Skip to main content
Dale Romans
Trainer Bios

Dale Romans

Born: Aug. 14, 1966, in Louisville, Kentucky

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 149
Stakes Wins: 18

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 2004 Whitney at Saratoga with Roses in May
First Stakes Win: 1991 Florence at Turfway Park with Morning Punch
First Graded Stakes Win: 1996 Fall Highweight (G2) at Aqueduct with Victor Avenue
First Career Win: Feb. 15, 1987, at Turfway Park with Miss Mindy

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes


Year

Horse

Finish

2021

Sittin On Go

6th

2020

Attachment Rate

5th

2019

Admire

8th

2019

Moonster

9th

2018

Free Drop Billy

4th

2018

Tiz Mischief

7th

2017

J Boys Echo

4th

2016

Brody's Cause

Won

2016

Cherry Wine

3rd

2014

Medal Count

2nd

2012

Dullahan

Won

2010

Paddy O’Prado

2nd

2010

First Dude

3rd

2008

Halo Najib

7th

2003

Acceptable Venture

5th

At Keeneland


Two-time leading trainer: 2001 Fall and 2002 Fall.

Won first Keeneland race during the 1988 Spring Meet.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 1993 Indian Summer with Little Shocker.

Two wins in Toyota Blue Grass: Brody's Cause (2016) and Dullahan (2012. Both colts won the Breeders' Futurity (G1) the previous year. Also won the Breeders' Futurity with Free Drop Billy (2017) and Dawn of War (2005).

Other Grade 1 wins: 2008 Shadwell Turf Mile with Thorn Song, 2012 First Lady with Tapitsfly and 2013 Shadwell Turf Mile with Silver Max.

Latest stakes win was 2020 Hagyard Fayette (G2) with Mr Freeze.

Father Jerry Romans won 13 races at Keeneland from 1969-1998.

Career


Received 2012 Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding trainer.

Triple Crown win: 2011 Preakness with Shackleford.

Breeders’ Cup wins (3): 2009 Juvenile Fillies Turf with Tapitsfly; 2011 Mile with Court Vision; 2012 Turf with Little Mike. 

North American career earnings exceed $120 million with 2,176 wins through Nov. 28, 2023.

Recorded 2,000th victory Jan. 5, 2019, when he sent out Caroline Lois to win the fifth race at Gulfstream Park. 

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background


Dale worked for his father, trainer Jerry Romans, “from the time I could walk,” he said. “I did everything and was his assistant the last couple of years I worked for him.” Dale was 18 when he took out his trainer’s license.

The elder Romans, who trained on the Kentucky circuit for nearly 35 years, was the leading trainer at Ellis Park twice and at Turfway Park once. He died in November 2000.

Dale bought a 105-acre farm in Central Kentucky and offered his first consignment of four horses at Keeneland’s 2012 September Yearling Sale under Romans Racing and Sales.

His longtime partner is former jockey Tammy Fox, who is an exercise rider for the Romans stable. In 1991, she became the first female rider to compete in the Blue Grass, finishing fourth on Big Courage.