Former Louisville field hockey player Hannah Boyle went from the turf to a career at the racetrack

By Lori Harmon
University of Louisville

The first Saturday in May is traditionally Derby Day – except for this year, when, like so many other events, the annual Run for the Roses was postponed due to the impact of COVID-19.

The first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown takes place at Churchill Downs, which is located a mile away from the University of Louisville and brings viewers from around the world. But for Hannah Boyle, it connects her hometown, her passion for horses and holds a special place in her heart.

Boyle, who played field hockey for the Cardinals from 2011 through 2014, currently resides in Lexington, where she is the Experience Coordinator for Mill Ridge Farm. While she has only been out of school for a relatively short time, she has already gained a wealth of experience and a lifetime of memories.

Growing up in Louisville, Boyle was first introduced to horses while attending Girl Scout camp as a young girl and her appreciation for them continued to grow as she accompanied her grandfather to watch the horses run at Churchill Downs and Ellis Park. After enrolling at UofL, she initially chose to major in justice administration, but felt drawn to switch to equine business after about a year and says its one of the best decisions she’s ever made.

“I had two professors – Professor Tim Capps, who has since passed away, and Terri Burch – they were both instrumental in helping me get into horse racing,” said Boyle. “They knew everything about anything and it was the stories that they had to tell, the information that they had that drew me in.”

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in equine business in 2015, she immediately started her career in the industry working for trainer Kellyn Gorder.

“I started hot walking, which is probably lowest-ranking job on the totem pole,” said Boyle. “One day we were at Churchill Downs, (then assistant-trainer) Johnny Ortiz asked me what I wanted to do and I told him I guessed I wanted to train horses. So, he sent me to Keeneland to shadow the foreman there and learn how the barn is run.”

When she arrived at Keeneland at 4:30 a.m. the next day, the foreman was nowhere to be found. After she called to inquire about him, Boyle was told he had abruptly left the position the night before and that she was now in charge.

“I had been working at the racetrack for three months and I had no idea what I was doing,” she remembers. “That ended up probably being the best thing that happened, because I had to learn super-quickly and figure it out as I went on. I just kind of got thrown into things and it was great – I ended up loving it.”

She began to learn the role of a horse trainer – a job that is often a labor of love with long hours and frequent travel and while they may not always be rewarded with wins on the track, the results are quite often still worthwhile. Boyle would work with as many as 20-30 horses per day, checking their legs for hot spots, assessing for changes in their demeanors, making training charts and establishing if there were any veterinary issues that needed to be addressed.

“I would be up at 4:30 a.m. and some days I wouldn’t leave until 8 p.m. I would always live pretty close, in case I had to get there quickly,” said Boyle. “Non-race days – in Kentucky that would be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – those are the ‘easier’ days. You still have to get up and train them in the mornings, then you can leave for a little bit before going back in the afternoon for feed time, but on race days, you’re pretty much there all day.”

After managing the barn at Keeneland, Boyle moved to Arkansas to run the barn at Oaklawn Track. Eventually, she worked as an assistant trainer for Ron Moquett and had the opportunity to work with 2016 Derby contender Whitmore.

On May 7, 2016, prior to the running of the Derby, Boyle walked Whitmore to the track at Churchill Downs, checking an item off of her bucket list that may have seemed unlikely years before when she was a little girl going to the track with her grandfather.

“It was surreal. Most people dream their whole lives of doing this and here I am, fresh out of college walking over with a Derby horse,” said Boyle. “All eyes are on the horse, people were cheering, cameras flashing and I just kept thinking about how I would watch this moment on TV since I was a little kid and think how cool it would be and here I am right in the middle of it all.

“Fans just get to see the race but it’s incredible how much time and work goes into getting a horse to perform to the best of their ability. Whether they are a Derby horse or a $5K claimer, you have everyone from hot walkers to chiropractors putting in the work for this horse to run a two-minute race. It’s the greatest and proudest feeling knowing you had a small part of that horse’s journey and I couldn’t be more thankful to Ron and Laura Moquett for giving me that opportunity.”

Boyle was also tasked with transporting the horses around the country as they competed in various races. She recounts another memorable moment during that time.

“One of my favorite memories was when I was in New York with Whitmore. He was running in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga and he ended up winning,” she said. “Ron’s wife, Laura (also an assistant trainer) and I were just screaming our heads off when he was coming down the stretch, tears were just rolling down our faces when he crossed the wire first… It was very special.”

In nearly five years as an assistant trainer, Boyle traveled all over the country and lived in Kentucky (Louisville and Lexington), Hot Springs, Arkansas and Saratoga Springs, New York. Boyle credits her background as an athlete, and specifically her time at UofL with being able to handle the rigors of the job.

“Field hockey was the best thing that ever happened to me, because I’m not sure that I would have been able to do it without having the discipline – small things matter,” she said. “I remember when the coaches would stress that it’s the little things that make the difference and this is exactly what happens in the horse racing industry.”

The hours and the travel began to take a toll and after nearly five years working as an assistant trainer, Boyle was ready for a change.

“It’s a tough lifestyle, you’re working seven days a week with no vacation,” she said. “I was moving to a different state every two or three months with very little notice. I decided I wanted something a little more steady.”

Boyle moved back to Louisville and began to work for Humana and while she enjoyed her new job, she felt like something was missing.

“I did that for about a year and it was great, but my passion was with the horses,” said Boyle. “I was used to working seven days a week, then all of a sudden, I had weekends off and I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I got a weekend job working with Mint Julep Tours doing tours of downtown Louisville and that led to my current job at Mill Ridge Farm.”

When asked what advice she would give her younger self, Boyle said: “Follow your passion. I tried to get away from it for a year and it didn’t work. I was drawn back in and I don’t regret a single thing that happened.”