Why trust your horses to me? Every individual horse receives my individual attention, the best feed, an individualized feeding and training program, and the best handlers and riders all carefully handpicked by me. I personally supervise or check afterwards all farrier, vet and dental work on your horse. I am known for keeping horses with physical problems racing much longer than most trainers, this is due to my 30 years experience spotting a potential problem and treating it before it becomes a big problem. My "treatment" for potential problems is usually as simple as a few days off walking the shedrow. Your horse's long term soundness and well being is my daily concern, and I believe this attitude wins more races for my clients.

I love owners who are very involved, and I'm always available by phone or in person to discuss your horse. For our out-of-town owners, we email photos and video of your horse as often as possible, and if you like we can email the race past performances when your horse is entered. My goal is to give my clients a satisfying experience in racing.

My day rate (training fee) is $75 per day, per horse. If you're tired of paying $85/day or more for little in return, please give me a call at 224-323-1139.

During times when I have no outside horses in my stable, I offer my services as a consultant to private stables that need help evaluating and increasing the success of their racing program. Click here for a summary of consulting services that I offer and my private consulting rate. If you need my services or have questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 224-323-1139 or email jeresmithjr@yahoo.com.

RECENT BACKGROUND: I spent a little over 5 years in Saudi Arabia, 2004-2009, where I trained for King Abdullah & Sons Stable. In this position I was part of a team that began with breeding, raising and starting young horses on the King's farm in Riyadh. Horses were then sent to the trainers at the racetrack where we generally had 100 or more horses at all times.

I am known for keeping horses with physical problems racing much longer than most trainers. So in Saudi Arabia I generally trained the horses that had a physical challenge due to conformation or previous injury. I also trained many grooms and several stable foremen in my methods, plus quite a few exercise riders and jockeys, which improved the King's overall racing program. I am proud of my work there, and I had a very rewarding experience as part of King Abdullah's team.

In April 2009, I returned to the United States and raced in Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida through May 2010. I was pleased with the success we achieved over that year with 7 wins, 10 seconds and 4 thirds running a handful of horses, but despite our success, my business still lost a lot of money due to low purse levels and skyrocketing costs.

In June 2010 I dispersed my small stable and accepted a position with a private, family owned stable in Saudi Arabia with about 30 horses in race training. I was hired to help the owners evaluate and improve their program while keeping expenses to a minimum. After completing the summer racing meet in Saudi Arabia, I returned to the U.S. and accepted another similar position with a private, family owned racing stable in Kentucky. I helped both stables and so I continue to offer my skills as a management consultant to privately owned racing stables.

Following are some highlights of my experience in Saudi Arabia and my prior career in the USA:

• Returned imported stallion "Sattaie" (Zakocity) to racing after a long lay off, 2 times. The King's Stable imported Zakocity from the U.S. and he arrived with a tendon injury, so he became my project. After I rehabilitated him from that injury, he won 2 races in a row and his first try at 2000 meters. After his second layoff due to a fractured sesamoid and subsequent surgery, Zakocity returned to race at his highest level, AND 100% DRUG FREE, with a 4th place in the 2008 G2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai.

• Won the training title for most wins with imported horses in my first season in Saudi Arabia.

• Won with 4 year old imported colt "Hadaar" (Comic Truth) at 1 mile 1/2 in his first start after a 7 month lay off due to a tendon injury.

• Won an Equestrian Club Award and Ministry of Islamic Affairs Cup at 2000 meters with Saudi bred gelding "Zerfaal", following a long layoff from a severe tendon injury.

• Broke the track record for 1650 meters and defeated imported horses twice at 1600 meters with Saudi bred gelding "Walad". Tied the record for most number of wins by a Saudi bred horse, with Walad's 15 wins.

• 4 wins in one day, including Saudi bred filly "Moshtadah" who won a race for imported horses.

• 24% wins at the 2007 Taif meet, with a record of 58-14-14-7 (60% runners finished 1st, 2nd, or 3rd), significant due to increased purse money, a new grandstand and track surface, resulting in full fields (of 18 runners!) in most races.

• Trained several Saudi apprentice jockeys that may not have had a chance to become a jockey otherwise, including A. Almohimeedy, winner of the 2010 Riyadh Municipality Cup, and Terki Alanezi, who has won many races - here's the chart from one of Terki's wins, an open race for imported horses at 1800 meters in Riyadh.

• Trained employees that have no experience to be excellent grooms, and employees with some racing experience to be foremen or assistant trainers.

• Developed an efficient system for managing a large number of horses in training while ensuring that owners are fully informed about their horses.

I received my trainer’s license in 1981 after working for my father, trainer JR Smith, from 1976-1981. My father was a thoroughbred trainer for 50 years, he won 12 training titles, and is a member of the Chicago Racing Hall of Fame. At Arlington Park he is second in all-time wins for trainers. He claimed "Recoup the Cash" in 1993 for $15,000 and went on to earn nearly $700,000 with that gelding in 1994. My father trained two-time Illinois Horse of the Year "Chicago Six", another claim that became a graded stakes winner of the G3 National Jockey Club Handicap.

I've been around horses all my life and I learned from one of the greatest. My father instilled in me the high standards that have brought consistent success through the years. I have won over 800 races (20% wins/starts). I hold the record at Arlington Park for the most races won in a single day (4 races). I have trained many good horses in the US, most obtained at very modest prices:

• Boundlessly won the G3 $100,000 Sheridan Stakes and G2 $300,000 Arlington Classic, 2nd in the Arlington-Washington Futurity and Ohio Derby, 5th in the Illinois Derby, earning $450,000 after I purchased him for $11,000.

• Mount Lemon won the $50,000 Kentucky Cup Starter Handicap and 2 weeks later the G3 $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship Handicap after I claimed him for $25,000.

• Cumberland County won a small stake race after I claimed him for $14,000.

• A Storm Is Brewing set the track record at Churchill Downs for 1 mile 1/2 while under my care.

• Recoup the Cash, who I selected for one of J.R. Smith Sr.'s owners to claim for $15,000, won the G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup while under my father's care.

check out more of JR's and Jere's old win photos, many dating back to the 60's >>

Statistical summary for Jere Smith Jr. 1982 - 2009:
starts	1st	2nd	3rd	earnings
4,160	823 (20%)	595 (14%)	508 (12%)	$10,095,619

"Two things many people don't know about Jere - he attended military school for much of his youth, and he was a walk-on quarterback at LSU until he suffered a football career ending knee injury. Although these must be distant memories, the leadership and team building skills learned so long ago are still very apparent in him today."