Report: Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard dies at 82

Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard died Sunday at his Florida home at age 82 from complications from late-stage Lyme disease, Thoroughbred Daily News reported.

Sheppard began training in 1966 and retired from racing in 2021 after setting the National Steeplechase Association's record for wins by a trainer, with 1,242, and earnings of almost $25 million on the jumps circuit, according to the report.

He also excelled in Thoroughbred training, winning at least one race at Saratoga for 47 straight years, according to the report.

Among his multiple graded-stakes wins, he won the 2009 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with Informed Decision and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2008 with Forever Together.

He also developed other trainers, including former assistants Graham Motion, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup with Animal Kingdom; Leslie Young, last year's champion steeplechase trainer with 37 wins; and Keri Brion, leading jumps trainer for 2022 by earnings, with more than $1.1 million in purses, according to the report.

Sheppard is survived by his wife and three children from previous marriages, according to the report. Funeral services will be private, with a celebration of his life to be held later.