Barn Tour: Steadily improving Danner updates on 10 runners

Kelsey Danner is clearly on an upward trajectory.

She went out on her own in 2017 with eight starts, and she steadily built her stable to the point where last year she had $3.6 million in earnings and 370 starters.

“I had a really good year last year and the year before as well,” Danner told Horse Racing Nation this week. “I kind of have a good barn of clients right now and horses, so that helps.”

She has about 90 horses in training this winter. “I probably had that last summer, but I usually don't have that much going into the winter.”

Danner also was one of 10 trainers who posted flat-bet profits for their backers in 2025, and she had the best return on investment, 24.3%, among the 185 trainers last year with at least 250 starts, earning her HRN’s title of Bettors’ Best Friend. “That was pretty cool,” she said.

Danner moved her winter operations to Turfway Park last year. “I think it's a really good surface to train on,” she said. “I feel like a lot of the babies kind of make it to the races, and the older grass horses like it. So it's probably helped me, not missing out as much on as many turnouts and stuff like that.”

Danner provided updates on her recent winners and runners with upcoming starts for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

3-year-olds

Exosome. This 3-year-old Candy Ride colt was ninth in his August debut then returned in October to win his only other career start. He’s entered in the Grade 3 Lecomte on Saturday at Fair Grounds. “He's a nice, classy colt. He's missed time for small things like eye ulcers and stuff like that twice now. But he's a nice colt, and I'm glad to see him back in the traces. He's doing really well right now. It's a big ask, but I want to keep him on the dirt.”

Jutland. A 3-year-old colt by Raging Bull, he won his debut in July but is 0-for-5 since with three runner-up efforts, including last out in an optional-claiming allowance at Turfway. His six starts have come at different tracks, and he’s entered in the Leonatus Stakes on Saturday. “Jutland’s been really consistent on hitting the board, he’s ran all over the place. Doing well. It's obviously another big ask, but he handled the Tapeta fine last time.”

Ground Support. The 3-year-old Army Mule filly was Danner’s only graded-stakes winner last year, scoring in the Miss Grillo (G2) after also winning her debut. Then she was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, her most recent start. “We gave her some time off after the Breeders’ Cup. She's got a couple more weeks left in the field, and then she'll be back next month. She'll probably try to aim for some of the summer races, turf races. She's super nice, really.”

Map of the Moon. This 3-year-old filly by Liam’s Map is 3-for-3, most recently scoring in the black-type Gowell Stakes at Turfway on New Year’s Day. “She won nicely the other night. I'm going to stretch out after this. That was kind of the plan anyway. So most likely the, Herecomesthebride (G3) next month at Gulfstream.”

Gnome. A 3-year-old Tapiture colt, he broke his maiden Jan. 2 at Turfway in his sixth start. He’s entered in an optional-claiming allowance Thursday. “Nice colt, trying to keep him sprinting again. But he's doing well. … He likes to get seconds. He had some rough trips. He wasn't very good breaking from the gate, so it kind of always got him into some traffic problems as well. But he had some decent excuses. But I do think that he had worked really well in Tapeta last spring when he came in, and I do think he likes the Tapeta.”

American Summer. This 3-year-old Constitution filly was bred by the late Brereton Jones and is owned by his estate. She’ll debut Thursday in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Turfway after working at the track since October. “She's a nice filly. Her last breeze was really good (four furlongs in a bullet 47.80). We put her behind company. She finished up well. Probably bred to go a little bit longer, but right now I'm going to keep her sprinting for the first race. But she's a pretty nice filly, she's a pretty quick filly, so I think she'll run well.”

Older horses

Baby Max. This 4-year-old son of Maximus Mischief won last year’s Leonatus and was second in the Mike Battaglia Memorial but then was 10th in the Jeff Ruby (G3). He returned in August, finishing eighth in an optional claimer and then won a Friday allowance at Turfway. “Babymax ran really nice the other night. Took the blinkers off. I think he was too fresh in the last start off the bench and just faded. So hopefully find something next month, probably going to try to keep him at Turfway. … He got a really bad laceration in the Jeff Ruby, down the back of his tendon. And that took a while to heal up. And then once that healed up, then he had another lameness issue come up. So it just took a while to get him back. But I think now, he's been really happy, really good. I ran him back at Churchill, trying to get him a race in before Turfway, and like I said, he went fast and just didn't finish on me. He was a little too fresh.”

Brindi. This 4-year-old filly by No Nay Never won two stakes at Woodbine last spring but is 0-for-4 since and has been on a break since October. “She’s just galloping now. She probably won't be ready til like the March of Turfway.”

Vote No. The 5-year-old gelding by Divisidero joined Danner’s barn after being claimed in March and one his first two starts in her care. Then he finished off the board in three graded stakes, with his best effort coming in the United Nations (G2), where he finished fourth and earned a 127 HRN speed figure. He also is entered in the E.R. Bradley for his first start since September. “He won the 2x at Indiana, came back and won the (Cape Henlopen) stake at Delaware. He ran really well, I thought, at Monmouth, and then we got a little probably too ambitious for him. And I just decided to give him some time out in the field. He stays a little light on me so trying to get some weight on him.”

Otago. The 6-year-old son of Speightstown is looking for his first win since May and is entered in the Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday. He was second in the Artie Schiller Stakes in August on turf during the Belmont at the Big A meet and seventh last out in the Prairie Bayou at Turfway. “He ran really good at Aqueduct and then not as great on the Tapeta the other night. Not the best of trips, but it would be nice to see him back on the grass. It's supposed to be dry this weekend, but if it came off, he would be fine as well.”