Tony Dutrow, has spent nearly five decades in the horse racing industry. Fifty years of early mornings, long days, and quiet dedication all for the love of the horse. If you ask anyone in racing, they’ll tell you the same thing: Tony Dutrow isn’t just a great trainer. He’s one of the best.

He’s at the track by 4:00 a.m., every single day, no matter the weather, no matter the season. He doesn’t talk much about what he’s accomplished and he’s accomplished plenty but his results speak louder than words ever could.

To most, he is the steady hand behind some of racing’s finest horses. To me, he’s the heartbeat of our family’s legacy the power behind the machine. He’s quiet, reserved, deeply focused. Thankfully, my mom, Kim, balances him perfectly.

Kim Dutrow

If Tony is the engine, then his wife, Kim Dutrow, is the spark that keeps it all running. Around the barns, she’s known simply as Kimmy, but to our family, she’s the superhero of Team D the official name of our family operation.

Kim’s day starts before most people’s alarms go off. She helps open and close the barn every day a job that would easily earn her a feature on Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs. She does it all: mucking stalls, grooming horses, organizing the crew, and making sure every horse gets exactly what it needs.

But her work doesn’t end there. She also finds good homes for horses after their racing careers are over, giving them a second chance to live peaceful, happy lives.

People who meet her for the first time see her energy and humor she’s outgoing, full of life, and never afraid to talk to anyone. What they don’t always realize right away is that she’s also one of the toughest, hardest-working people in the business. She’s our one-woman PR team, our voice, and the reason so many people know the name Team D.

Anthony Dutrow

Then there’s Anthony, who took a different but equally essential path in this world: he became a blacksmith or farrier, as we call it in the business.

He’s been shoeing horses for over ten years, and to be clear, this isn’t the kind of blacksmith work you’d call for fixing a gate or crafting a key. His work is about balance, precision, and nerve.

There’s an old saying at the track: “You have to be crazy to ride a racehorse, and insane to get under one.” That’s Anthony’s life every day. It’s dangerous work being under a thousand-pound athlete who doesn’t always want to stand still but it’s also one of the most vital roles in all of racing.

Tony once trained a horse called The Big Beast, who stood over 18 hands tall and weighed more than 1,300 pounds. That horse could have crushed someone without even trying. Yet there was Anthony, calm and confident, working beneath him with absolute focus. It’s not a job for the faint of heart and that’s what makes him so good at it.

James Dutrow

James has always been the quiet force in the background steady, capable, and one of the most naturally gifted horsemen I’ve ever seen.

He helps Kim manage the barns, making sure everything runs smoothly from sunup to sundown. When he’s not helping at our own barn, he is bartending at 9 Maple and Tap and barrel in Saratoga Springs.

James also spent years managing restaurants at the Saratoga Race Course, blending his hospitality skills with his love for the track. Though his professional path has leaned toward the bar side of the industry, he’s a natural around horses. They sense calmness, trust, and sincerity and James has all three.

Horses either love you or they don’t. And for whatever reason, they absolutely love him. Personally, I hope he keeps finding ways to bring that gift into his life’s work, because people like him are rare and horses know it.

So that’s us —

Team D. 

We’re not just a family; we’re a team built on early mornings, late nights, and a shared love for the animals that make this sport what it is. Each of us brings something different to the table — Dad’s focus, Mom’s heart, Anthony’s grit, James’s calm — but together, we move as one.

Horse racing isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. It’s in our conversations at dinner, in the smell of hay on our clothes, in the rhythm of our lives.

And while every day at the track is unpredictable, one thing has always remained constant: our family’s belief that hard work, compassion, and respect for the horse will always lead the way.

There you have it. You’re all caught up with how our team works for the most part. Now, let’s dive in.