Trainers

A former assistant of Brad Cox, Brittany went out on her own in 2018 when she got her career off to a great start as her first starter became her first winner.

Now one of the leading trainers in Maryland, Brittany trains several horses for Ten Strike, including the stakes winning Whereshetoldmetogo.

Matt Shirer, a Cleveland, Ohio native, started working on the track at Thistledown during the summers in college. Matt graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science and went to work full time at Thistledown Race Track. After several years Matt took a job as Barn Foreman for Kenny McPeek at Churchill Downs shortly thereafter taking over assistant for Kenny’s main string of horses at Churchill Downs. Matt worked for Mcpeek for 3 years at several prestigious tracks around the country, including Saratoga Race Course, Churchill Downs and Oaklawn Park. During his time at McPeek’s Matt was fortunate enough to be able to work with Graded Stakes horses such as Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet winner PURE FUN. Grade 1 Ashland winner ROSALIND and Grade 1 Travers winner GOLDEN TICKET. Matt was also able to work with Kentucky Derby participants FRAC DADDY and JAVA’S WAR. Feeling that he was ready for a new challenge, Matt took out his trainers license in November 2015 at Churchill Downs and started his own public stable. Matt’s first win came in an Allowance race at Turfway Park only one month after taking out his trainers license in December of 2015.

Juan Carlos Guerrero is a very important part of the Ten Strike Racing team. He operates Ten Strike’s Parx string and brought home the leading owners title for 2016.

He trains Stakes horses Lucky Move and Red Portal Creek and does an excellent job with attention to detail and developing the best program possible for each horse.

Lacey Gaudet is a thoroughbred trainer, born and raised in Maryland. She is a product of longtime Mid Atlantic trainers, Eddie and Linda Gaudet and while being brought up in the industry by her parents, her background in the sport includes working for trainers such as Helen Pitts, Thomas Albertrani, and Allen Iwinski as an assistant trainer.

Gaudet took over the family operation after her fathers retirement in 2011, which was highlighted by Concealed Identity, a multiple stakes winner who earned a berth into the Preakness Stakes. She takes a hands on approach with her stable being an Exersice rider herself and benefits from having her mother as her right hand in the daily operation.

In 2016, Gaudet had a breakthrough year on the Maryland racing circuit, finishing the Fall meet in the top 10 trainers, which included two stakes wins, her first three win day, and was topped off by a win in Gulfstream Park’s Claiming Crown in December.

Cox grew up a few blocks from Churchill Downs and earned an advanced degree in racing education under the famed Twin Spires (though one might think he was a graduate of the University of Kentucky with all the athletic garb he wears regularly). He broke into the game working for trainers Burt Kessinger and Jimmy Baker before landing a job as assistant to trainer Dallas Stewart. His five-year stint there indoctrinated him to the revolutionary training program pioneered by D. Wayne Lukas and has been passed down through former assistants like Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin and Stewart.

Once setting out on his own in 2005, Cox needed to be sharp to get established with a small stable. He identified Oaklawn in 2009 as a place to build momentum and get rolling with horses he picked out through claiming races at the end of Churchill’s fall meet. Since then he has been a solid force in the trainer standings at Oaklawn, closing out the 2012 meet 3rd in the standings and in the top 10 at Churchill Downs Spring meet in 2011 and 2012.

In recent years, Cox has broken out, winning two Breeders’ Cup races in 2019 before taking home four Breeders’ Cup wins in 2020. Cox trains Ten Strike standouts Warrior’s Charge, Dot Matrix, Lady Rocket and Swill.

Cox resides in Louisville with his wife Livia and their sons Bryson, Blake and Brodie.