Down the Shedrow with Johnny Burke

[Wandering Eyes]

The constellation of stars in Johnny Burke's barn at Keeneland has shifted now that champions Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Immersive (Nyquist), as well as 2025 GI Kentucky Oaks victress Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), have shipped south to Payson Park, but the shedrow is just as busy as ever. For Burke, the departure of an elite trio simply makes room for the next wave of talent.

Burke, who trained publicly out of The Thoroughbred Center for 15 years, has headed up Godolphin's pre-training and rehabilitation program at Keeneland since 2006. The first group that came through featured multiple Grade I winners Cocoa Beach (CHI) (Doneraile Court) and Music Note (A.P. Indy). The latter's legacy came full circle for Burke when he handled her son, 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). Fellow Darley roster-mates Highland Falls, Maxfield, Cody's Wish and Proxy are a few other notable pupils from recent years.

The Godolphin horses that pass through Burke's barn arrive with a wide variety of credentials. Some are unraced prospects needing a few extra months before heading to their racing stable while others are getting back under tack after surgery or injury. Seasoned veterans like the trio of Grade I winners that just departed from Burke's care use the program to ease back into the rhythm of daily training after a layoff.

“For most of the horses that come through here, it's just a matter of them needing more time,” explained Burke. “This helps them develop a bit and they're really never off the track unless they're in a paddock for a month. It all benefits the horse in the end.”

Burke took the TDN down the shedrow of his Rice Road barn, offering an encyclopedic breakdown of every trainee in his care. He highlights some of the notable graded stakes winners who are set to return to the starting gate in 2026 and a few unraced 3-year-olds who Burke believes possess the raw talent for a bright future.

 

 

FIRST RESORT (c, 4, Uncle Mo — Fair Maiden, by Street Boss). Winner of 2024 GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in his most recent start.

This horse just came in off a layoff. He'd been out for some time, had a little bit of an issue, but he's back training. He had a very authoritative win in the Jockey Club, so we thought we were in a good spot, but that's racing. It'll give you a curveball every now and again when you don't expect it.

He's a very straightforward horse. He'll train here until probably March or April and then go back to Eoin Harty. More than likely he'll stay at Turfway for the summer and then ship accordingly. He's doing well, a lot stronger physically, and he's happy to be back in training.

THINK BIG (g, 5, Twirling Candy — Always Thinking, by Street Sense). Winner of the 2025 GII Shakertown Stakes, GII Turf Sprint Stakes and GIII Kelso Stakes.

This guy will go back to Mike Stidham during the meet here. He had a little bit of a setback and got some time off, but he's on the right track now. He's probably going to work here by the end of the month. These turf sprinters don't need a thousand miles of training under them. They're just naturally quick.

He'll probably be hard-pressed to make the spring meet here, but there will be something at Churchill for him and then there's Saratoga, where he ran last year. He's a lot of fun to have in the barn. These sprinters just get better with age.

JEFFERSON STREET (g, 5, Street Sense — Apiary, by Bernardini). Runner-up in the 2024 GII Amsterdam Stakes. Last start October, 2024.

He hasn't quite lived up to his form yet. He came back here and had a little setback. We've gelded him. We don't keep a lot of 5-year-olds in the program, but he will go back to Bill Mott probably after the meet. He's got conditions and if he can win a stake, great.

NASH (g, 5, Medaglia d'Oro — Sara Louise, by Malibu Moon). Runner-up in the 2024 GIII Lecomtes Stakes and GII Pat Day Miles Stakes. Last start September, 2025.

Nash will go back to Brad Cox soon. He's graded stakes placed and has won four times. I think there are still some good miles under this guy.

INFINITE SKY (f, 3, Not This Time — Sky Painter, by Street Cry {Ire}). Runner-up in the 2025 GII Jessamine Stakes. Sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Half-sister to Grade I winner Wet Paint (Blame).

We ended up taking a chip out of her knee and she got some time off. She's just come back under tack and she'll go to Brad Cox during the spring meet.

