Woodford Thoroughbreds has launched a public training division at CloverLeaf Farms II, its sister farm located in Reddick, FL. Longtime horseman John Dowd has been appointed trainer, and the outfit looks to begin accepting horses this summer.

“We are excited to add John to our team,” said Matt Lyons, General Manager of Woodford and Cloverleaf. “I have known John for over 10 years, he is an excellent horseman and his integrity in the industry is undoubted. He has all the qualities that we look for at Woodford.”

Woodford Thoroughbreds, which currently operates a commercial breeding farm in Versailles, KY, also plans to utilize the training division to prepare some of its young horses for the two-year-old in training sales, and potentially some pinhooking and racing ventures in the future.

Dowd, a long-time trainer on both the racetrack and farm, is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I'm extremely excited to come on board with such a top-class outfit like Woodford Thoroughbreds,” Dowd said. “As a trainer, you want to have the opportunity to work with quality horses and a quality operation. The facilities at CloverLeaf Farms II are first class, it's a great layout for training horses.”

A New Jersey native, Dowd is a second-generation horseman best known for training Grade 1 winner Songandaprayer during his days as a public trainer on the racetrack. He was a perennial Top 5 trainer in New Jersey in the 90s and early 2000s before moving to Ocala in 2005, where he's worked as a farm trainer and most recently for Ocala Breeders' Sales Company.

The Woodford Thoroughbreds training division will be a full-service training program looking to manage up to 100 horses. Services offered include breaking, training, rehabilitation, lay-ups and two-year-old in training sales preparation & representation. For more information, contact John Dowd at (732) 598-6043 or Matt Lyons at (859) 361-1647.