D. Whitworth “Whit” Beckman has been a trainer since 2021. He’s sent out a modest 220 starters in the interim and owns 29 wins with earnings of $2.6 million. But when it comes to major New York stakes, he knows as well as anyone what goes into developing the kind of horses who win those races.
That education was part of what Beckman learned while working as an assistant trainer for both Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, who have combined to dominate the New York Racing Association circuit for nearly two decades and have 12 Eclipse Awards between them.
Working at Saratoga Race Course for Pletcher and at Belmont Park for Brown, Beckman’s name may not have been in the program, but the Louisville, Ky., native was a part of dozens of grade 1 wins over the course of 11 years.
“New York is where I went to get my education,” Beckman said. “People told me it was the right thing to do if I wanted to immerse myself in the sport. Kentucky was not quite what is it now and I was lucky enough to get a job with Todd and then Chad.”
Now based back home in Kentucky, the 42-year-old Beckman has returned to New York this week hoping to emulate what he saw Brown and Pletcher do on so many occasions.
He will be sending out Honor Marie in the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1). Beckman is seeking his initial grade 1 win in the $2 million Triple Crown finale with the historic backdrop of the first Belmont at the Spa.
Honor Marie trains ahead of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
“I’ve been around these races before, but to be here on my own is pretty special,” he said.
Pletcher and Brown said they were not surprised that Beckman has already developed a Triple Crown candidate.
“He did a great job for us,” said Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award winner who was Beckman’s boss from 2016-21. “Also working for Todd, he was with operations that exposed him to a lot of good horses. It’s no surprise to me that he has a horse in a race like this. He’s very experienced and his horse could potentially run very well.”
Pletcher said Beckman was a hard worker and an astute student of the trade during his 2007-13 tenure with the stable.
“There’s nothing like experience,” Pletcher said. “If you can work for a trainer with a high volume of horses, it puts you in a position where you are more involved in the decision-making process than you would with a small barn. I think it prepares you well.”
Honor Marie, a 3-year-old son of Honor Code , gave Beckman his first graded stakes win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last year.
This year, Honor Marie is 0-for-3. He was fifth behind Belmont Stakes morning-line favorite Sierra Leone (who is trained by Brown) in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and then was a fast-closing second in the Louisiana Derby (G2).
His length loss to Catching Freedom in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby created a buzz before the Kentucky Derby (G1) about the colt bred by Royce Pulliam in Kentucky out of the Smart Strike mare Dame Marie. But Beckman’s first Triple Crown race at the helm quickly turned into a nightmare.
Honor Marie was jostled hard coming out of the gate and was 20th and last after six furlongs in the mile-and-a-quarter classic.
“As soon as the gates opened, I knew our chances were taken away from us,” Beckman said. “The Derby is just such a melee.”
Honor Marie rallied to finish eighth but was 13 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Mystik Dan .
Since then, Honor Marie has bounced back and trained smartly, convincing Beckman to return to the circuit where his education in racing lifted off. Should he win, he would be the 12th horse since 2000 to run in the Kentucky Derby, take five weeks off and then win the Belmont.
“It’s mind-boggling how well he came out of the Derby. He’s a tough little horse. I love everything about him,” Beckman said about his late-running colt. “It will be exciting to see what he can do without 20 horses in the way.”
Even Beckman had a troubled 2024 Derby. About 10 days prior to the race, he was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, a disease that affects muscles and kidneys and can making walking difficult.
“It’s like how a horse ties up. Your muscles break down and it releases some sort of compound that affects your kidneys. It’s painful. My legs were really sore and I couldn’t walk for about 20 hours,” Beckman said. “I’ve been in a hyperbaric chamber, getting myself the same treatment I give my horse.
“Hopefully, it will be a better week for both of us.”
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