Foley, 50, has saddled more than 5,000 runners in his career and counts purse earnings of more than $15.5 million. He holds five individual meet training titles at Turfway, and in 2005 and 2006 led all trainers in number of wins across the track’s three meets for the year. He also holds one training title each from Ellis Park and Churchill Downs.
Focusing primarily on the Kentucky circuit, Foley keeps 40 to 45 horses in training, most divided between Turfway and the Trackside Training Center at Churchill Downs. He also has a small string at Oaklawn Park.
To date Foley has 61 career stakes, including 14 at Turfway and four from the track's days as Latonia. He has been especially successful in recent Winter/Spring meets at Turfway, sweeping the Turfway Prevue, WEBN, and John Battaglia Memorial stakes in 2003 and 2004 with Champali and Silver Minister, respectively. Foley won the Turfway Prevue again in 2006 with Final Copy and in 2007 with Carnack's Choice.
In 2004 Champali took Foley to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I), where he finished seventh. Champali also gave Foley the first of his six graded stakes wins, the Iroquois (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. Other recent Foley standouts include Pleasant Hill, winner of the 2007 Gardenia Handicap (gr. III)) at Ellis Park, and Ellens Lucky Star, who rang up seven stakes wins from 2003 through 2005.
Foley was born in Somerset, Ky., and began his career working with his dad, longtime Kentucky horseman Dravo Foley. He opened his own stable in 1981. His sister, Vickie, also is a trainer.
