At the outset of the Monmouth Park meet, Jorge Delgado felt confident that his stable was well-balanced enough to secure back-to-back titles as the track’s top trainer. However, he was surprised when Kelly Breen surged ahead, winning seven of his first nine races in May. It wasn’t until the latter part of the meet that Delgado managed to catch up and eventually overtake Breen, holding a narrow 25 to 22 lead with just two days left in the 48-day meet.
Breen has seven horses slated to run over the final weekend — five of which are scheduled for Saturday’s eight-race card — while Delgado plans to run six horses, splitting them evenly over the last two days. Delgado admitted that Breen’s early dominance was unexpected. “After the first three weeks, that lead was huge, especially in a short meet like this. We knew we had to avoid mistakes and ensure our horses ran in their best-suited spots,” he said. With his younger horses coming into form, Delgado took a race-by-race approach to claw back the deficit.
Unlike last year, when he narrowly defeated Chad Brown by one winner on the final weekend to win his first training title, this year’s pursuit has been characterized by steady, consistent effort. That approach paid dividends with two winners last weekend, giving him a slight cushion heading into the finale.
Delgado, who began training in 2017, noted the contrast between the summers. “Kelly manages a barn with lots of lower-level and allowance horses that can race frequently, while Chad seemed to win every race he entered last year. It was tough, but winning the title then felt amazing.” Last year, Delgado logged 21 wins from 106 starters, but this year he boasts 25 wins from just 87 starters—an even more impressive strike rate, especially considering the depth of his 2-year-old horses.
At Monmouth Park, Delgado has secured six victories from 20 2-year-old starters and campaigned 16 different juveniles over the summer. “We had plenty of seconds too,” he explained. “Our stable has always been focused on younger horses. It’s tough because 2-year-olds can face setbacks and may not be mentally or physically ready, but this year we had great success putting them in races and getting results. I believe they all have promising futures, likely even at the stakes level.”
If Delgado can seal the title this weekend, he said the accomplishment would mean a lot. “Winning a title is always special—it’s a testament to the hard work the entire team puts into the meet and the consistency required to succeed. It’s a nice reward after a long summer.”
Delgado started the Monmouth Park meet with 60 horses and is now considering splitting his stable into two divisions for the upcoming winter season—one at Gulfstream Park and the other at Belmont Park. “We’ll see; I haven’t made a decision yet,” he said.
This report originally appeared in the Paulick Report on September 10, 2026.
Fan Take: This tight battle between Delgado and Breen highlights the intense competition and strategic depth in modern horse training, which is thrilling for fans who appreciate the nuances behind the sport. With Delgado’s focus on young talent and consistent performance, it signals an exciting future filled with promising horses that could elevate the quality and excitement of racing for years to come.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
