Report: Moquett keeps stable going strong despite autoimmune disease

Last year trainer Ron Moquett had his best season yet, picking up 64 wins and $3.4 million in earnings. He’s on track to surpass his record this year, even while battling the autoimmune disease atypical sarcoidosis, which caused him to miss Whitmore’s big score in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap at Oaklawn Park, according to the Daily Racing Form.

Moquett, 46, is keeping the stable rolling thanks to his assistant trainers, and keeping himself going with specialists. Atypical sarcoidosis can make it hard to breathe by affecting the lungs and also prevents Moquett from being in large crowds.

The illness hit about a month ago and he is currently on three medications, including high doses of the corticosteroid, prednisone.

“The hard part is over,” Moquett told DRF. “I’m improving every day. Today is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today.”

With the conclusion of the Oaklawn meet, Moquett’s stable is now divided between Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Prairie Meadows, where his wife Laura, former trainer Ronny Werner and former jockey Greta Kuntzweiler are in charge of the horses.

Moquett trained four other winners in addition to Whitmore on last Saturday’s Oaklawn card and had three winners closing day. The victories positioned him as the 15th highest earning trainer in North America for 2018.

Moquett told DRF his long-term prognosis remains unknown, but that "I already feel a lot better." He's already planning for the future with a New York string in the plans for his barn's stakes horses.