Trainer Greg Foley earns 500th Churchill Downs win Saturday

Veteran horseman Greg Foley reached a career milestone Saturday at Churchill Downs when No Time Left broke her maiden in Race 3 to give him his 500th victory at the Louisville racetrack.

The win tied Foley with Bernie Flint for eighth on the track's all-time wins list.

Foley's career at Churchill spans more than four decades. He won his first race beneath the twin spires with Sky Light Princess on April 27, 1981.

"Churchill Downs has always been home," Foley said. "To win 500 races here is really special. It's a credit to all the horses, owners and people around me who've made it possible."

Foley joins a prestigious group of trainers atop the Churchill leaderboard. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen leads the all-time standings with 992 wins, followed by Dale Romans (827), Bill Mott (795), Kenny McPeek (592), Tom Amoss (585), Mike Maker (564) and D. Wayne Lukas (562). Foley and Flint are tied in eighth with 500 wins apiece, ahead of Brad Cox with 497.

A Grade 1-winning trainer, Foley has started nearly 10,000 horses in his career and saddled 1,577 winners who amassed more than $42 million in earnings. His graded stakes victories include three with fan-favorite Sconsin, most notably her win in the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) on Kentucky Derby Day in 2020. He also trained Major Fed and O Besos, who ran in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Kentucky Derby, respectively. Most recently, he achieved his first Grade 1 victory with Troubleshooting in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes.

Foley's stable remains a family operation. His late father, Dravo, trained for decades after starting as a jockey, and Greg's son, Travis, serves as assistant trainer. His sister, Vicki, a former trainer, works as an assistant in the barn as well.

"I don't think I'll ever get as many wins as Steve Asmussen," Foley said. "Maybe I can get to Lukas. There are some really good trainers on this list."