Trainer Linda Rice is part of a long line of horsemen and horsewomen, and grew up breaking and training young horses for father Clyde Rice. She was an exercise rider and assistant trainer for years before taking out her trainer’s license in 1987 at the age of 23. She became the first woman to saddle a Grade 1 winner at Keeneland when Tenski won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. A longtime New York staple, Rice once saddled six straight winners at Saratoga, where she became the first woman to win a training title. She has since picked up back-to-back titles at Aqueduct and has expanded her operation to Penn National. To date, her horses have earned well over $40 million on the track. 

Who’s your favorite Thoroughbred who never won Horse of the Year (both one you worked with and one you didn’t)?

City Zip – He won all three 2-year-old stakes at Saratoga in 2000 for me. He dead heated with Yonaguska in the Hopeful. He was a $9,000 weanling that beat a $2 million 2-year-old. He was disqualified in the Futurity with Jose Santos, which cost him the two year old honors of the year.

Afleet Alex – He impressed me when he was bumped, stumbled badly at the quarter pole and went on to win the Preakness. No ordinary horse, incredible effort!

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Cincinnati Bengals Football Team.

I was stuck in the Cincinnati Airport for three hours in route to LaGuardia after the Fasig-Tipton sale. One of the football players helped me with my luggage–chivalry is not dead!

What’s at the top of your “bucket list”?

Winning the Kentucky Derby & the Travers

What’s your proudest moment to date?

When I got my accounts receivable down to an all-time low of $50k

Biggest ambition?

To have a barn full of stakes horses

Best advice you ever got?

To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.

What are you up to when you’re not at the track?

I’m either shopping horse auctions or getting my nails done.

What gadget or app could you not live without?

GPS

Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook?

Neither–I think we’re overexposed!

Biggest pet peeve?

When my horse is well beaten for $25,000 and my clients want to run him back for $35,000

What’s your favorite part of the day at the racetrack and why?

Six a.m.–The barn is up and running, the phone hasn’t started ringing, there is peace, quiet, and an excitement about today’s races.

If you could change one thing about racing, what would it be?

That it has a better marketing plan like Major League Sports and it is followed by millions daily

If you were roasted, what would people give you a hard time about?

My driving! I’m always in a hurry

Original Article – http://www.paulickreport.com/features/pop-quiz-brought-to-you-by-ky-bred-quality/pop-quiz-brought-to-you-by-ky-bred-quality-linda-rice/