking this the next step, we introduce my 90-second daily video chats for the exciting week leading up to the 2020 September Kentucky Derby. 

Welcome to “Track Talks with Tom Carley”