Thoroughbred trainer Dale Romans has long been a man of wise words. Brilliant at conditioning winners and caring for horses, this Louisville native is second on the list of all-time winning trainers beneath the historic twin spires of Churchill Downs. His brilliance, however, is not limited to the race track. A master of the obvious, Dale has produced many fantastic quotes over the years. Saturday, November 30, 2024 was another case in point.

  The apple of every Thoroughbred conditioner’s eye is of course the Kentucky Derby. Anyone connected with a two-year old colt with a semblance of talent this time of year has dreams of the first Saturday in May next Spring. Running 10 furlongs over the Louisville dirt for that blanket of roses is the goal. Only twenty three-year-olds get that chance each year and as has been established during the past 150 runnings, if you can get to the starting gates you got a shot at immortality.

  November 30 was a day dubbed as “Future Stars Saturday”. A race dedicated to the two-year-olds who hope to blossom into the next great thing in the Thoroughbred game. The Ed Brown Stakes was one of those races. Run at 6 ½ furlongs, this is considered a sprint and perhaps a building block for these youngsters as they move forward.

  The crafty Romans sent Keep It Easy to post for the Brown against seven rivals. Knowing this son of Hard Spun has displayed potential, this would be a good test and indeed part of his foundation. Breaking from post seven under veteran rider Corey Lanerie, this grandson of English Channel stalked the pace while remaining in the clear. As the runners turned for home, Keep It Easy stayed outside and powered to the lead. Displaying a burst of speed that can get a trainer’s blood pumping, Keep It Easy opened some veins as he separated  himself from the pack. Rolling towards the wire, Romans’ charge made it look Easy as he won by a widening 5 ¼ lengths.

  After this impressive showing and the winner’s circle photo was snapped, Romans was of course posed the Kentucky Derby question about this talented two-year old. In his infinite wisdom, Dale was completely on point.

  “We are very proud of his effort and of course we know the answer”, mused Romans. “This time of year they are all Kentucky Derby horses until they’re not”.

  Truly words of wisdom from Dale Romans…again.