Accomplished is an understatement for 22-year-old Lauren Spada, who won her first Thoroughbred race with Ghostly Perfection at Fort Erie on July 22.
Spada is already established in the Quarter Horse world, currently training nine of the speedsters and winning 32 races at Ajax Downs since August 2022. Based in Stevensville, Ontario, the up-and-coming conditioner is turning her sights to another breed, Thoroughbreds, and training out of Fort Erie. Spada currently has three at the border oval: a two-year-old and a couple of four-year-olds, including the recently claimed Seattle Down Under who is due to race on August 12. She also has two yearlings on the farm.
Venturing onto the Fort Erie’s backstretch, I found and chatted with Spada in one of her horse’s stalls as she checked and wrapped legs before moving on to her next task.
How did you get your start in the racing industry?
“My grandfather [Peter Spada] was a big-time owner; he was down here in Fort Erie with the Quarter Horses and then carried on up to Ajax Downs. And then my dad became a trainer.” (Craig Spada trained Quarter Horses for nearly a decade between 2011 and 2022).
“My grandfather got sick, so we got out of it for a little while and then in 2017 my dad told me we were going to get back into it. We came back to Fort Erie Race Track to train, I think four horses at the time, and ever since then we kept growing the stable. Then my dad handed me the reins back in 2021 and I got my license in 2022 as a Quarter Horse trainer, and now we are just knocking off all the bucket list. Now I have my full trainer’s license for Thoroughbreds as well, so I’m going to do a bit of both.
What are the job titles that you currently hold?
“I’m doing all of them, basically! I do a little bit of riding my own horses once in a while, when I feel something needs to be touched up or I want to feel something myself, so I’ll take a horse out. I broke two babies this year, Quarter Horses, and that was kind of new for me. Then of course, training and I do a lot of grooming, a lot of the detailed stuff, and I’m a pony person as well.”
How do you strike a balance between training Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds?
“Every horse trains differently. Doesn’t matter if they are a Quarter Horse or a Thoroughbred, they all train differently, they all need something different out of me as a trainer and out of our gallop people. A horse is a horse, but some of them need to do little things differently; [for example] Quarter Horses do a lot more jogging than the Thoroughbreds.
Spada won her first Thoroughbred race with Ghostly Perfection at Fort Erie on July 22; the horse finished 3rd on Aug. 5. (Tricia Burns photo)
Recently you won your first Thoroughbred race at Fort Erie – can you describe what that moment was like?
“It was a big weight off my shoulders because I’ve been waiting three years now to get my trainer’s license. It was a big struggle, of course because I’m young, I’m only 22. I thought maybe I wasn’t ready, but now of course I’m ready and I wanted to prove that.”
What was it like filming with Ontario Racing Unfiltered?
“They are a wonderful team. We are actually doing a closing interview on August 17; I think it is at Woodbine Racetrack to finish it off. I’m so excited to see the episodes come out. They have followed us from the horses all the way back to home, watching us eat a bowl of cereal in the morning. They got to see it all. They got to see the reality of how much work goes into this and how much we love and care about these animals. Sometimes in the racing business people don’t see that. What happens behind these barns I hope is going to be shown because they did film a lot of that, and I would love for everybody to see that and how much care and work goes into this.
(Ontario Racing Unfiltered is an original docuseries presented by Ontario Racing and OLG. Spada will be featured in season 2, with episodes airing in August.)
Goals for the rest of the year?
“Keep working hard, keep trying to win. We all want to win, but we put a lot of work into these horses, and I care a lot. I’m really hoping that we have some clean races, and everybody stays safe, and all come home ‒ that’s it. After this season is over at Fort Erie, I am going to move up to Woodbine for the last two months of the season and then I’m going to take a winter break. I’ll take a breather and then we will come back to Fort Erie for sure and start training. I’m going to send out a few Quarter Horses, definitely a lot less, and more Thoroughbreds. Be at home and not travel so much. I’m ready to be at home.”
Who are some of your mentors in the racing industry?
“My grandfather. He was the one who put me on my first horse and bought me my first pony. I was a one-year-old. He got me this gold pony and I started in shows. I do a lot of this because of him. I can feel him out there on the rail. He loved Fort Erie Race Track; he was a big supporter of the track here and everybody knows him. Of course, my dad, he is the best. He is the most supportive person ever and he does everything for me. He just handed me all these horses without a doubt. Especially Mr. Rick Crispi, he is one of my owners. He did not even take a different breath; he just gave me all these horses knowing I was new, and I was green, and he put all the trust in me. Those three guys have made me who I am right now and have put me in this position to be successful.”
