By Taylor Barraclough
Racehorses are often remembered for their speed figures wins, and earnings. What happens to these athletes after their final start is frequently overlooked, but for I Love Jaxson, retirement marked the start of his second success story.
I Love Jaxson was bred, foaled and raised at Saratoga Glen Farm. In 2017, my mother, Kathy Barraclough, decided to become a trainer after years of exercise riding. I Love Jaxson became one of the first horses she broke and trained.
“Jaxson was a late bloomer who I thought would be overlooked at sales,” she said. “He was out of my favorite Smarty Jones mare, who had good conformation and a very classy attitude, so if I needed horses to fill my barn, why not him?”
With consistent conditioning and successful morning works, he was noticed by Robert Terrill and was sold privately to him as a 2-year-old.
I Love Jaxson began his racing career in 2017, breaking his maiden first time out. He raced for seven years, retiring in 2023 with 49 starts, 13 wins and earnings of $396,148.
Of those 49 races, 39 were claiming or allowance-optional claiming. He was owned by four different stables, moving regularly from barn to barn and working under five trainers on eight racetracks. With every new claim came a new stall at a new barn, all provided care, but none offered permanence.
When I Love Jaxson retired, he was brought back to our farm so that we could find him a new home as an off the track Thoroughbred (OTTB). Over time, we have built relationships with equine professionals who specialize in giving retired racehorses a second career. Lauren Zimmer-Keyser of Crowned Queen Acres is one multifaceted professional who has restarted several OTTBs from our farm, including “Jaxson.”
I Love Jaxson found a new role as a well-loved riding horse. At just six months of restarting, and an unexpected circumstance of a sore lesson horse, Jaxson stepped in to be a trusted ride for an inexperienced 12-year-old girl. His easygoing personality and forgiving nature have now made him irreplaceable in the barn. He specializes in teaching young riders the fundamentals of both English and Western riding. He also participates in trail rides and fox hunts, during which he has even had the honor of being chosen as the huntsman, the role of being the group leader and hound manager.
“Jaxson knows his job is to take care of riders, and he takes it very seriously,” Zimmer-Keyser said.
Most trainers are reluctant to put young riders on OTTBs, but Jaxson has proven his reliability and consistency, qualities translated from his time on the racetrack.
I Love Jaxson’s story is a reminder that a racehorse’s value does not end when they pass the grandstand for the final time. With thoughtful aftercare and willingness, an OTTB can move beyond a life of temporary stalls and find a place they can permanently call their home.
Taylor Barraclough is a sophomore pursuing a degree in animal science at Cornell University.
