Mo Donegal,, ridden by Joel Rosario, beating Early Voting by a neck to capture the Gr2. Wood Memorial Stakes (2022), earning 100 Kentucky Derby points

By Bill Heller

With an old-school racing background from visits to Ak-Sar-Ben, a new-school expertise based on algorithms, and a unique approach to partnerships, Jerry Crawford has had amazing success with Donegal Racing. Mo Donegal, who bravely collared loose-on-the-lead Early Voting to win the Gr. 2 Wood Memorial by a neck and earn a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby, is his newest star.

Mo Donegal will attempt to become Donegal’s seventh Gr. 1 stakes winner since it began in 2008 and improve on the third-place Kentucky Derby finishes by Donegal’s Paddy O’ Prado in 2010 and Dullahan in 2012. In 2015, Keen Ice finished seventh in the Derby, third in the Belmont Stakes and first in the Travers Stakes, when he defeated Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah in one of the Graveyard of Champions’ most stunning upsets.

Jerry has also had success using algorithms to connect on 34 Pick Sixes, though none recently. “I think I jinxed myself,” he said. Most of the scores were with partners; and he calls one of them—his close friend Ray Smith—a “good handicapper.”

Jerry has been a practicing attorney for 47 years and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, McCallister College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He founded and owned a successful minor league basketball team, the Iowa Energy, which won the 2011 NBA Development League Finals, two games to one, over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Minnesota Timberwolves bought the team in 2017 and renamed it the Iowa Wolves.

Asked about his roots in horse racing, Crawford referenced Ak-Sar-Ben, which is Nebraska spelled backwards. “It was magnificent; it was like a less well-heeled Saratoga. Big racing plant. Routinely drew 20,000 plus on the weekends. It was racing from yesteryear. Horses would run once a week. I enjoyed it immensely.”

He said the inspiration for owning Thoroughbreds came from losing his Derby wagers every year: “My son, Conor and I—he was quite young—we were trying to figure out why we never won when we bet on the Kentucky Derby. We started with algorithms. What we discovered was we still couldn’t pick the winners. But if you choose one horse out of five, your odds get better.”

In 2008, he decided that the horrible state of the economy was an opportunity. “When the stock market collapsed, people stopped buying cars, houses and race horses,” he said. “I told my wife Linda I was going to the yearling sale at Keeneland. I’m going to take $300,000 and buy a horse to run in the Triple Crown. She grudgingly signed off on it.”

But instead of one horse, he bought eight. And instead of spending $300,000, it was $410,00. “I’m flying home in alimony-prevention mode,” he said. “But I had friends who had said they would go in with me. I found seven partners.”

And they experienced immediate success with Dale Romans-trained Paddy O’ Prado. He finished third in the 2010 Derby on the way to capturing five graded turf stakes, earning $1.7 million off five victories, one second and three thirds from 34 starts. Dullahan, who won three of 18 starts with two seconds and four thirds, also earned more than $1.7 million. Finnegan’s Wake made just under $1.6 million off eight victories, four seconds and four thirds in 37 starts. Arklow topped $2.9 million thanks to nine wins, eight seconds and two thirds in 36 races.

Every year, Jerry buys eight to 12 yearlings, and his partners share all of them. “This way, if you have a good horse, everybody’s in on it,” he said.

Donegal’s Keen Ice upsets Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to win the 2015 Travers Stakes

Keen Ice, who made more than $3.4 million with three wins, four seconds and five thirds in 24 starts, gave Jerry and his partners the thrill of a lifetime when he defeated American Pharoah by three-quarters of a length in the Travers. “It was an electric moment. The crowd, understandably, was stunned silent. People couldn’t believe what they saw. Larry Collmus had a great call—‘Keen Ice has got him.’ The crowd, once it caught their breath, was very appreciative. At the press conference, I thanked the Zayat team (American Pharoah’s owners) because they brought their horse here to race. They were true sportsmen. They could have ducked the race.”

Instead, Donegal Racing celebrated. “There were a lot of people involved in Donegal Racing there,” Crawford said.

Now Mo Donegal gets his chance to shine in Louisville on the first Saturday in May. The Wood gave him a record of three victories and a pair of thirds in five starts. He showed a lot of class running down Early Voting. “I think, in order to win, Mo Donegal had to be much the best. I was there all day Friday and Saturday, and not one horse closed against the bias until we did. We thought there was going to be a speed duel.”

There wasn’t because Morello broke slow, leaving Early Voting unpressured on the front end. “He was loose on the lead, and Mo Donegal still won,” Jerry said. “I think he’s awfully good.”

He’ll have a great time finding out just how good he is.

North American Article Index

Jerry Crawford - Donegal Racing

Trainer Magazine