Sharp-eyed horse racing enthusiasts may have noticed the distinctive gear worn by Layabout, the victor of the Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, on Saturday.
This four-year-old gelding races with a hood that includes mesh eye covers known as “pacifiers.” While the mesh is see-through, it dims the horse’s vision, helping to soothe horses that get easily spooked or overly stimulated by visual cues.
In Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile turf race, Layabout took the lead from start to finish, pulling away in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths, with jockey David Egan aboard.
Trainer Patrick Biancone explained, “He performs much better when he’s ahead, so we fitted him with a special hood because he fears other horses.”
A Rough Start
Layabout’s first three races under trainer Brian Lynch ended with defeats totaling 81 lengths. Andy Biancone, Patrick’s daughter and host on FanDuel TV, commented that the gelding often tried to break away from the rider or surprised him, making the horse challenging to control.
“Brian is excellent and a great jockey,” Andy remarked. “But Layabout was quite restless during his time with Brian, and Brian was hesitant to take him to Kentucky because the horse was very difficult then.”
Owner Kevin Doyle then gave Patrick Biancone the chance to work with Layabout to see if a new approach could unlock the talent the horse showed during morning workouts.
“When we first received him, he was pacing aggressively in the stalls, so my dad gave him some time out,” Andy shared. “Fortunately, Palm Meadows has many paddocks and corrals, which we use for all horses, not just the ‘layabouts.’ Whenever the weather is nice, the horses live outside full-time.”
Patrick added, “We noticed his eyesight wasn’t great, and he was particularly scared on his right side.”
They initially experimented with earplugs, which helped slightly. However, once they added the pacifier hood, Layabout became much calmer—a drastic change from a high-strung animal to a gentle one.
Early on, Layabout wore his pacifier hood mainly around stable workers because he was nervous and would jump frequently walking the stall aisles. Over time, as he adjusted to his routine, he only needed the hood when being saddled or going to the races.
He still enjoys time outside in the round pen and prefers working out alongside his usual training partner, Beech Gold.
Andy joked, “My dad swears this horse understands counting. He sits in a chair at the barn corner handing out peppermints, and only horses who make eye contact receive exactly three treats—and the layabouts won’t leave until they get them all!”
Layabout is very intelligent, but you can’t force or rough-handle him. If he were human, Andy mused, “he’d probably be like Forrest Gump—full of energy but sometimes hard to stop.” The horse can gallop endlessly yet struggles to slow down on his own and becomes terrified when other horses approach his right side.
Layabout debuted with Biancone on May 9, 2025, winning a $50,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream by a length and a half, wearing his pacifier hood from the van ride through the race and cooldown.
Following this pattern, he won an Allowance race on June 20 and the Bear’s Den Stakes later that same day at Gulfstream. Afterward, Patrick tried adding a taped modification to the hood—a tactic reminiscent of blinkers.
Kentucky Journey
Andy traveled with Layabout to Kentucky Downs for the Gun Runner Stakes in September. Although she was nervous due to the horse’s past behavior, assistance from Steve Asmussen Stable’s ponies and pacifier use made the trip smooth.
Even in the paddock, Layabout behaved perfectly as he headed out with Keith Asmussen, Andy’s fiancé. However, the horse was drawn inside on that day and had difficulty with horses outside.
Keith described the sensation as strange, noting Layabout lacked speed until he moved outside and then barely missed his last front-running margin.
“There’s something unsettling about his right eye,” Andy explained. “The horse isn’t blind but seems to see shadows or something unusual there.”
After an incident where Layabout was bumped by a horse on his right side, Patrick tried adding duct tape over the back of the mesh on that same side of the pacifier.
Tape Triumphs
“This worked like blinkers,” Andy said. “We asked Gulfstream Park if adding tape counted as a gear change, but they said no. We wanted to be transparent about it on air and described it as tape, not blinkers.”
This small modification contributed to Layabout’s career-highlight win in the McKnight Stakes, held alongside the Pegasus World Cup. David Egan rode the gelding wire-to-wire, withstanding pressure on the far turn and displaying a powerful finish to win at 6-1 odds.
Andy added, “In recent workouts, Layabout trained inside Beech Gold. After adding tape, he seemed much more secure. Even when feeling pressure from outside horses, he didn’t see them.”
Patrick considered running Layabout in the Pegasusturf but was concerned about the requirements, including bringing the horse to Gulfstream three days before the race, especially since Layabout’s two Listed Stakes wins did not guarantee an invite.
Looking ahead, with more experience and time, Layabout might handle travel better. Patrick envisions a bright future, with potential plans for the gelding to compete in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2027.
The rest of Layabout’s racing season is expected to include several long-distance turf stakes at Gulfstream, followed by a potential break before returning to Kentucky Downs.
“He’s quite the character, but we’re proud of his performances,” Andy said. “The McKnight was a bit of a trial run. He showed he could keep up a fast pace all day. If he thrives there, it could open many opportunities during the year.”
“Seeing the fractions, I thought, ‘Oh my God, David, why?’ but Layabout can sustain high speeds. Even when horses challenged him on the outside, the tape helped him focus, and he had plenty left to finish strong.”
“Dad has poured his heart into this horse, and the bond they share is incredible. Layabout has definitely become a barn favorite.”
Fan Take: Layabout’s journey highlights how customized equipment and patient training can unlock a horse’s true potential, even when physical limitations pose challenges. For horse racing fans, stories like this underscore the importance of innovation and care in developing stars who can transform the sport and inspire future training approaches.
