Trainer Danny Peitz

Born: 7/24/57, Conway, Arkansas

Resides: Long Island, New York

Family: Sandra, wife 

Dan has a three-year-old of some promise. The latter's name is Moojab and he is a Smarty Jones colt, owned by the Shadwell Stable of Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum. 

Moojab reminds some folks of Steppenwolfer. 

Peitz is remembered as the trainer of Steppenwolfer, second to Lawyer Ron in the 2006 Arkansas Derby and third to Barbaro in that year's Kentucky Derby. 

"Moojab might have a little more natural speed than did Steppenwolfer," avowed Peitz. "The two are about the same mentally. Nothing bothered Steppenwolfer and this colt is the same way." Moojab broke his maiden at Aqueduct last Halloween.    

Each year, following Oaklawn, Dan ships his horses to New York for the NYRA season.           

Dan, who grew up in Little Rock, got into racing because his father was a fan. After graduating from Little Rock Catholic High and attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he turned to the turf. He worked two years for Paul Adwell back in days of Romeo and Go To The Bank. 

But, it was Joe Cantey, who really took Dan under his wing. For Joe, Peitz went from groom to foreman to assistant trainer. 

"I was with Joe eight years," Dan recalls. "Cox's Ridge was the big horse when I joined Cantey. I was with him through the careers of Temperence Hill and Majesty's Prince." 

Eventually Dan went to work on his own and has done well since. Among            his first major runners was Capote Belle. 

Dan developed Capote Belle to win the American Beauty, Humana Distaff, Test and Prioress Stakes. 

Capote Belle, as latter did Steppenwolfer, raced for Lawana and Robert Low of Springfield, Missouri. Low operates a fleet of refrigeration trucks.  

"Before Capote Belle, my all-time personal favorite was Susan Valley," Dan reflects. 

In New York Peitz won 10 races with Susan Valley. He also trained Whodam, who would earn some $400,000. 

"O.J. Glass did a lot of the good with Whodam," Dan said. "I lost Whodam in a $100,000 claimer. He had shown he could run. One day he returned to the barn and bled. We couldn't use lasix in New York in those days, so I ran the horse for $100,000 and Bobby Dutrow claimed him. Later, the horse was sold to one of Glass' owners."