Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Howard will return to the training ranks this winter at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where he will oversee a 16-horse string as private trainer for CamHaven Farms, the racing and breeding operation of Tony and Shirley Camilleri.
Howard, 77, retired from training in 2021 after more than four decades on his own, a career highlighted by 1990 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall, 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, and 2000 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Status. Since stepping away from his own stable, Howard has remained active on the backstretch, first assisting Shug McGaughey and more recently working with Paul McGee.
"Tony and Shirley are good people, they want to do things the right way, and they've got some nice horses to work with," Howard said. "The opportunity to work privately with one owner really appealed to me. I'm excited about it. It feels like a good fit."
CamHaven has expanded its presence in recent years at Woodbine and Fair Grounds while investing in young horses, breeding stock and racing prospects. The Camilleris most recently worked with trainer Steve Flint, who served as the operation's primary trainer before retiring in 2025.
Howard has won more than 1,200 races during his career and his work at Fair Grounds includes multiple victories in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Risen Star Stakes (G2) and New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2). That body of work earned him induction into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.
Howard plans to arrive Nov. 1 in New Orleans. The 2026-27 Fair Grounds meet opens Nov. 19, when Howard is expected to begin the next chapter of his training career at a track that has long been one of his racing homes.
