Staking his claim in California

HOME AND AWAY - EOIN HARTY:  Brian O'Connortalks to another generation of the Harty family to make good in racing - this time in the US.

IT IS safe to say that Los Angeles airport, the famous LAX, holds no more secrets for Eoin Harty. In fact, the city that is the final destination for so many from all over the world is in many ways a mere launch-pad for one of America's top racehorse trainers.

Harty reckons he could take up to 200 flights a year as part of his job. Like his tally of winners, he stopped counting long ago. Criss-crossing the country is simply part of the gig.

In the spring, he sends many of his 60-strong string of blue-blooded thoroughbreds to the Keeneland track in Kentucky. The American way of training is completely different to Europe in that horses are trained and barned at racecourses. That cuts down on travelling for the horses, but keeping tabs on equine athletes in LA and also over 2,000 miles away means their trainer puts in the air miles.

It doesn't end there, as summer usually requires trips to the East Coast and the Saratoga track in New York for a month. Only in the winter do Harty's charges settle down in the one place, back at Santa Anita racetrack in Los Angeles.

So home actually is in Arcadia, a classically titled suburb of a vast and resolutely modern city. Harty (45) lives with his "very understanding" wife, Kathy, and their son, Eddie, whose name alone reverberates with a racing tradition that is very Irish indeed. If young Eddie pursues a career with horses he will be just the latest generation of Hartys to do so.

Michael "Boss" Harty trained and rode winners in the late 19th century. Five of his sons were also successful with horses. One of them, Cyril, Eoin Harty's grandfather, trained an Irish Grand National winner and rode for the Army show-jumping team.

His son, Eddie Harty, competed for Ireland in three-day-eventing at the 1960 Olympics and later became a top jockey, winning the 1969 Aintree Grand National on Highland Wedding.

Eddie Harty's racing career meant his son Eoin spent most of his first 10 years living in England until his father moved back to the Curragh to train. After secondary school spells at Kildare CBS and Newbridge College, he emerged onto a rather bleak job scene.

"I did a year at the Irish National Stud under the wonderful Dr Michael Osborne, but there was nothing in Ireland then. There were no opportunities at all. Michael was always pushing people towards the States, to give it a try, even if it had nothing to do with horses.

"My father had worked in the US as a young fella, too, so between them they pushed me that way - not that I needed much pushing," Harty remembers.

He moved to Kentucky and worked on a couple of stud farms, along with an Irish friend, Tom Lynch. Homesickness was not an issue. "The place was full of Irish faces anyway. Tommy eventually went home and works for Coolmore now. I can't speak for him, but I had the time of my life back then," he says.

Harty, though, suspected the racing side of the industry could be more exciting. He headed west and landed a job with John Russell, becoming his assistant trainer on the glamorous California circuit. He later spent seven years in the same role to Bob Baffert, integral to the development of the Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998).

The young Irishman had found what he wanted to do in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains.

"Santa Anita is an awe-inspiring place, and I suppose the idea of training myself was always there. But anyone can get a few bad horses, set up and then quickly disappear," he says.

However, Sheikh Mohammed's decision to extend his hugely-powerful Godolphin operation to the US paid dividends, as Harty was hired to take charge of developing the Dubai ruler's two-year-olds before they were shipped to the Gulf for the winter.

Success for Harty included preparing a one-two in the 2001 Breeders' Cup race for juvenile fillies, but a couple of years later he struck out under his own name. The Maktoum family continue to be significant patrons.

Success has continued to flow with Colonel John, winner of the Santa Anita Derby and the Travers Stakes this year, part of a possible five-strong team for this year's Breeders' Cup. Happily for Harty, it will be held very much at home this year in Santa Anita.

"I couldn't go and train in Ireland now even if I wanted to. I hate to say I'm too old, but the learning curve would take too long. And I've family here, and many friends," he declares.

"There's no way I could have done in Ireland what I've done in the US. There are lots of good horses in Ireland, lots of good trainers and not much racing. Even if you go to Bellewstown you will still find yourself up against Aidan O'Brien, Jim Bolger and John Oxx. In America, especially the East Coast, there might be four or five meetings a day, so the opportunities are so much better," Harty adds.

The idea of spending part of the year in Ireland after he retires is appealing, but that's a long way away yet. Instead, his focus is increasingly turning towards the Breeders' Cup which will be run at the end of October. A new synthetic surface at Santa Anita is encouraging European hopes of success and Harty can see why.

"From training on it I think it is very fair and it should encourage turf horses to come. A horse like Duke Of Marmalade could do very well," he reveals.

As well as Colonel John in the Classic, Harty could run Well Armed in the Mile Dirt race, and there are three possible juvenile runners, including Ronaldo The Wizard, who is owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son.

"Guess who that horse is named after!" laughs Harty, his European feel for football still intact.