Jerry Dixon Jr., the famed groom of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Rich Strike during the 2022 Triple Crown season, has taken the next step in his career as a trainer.
"It's a dream come true," Dixon said. "After Rich Strike won the Derby, that was my inspiration to go out and start training for myself. One day I woke up in the morning and thought, 'You know what, I think today is the day.'"
After leaving the Eric Reed team following Rich Strike's run in the 2022 Belmont Stakes (G1), Dixon had been working full-time for a variety of trainers at Belterra Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now as a trainer, Dixon and his fiancé, Brittany Pierce, manage a three-horse stable at the track and hope to receive stalls at Turfway Park this winter.
"I'm taking this transition one day at a time," Dixon said. "It still feels like yesterday where I'm working for other people. Now it's a better feeling that I'm working for myself. I get to make the decision of where the horses go, where they belong, how they train. I'm looking forward to potentially getting more owners and better horses, but everybody has to start somewhere."
Dixon has saddled three starters since his training debut Aug. 22, but the fourth start will be the biggest yet. On Sept. 12, Dixon returns to the site of his greatest victory with Moonstrike, a 4-year-old colt owned by Pierce and Marie Orihood, in the fourth race for $20,000 claimers on the opening night of Churchill Downs' September meet.
"I love him in the spot that he's in," Dixon said. "He has a big heart, he's very competitive. I think we could actually shock everyone."
Shocking everyone at Churchill Downs is nothing new to Dixon. Not only was Rich Strike the second-biggest longshot to win the Derby at odds of 80-1, but he also drew into the race off the also-eligible list a few minutes before his Friday morning scratch deadline.
Dixon recalled how nervous he felt realizing he had a horse in the Derby that morning and the quietness of Rich Strike that quickly turned into the fire that led the Keen Ice colt to victory.
"Once it was closer to race time, he made this crazy sound," Dixon recalled. "Squealing, reared up in the air, he knew it was race time."
Dixon described the walk over from the backstretch to the paddock as a dream.
"I don't remember walking, it felt like we were gliding," Dixon said. "To see him cross the finish line, I still cry when I watch the replay. To be around a horse like that and see him run his best race, couldn't ask for anything better."
It didn't take long for Dixon to become a star amongst racing and sports fans who were left in awe by the monumental upset once they saw his emotional celebration and admiration for the Derby winner. However, the special bond the two shared was not immediate from the start.
"In the beginning we never got along," Dixon said. "Richie is going to do whatever Richie wanted to do. You had to give him leeway to see if he'll come back to you.
"Once I was around him at the farm long enough working with him one-on-one, hands-on, I got to learn that he's really a pushy horse but if you talk to him and show him some attention, he'll let you do whatever."
Now, Dixon is back at Churchill Downs, an important place for the Dixon family. A fourth-generation horseman, Dixon's great-grandfather and uncle brought their sons and nephews to Churchill Downs, an experience Dixon first received around the age of 8. At the time, Dixon couldn't stand the smell of the stable area and never envisioned a career in the industry. As he got older, his appreciation and passion for the horses made him realize he wanted to stay in the family business.
"(Winning at Churchill Downs) will let me know that I've finally arrived, that I'm at the scene," Dixon said. "Let me know all the hard work paid off getting there. I feel blessed and privileged to be running at Churchill, that place is near and dear to my heart."
Video
