Kelly Breen was born May 13, 1969 in Perth Amboy, N.J. He is a thoroughbred race horse trainer. He currently resides in Farmingdale, N.J. with his wife Melissa; daughter Tiffany, 8, and son Kelly Jr., 4.
Racing Background:
Breen was a high school soccer player and wrestler in Old Bridge, N.J. who was introduced to the track at age 13 while attending the races with his father, Jackie … Breen aspired to be a jockey, wrestling at the 90-pound weight class as an early teen, and took riding lessons and mucked stalls at a neighbor’s farm … He grew nearly six inches over the winter at age 16 and outgrew his dreams of race riding, but went to the track as an exercise rider before becoming an assistant trainer by age 18 with Walter Reese.
Racing Career:
Saddled his first winner in 1992 and kicked around with a tiny, but high-percentage, stable for a few years before going back to work as an assistant to Ben Perkins Sr. from 1994-2000. When Ben Sr. retired in 2000, and Ben Jr. took over training duties for the New Farm runners in the stable, Breen decided to give training a go on his own for good … While with Perkins, he galloped top sprinters Meritocrat, Appealing Skier, Forest Wildcat and Confide – all graded stakes winners who ran their way to Breeders’ Cup Sprint appearances. … Breen is stabled at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park, where he was the leading trainer in both 2005 and 2006 ... Earned the 2006 training title with 40 victories, two more than he recorded the previous year ... Won 56 races in 2006, but pushed his earnings to slightly more than $2.1 million ... Pulled off a rare feat on Aug. 28, 2007 when he saddled an entry of Presidential Thoroughbreds’ Second Collection and Findee’s Keepee’s and the two horses finished in a dead-heat for first in the second race at Monmouth Park ... Breen trains mainly for Lori and George Hall, who own Breeders' Cup Juvenile hopeful West Side Bernie, winner of the G3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile in 2008, and Presidential Thoroughbreds ... Has yet to saddle a starter in the Breeders’ Cup ... His top horses have included 2006 Astoria Stakes winner Desire To Excel and 2008 Astoria winner Bold Union, Praying for Cash, who in 2006 won the G3 Long Branch Breeders’ Cup and was second in the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1), and Appealing Spring, winner of the 2007 Bergen County Stakes. ... He also trained Eternal Grace, who finished second in the 2006 Sorority (G3) at Monmouth, and True Addiction, who was second in the G2 Adirondack at Saratoga in 2006 ... Captured the 2005 Sorority with Keeneland Kat, who was later retired and bred to Ghostzapper ... Through October 5, 2008, he has won 26 races from 97 starts for $908,520 in earnings. ... In his spare time, Breen enjoys a round of golf. He is a 5-handicap.
