Breeders’ Cup Connections: “It’s What We Work For,” Praying Sends Medina Stable To First Breeders’ Cup

Wandering Eyes · October 14

Katey Caddel always knew she'd build a life around horses, but it was the sense of community within the Thoroughbred industry that made her fall in love with racing. The camaraderie, early mornings and shared passion for the sport drew her to the racetrack and kept her there for good.

When trainer Robbie Medina opened his public stable in 2023, Caddel came on board as his assistant trainer and helped build the operation from the ground up. Three years later, the barn is making headlines with Praying (Vekoma), who handed the stable their first ticket to the Breeders' Cup with her win in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland.

For Caddel, it was a full-circle moment at the track where her love of the sport first took hold.

Caddel moved to Lexington with her family when she was two. She started in Pony Club and competed in the sport horse world before earning a degree in Equine Science and Management from the University of Kentucky. During her sophomore year, she took a job in the broodmare division at Juddmonte Farm, where her fascination with racing began to take shape.

“I grew up as a horse crazy girl, but for me it was also the people in racing,” she said. “I segued to being absolutely obsessed with the horse racing industry. I made it through college by the skin of my teeth. Once I got a job in the horse industry, I just wanted to be working in a barn somewhere.”

During one summer in college, Caddel took a job hot walking for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey at Saratoga. She shared a two-bedroom house with four other girls, including two who remain close friends today—bloodstock agent Liz Crow and trainer Lindsay Schultz.

“Lindsay and I shared what was probably supposed to be a closet,” Caddel recalled with a laugh. “We made no money, but had a great time experiencing Saratoga for the first time.”

It was that summer that Caddel first crossed paths with McGaughey's longtime assistant Robbie Medina.

In 2010, she jumped at the chance to hot walk for McGaughey ahead of the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.

“Shug had Air Support running in the Juvenile Turf and Persistently in the Ladies' Classic,” she recalled. “This is how green I was at the time. I called Robbie and asked if Shug needed help. Looking back now and understanding how hard working everybody is, I'm sure there was somebody on Shug's team who probably would have preferred to have been there besides me, but Shug being the class act that he is, he let me tag along as a hot walker and it was great. That was the year that Blame beat out Zenyatta. Zenyatta was stabled in the barn across from us and Goldikova (Ire) was there too. I was totally starstruck.”

Over the next decade, Caddel's career took her through nearly every corner of the Thoroughbred industry. She broke 2-year-olds for Juddmonte and for Niall Brennan in Ocala, worked under Hall of Famer Bill Mott, and gained bloodstock experience with Solis-Litt Bloodstock. Eventually, she found her way back to the racetrack as client liaison for Blackwood Stables.

“I spent almost eight years at Blackwood,” she said. “That's where it kind of came full circle with Robbie. He ended up getting hired as the head trainer there. I worked my way up to his assistant at Blackwood. When he decided to go out on his own, I pivoted and went with him.”

Caddel admits that she's never aspired to train on her own. She prefers the behind-the-scenes work and being part of the day-to-day rhythm of the barn.

“I take a lot of pride this is now our third year and we're trying to build a good staff and a good infrastructure within the business,” she said. “Hopefully we can continue to grow and keep winning good races.”

Medina's stable earned its first graded stakes win in its inaugural year when Liberal Arts (Arrogate) splashed home in the 2023 GIII Street Sense Stakes. Since then, the team has been patiently developing its next star—and this season, they've found one in Praying.

Originally campaigned by Jeff Prunzik, the Vekoma filly broke her maiden last year at Horseshoe Indianapolis before being privately purchased by Newtown Anner Stud Farm and running second in the Myrtlewood Stakes.

This year, Praying kicked off her 3-year-old season with another stakes placing at Oaklawn, but things went awry in her next start at Churchill Downs when she broke through the gate pre-race and was never a factor in the six-furlong contest.

“She's a naturally nervous, on-the-muscle filly who tends to want to do maybe a little more that we would like her to do,” explained Caddel.

All the pieces fell into place in the GIII Prioress Stakes, where Praying was able to keep her pre-race jitters in check and powered to a 3 ½-length win at Saratoga.

Praying wins the GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes | Coady Media

In the Thoroughbred Club of America, which was a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Caddel kept a close watch over Praying in the paddock. Though she was on her toes, the filly stayed composed and ran another strong race, stalking the pace before overtaking MGSW Vahva (Gun Runner).

“We had a lot of confidence going in and it was really great to win,” said Caddel. “This is my home track, so that felt special. Her longtime groom Jose Estrada was here with her, along with her longtime exercise rider Jaime Lopez, so it was nice. It felt like a family. We got to celebrate together.”

Praying now accounts for two of the stable's three graded stakes wins and her score at Keeneland was their first Grade II.

Caddel said the filly is enjoying a brief vacation on the farm at Newtown Anner and will soon return to Keeneland to train up to the Breeders' Cup.

For a young stable, the opportunity to compete at the World Championship meet is a tangible reward for years of hard work.

“Our whole team is so excited,” Caddel said. “It's every barn's dream to compete for a title in a Breeders' Cup race. It's what we work for. I have a wonderful team of people behind me and it just makes all the hard work, the early mornings and the traveling all worth it.”

For Caddel, the most rewarding part isn't just the wins. It's watching her team grow and succeed together and celebrating alongside the people in the industry who have supported her along the way.

“I obviously love horses, but I think I would work with horses no matter what,” she said. “It's definitely this community of people within the Thoroughbred industry that makes it extra special for me. I've been fortunate to work for a lot of really good people. They've given up time to mentor me through the years and I mean, that's what it's all about.”