Fairplex equine manager doesn't miss old job

Kim Lloyd, equine manager of Fairplex Park, was a trainer for more than 25 years before giving it up in August 2002 because of rising workman comp payments. He says he doesn't think he'd like to go back into the profession.

"The only time I don't sleep well at nights is when I dream about training horses," he said. "I say that laughingly, but it's the truth. It's a difficult business to survive in. It used to be where you had one guy own 20 horses, and now you have 20 guys owning one. It's hard to keep everybody satisfied and it's just a tough business. The training part is not the hard part of that deal."

Lloyd had about 22 horses during his peak years and was down to four when he gave up the profession.

"Workman's comp got real high, my stable had shrunk down and I just couldn't afford to keep making those payments on that workman's comp," he said. "I got into the car business. I had a family to raise. It just wasn't financially feasible for me to keep doing it.

"It killed me too. I'll tell you, it was brutal. I didn't think I could do anything else, truthfully. Then I got into the car business just to make a living. I kind of went into depression almost, and I never could afford to be depressed. It was rough."

Now he's back as top dog of Fairplex racing and loving it. He also still has a hand in the Barretts sales.