Report: Kimmel will retire from training, focus on sales

After four decades of training, John Kimmel will run his final horses this weekend at Aqueduct.

Kimmel's retirement from training was reported Monday by Bill Finley of Thoroughbred Daily News. According to the report Kimmel is not leaving horse racing entirely, but shifting to focus on his bloodstock work instead.

In a training career dating back to 1984, Kimmel has amassed an 8,732: 1,449-1325-1,162 record and over $71.5 million in purse earnings. Three horses earned over $1 million in his barn: multiple Grade 1 winner Premium Tap earned over $2.5 million, shock 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold earned $1.5 million and hardy New York-bred Mr. Buff earned $1.4 million.

While he was training, Kimmel was also active at the sales, buying horses for his clients. He purchased Premium Tap for $60,000 as a 2-year-old. Other Grade 1 winners he both purchased and trained included Catinca, Flat Fleet Feet and Twist Afleet.

More recently, Kimmel has expanded to working more publicly in bloodstock. He and bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto signed the ticket for Chancer McPatrick, who went on to win both the Champagne (G1) and the Hopeful (G1) for trainer Chad Brown and owner Flanagan Racing. According to the TDN report, he plans to continue working closely with Sallusto.

Kimmel has two horses entered Saturday at Aqueduct. Shadyside in entered in a conditioned-claiming dirt sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs, the sixth race on the day. In Saturday's ninth, a first-level allowance at seven furlongs on dirt, Kimmel sends out Protected.