Phil Hauswald grew up 15 minutes away from Churchill Downs with a passion for horses….and a reverence for the Kentucky Derby….for even when he was a grade-school he told people that his ambition was to become a horse trainer….which is a gola that he achieved when he was 28 years old….and in 1987, he fulfilled on May 2nd when he saddled Demons Begone for the 113th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took a little luck for Hauswald to come so far so fast….as he got the kind of career break that aspiring trainers dream of….but he made the most of the chance….when he flawlessly prepared Demons Begone for the Derby….and he didn’t taken a false step all that year…..which caused the crowd at the Derby to justifiably make Hauswald’s colt a solid favorite to win.
Phillip Hauswald went to work at the racetrack two years after graduating from high school in New Albany, Indiana….which is just across the river from Louisville. He had worked construction for a while, but after he was buried under 15 feet of dirt in an accident and barely escaped….he decided it was time to pursue his true calling….as he eventually went to work as an assistant to a young trainer named Shug McGaughey….and by doing so….he hitched his wagon to a rising star.
In this prerace interview with ABC’s Charlsie Cantey….he expressed great understanding and wisdom regarding his horse Demons Begone…..plus he has legendary jockey Pat Day up on his horse….which was a winning combination….however, Demons Begone started bleeding profusely on the back stretch…..and the veteran Day had to pull him up.
