Owner Ken Ramsey has kidney transplant, wins race on same day

An hour after leaving the operating room following kidney transplant surgery, Ken Ramsey’s attention turned to Thursday’s program at Gulfstream Park, where Clearly Copper raced under his familiar white and red colors in the sixth race.

“My mother’s up there with him. She texted that he was asking if the horse had run yet,” said grandson Nolan Ramsey in the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after saddling Clearly Copper for a 4 1/2-length maiden-breaking triumph. “An hour out of surgery, and he’s already asking about the horses, so you know he’s feeling good. To be able to win a race for him today is special.”

Ramsey said his 88-year-old grandfather’s surgery went smoothly at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

“He was pretty excited to be the oldest kidney transplant ever done,” Ramsey said.

Ken Ramsey, who won the owner’s title at the 2023-2024 winter meet at Gulfstream Park, won the Eclipse Award as outstanding owner with his late wife Sarah four times.