Mentee Moments - Faith Kelly
Faith Kelly and her mentor, Ann Hays
Welcome to the first installment of Mentee Moments, Amplify’s new series highlighting the voices of our mentees as they share what it’s like to step into the world of Thoroughbred racing.
In this post, Faith Kelly—a Fall 2025 mentee from Dorr, MI—recounts her unforgettable trip to Kentucky in August. From meeting her mentor, Ann Hayes of WinStar Farm, to visiting some of the most iconic Thoroughbred farms and racetracks in the region, Faith takes us along on a journey that captures the excitement of discovering the industry firsthand.
Read on to experience Kentucky through her eyes!
I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Lexington, Kentucky, in August to meet my mentor, Ann, in person. It was such a wonderful experience, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to make the trip! My father tagged along as he was curious about some of the farms
The week started on Monday with visiting Ann at WinStar Farm, where I learned about the history of their farm, their training and rehabilitation facility, and toured their stallion complex. During this visit, I met Life Is Good and Independence Hall. I made sure to give them peppermints for being such sweet guys! From there, we spent some time at the Kentucky Horse Park and attended their Hall of Champions Night Cap, in which I learned about the career of 2016 Trotting Triple Crown Champion, Marion Maurader. This was very informative, as I am quite unfamiliar with Standardbred racing. At the end, I was able to speak with the presenter and gathered some information about potential avenues to keep an eye out for internship and employment opportunities in the future.
“Overall, I had an amazing time in Kentucky! Each day was jam-packed with information and made me even more excited to be a part of the mentorship program! ”
The following day, we attended the Morning Works tour at Keeneland Racetrack. This included watching morning training, going into the Winner’s Circle, and touring their facility as they prepped for the upcoming September Yearling Sale. It was a busy place! We made sure to get breakfast at the Track Kitchen too, by recommendation of Ann. It was delicious and very affordable! I highly recommend stopping in if you haven’t already.
The following day, we started back at Keeneland to spend more time watching morning training. From there, we met back up with Ann, where we visited her personal farm to meet two of her foals and their mamas. Afterwards, we continued back to WinStar. There, she showed us around their office facility and learned about the trophies that they have displayed, including Justify’s Triple Crown achievements. Ann and her coworkers were gracious enough to allow us to join WinStar’s extended tour, where we met Two Phil’s.
"During our time in Kentucky, we were able to tour WinStar, Coolmore at Ashford Stud, Lane’s End, Spendthrift, Claiborne, and Keeneland Racetrack. Horses we met: War of Will, War Front, Blame, Life Is Good, Zenyatta, Life Is Sweet, Omaha Beach, Yaupon, and Two Phil’s. Into Mischief, Cyberknife, and Jackie’s Warrior made sure to stop by to say hello during our time at Spendthrift.
Overall, I had an amazing time in Kentucky! Each day was jam-packed with information and made me even more excited to be a part of the mentorship program! I have gained insight about facets of the industry that I had not considered before and learned which areas I should prioritize during my undergraduate studies at Michigan State University. Additionally, I was able to gather information about all the possible internship opportunities that are offered at many of the farms. Ann was so gracious throughout the week, and I am so happy that I was able to meet her in person to form a deeper connection with her for the remainder of the program.