ROSE ROOM (f, 3, Ghostzapper — Speckled, by Street Cry {Ire}). Broke maiden at Delaware Park on 8-7-25. Fourth in Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes in her most recent start.

This is Mike Stidham's. She was fourth in a stake at Kentucky Downs and then got turned out. She just needed some time. She'll get better with age and will go back to Mike here in the spring. She's probably a stakes-caliber filly at somewhere like Colonial Downs.

SPIN A TUNE (f, 3, Hard Spun — Desert Tune, by Street Cry {Ire}). Broke maiden at Ellis Park on 8-1-25.

This is an interesting filly. She ran against the boys in her maiden at Ellis Park going five and a half on the grass. It turns out [future stakes winner] Street Beast (Street Sense) was second and the horse that won, Twilight Delight (Twirling Candy), ended up being stakes placed for Daniel Leitch, so that tells you what she ran into in that maiden race.

She needed time off and will go back to Eoin Harty probably for the spring meet. This is a nice filly. The Hard Spun fillies are normally very tough and hardy.

ZAMBONI (f, 3, Nyquist — Synchronize, by Tapit). Second on debut at Ellis Park on 8-22-25. 

This colt was second at Ellis Park in his first start for Brendan Walsh. He was getting ready to run here at Keeneland opening weekend and had a setback in a breeze. He had two screws put in and got three months off. He's back under tack now. Typical of a Nyquist, he's a nice, well-made colt.

ACKLEY (c, 3, Street Boss — Arbol, by Elusive Quality). Third on debut at Fair Grounds on 11-27-25.

This horse just came in from Mike Stidham. He placed down in Fair Grounds. We took a chip out of his ankle and he's been back on the track for about four weeks. He'll go back to Mike probably after the spring meet. Usually if a horse has run a couple times and breezed recently, with five or six weeks for a P1 chip they don't lose a lot of fitness. It won't take long for them to get caught up.

EQUATOR (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Moiety, by Bernardini). Third on debut at Ellis Park on 7-13-25. Last start August, 2025.

This horse had some joint surgery and he's been back in training for the last six weeks. I'm probably going to pick up the pace in the next week. I like this horse. His races on the charts look good and he looks to be a horse that will improve as he gets older.

LADY BROMPTON (f, 3, Street Sense — Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini). Unraced.

This is a half-sister to MGSW Knightsbridge (Nyquist) and a full-sister to Darley stallion Speaker's Corner. She was supposed to go to Florida to Bill Mott on the van that left in January, but she had a bit of a setback here and lost a month of training. It was probably a month that she benefitted from because she was immature, but she's a very nice filly and she's from a great family.

CUTTING EDGE (f, 3, Curlin — Innovate Idea, by Bernardini). Unraced.

This is the half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile). She breezed here this week [three furlongs in :38.40]. She's a nice filly. We gave her plenty of time because she's a typical Curlin where she needs a bit more time, but she's coming together really well.

I expect her to go to Brad Cox during the meet here. I'll get her up to working a half mile before she leaves. That's about as far as I typically breeze them.

RISING MOON (c, 3, Tapit — Shuruq, by Elusive Quality). Unraced.

This colt was supposed to go to Bill Mott's earlier in the summer last year, but unfortunately he had a little setback with Niall Brennan down in Ocala. I've had him for a while but he's doing really well. He's probably three or four weeks away from picking up the pace and then he'll go back to Bill in the spring.

I think we have a little bit of a future with this guy. He's got a lot of the old man in him. He's real professional once he gets on the track and he does his job.

RILEY COVE (c, 3, Into Mischief — Lake Avenue, by Tapit). Unraced.

This colt is by Into Mischief and you can see the old man in him too. He's out of Lake Avenue, who was a pretty decent filly [Grade II winner]. He had some condylar bruising and got some time off. This one is Bill Mott's. He's been back under tack here for the last two weeks. He will train here until the spring and then he may go over to Churchill Downs for the summer.

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