Trainer Hal Wiggins

Born: 11/30/42  Resides: Louisville, Kentucky  Family: Renee, wife; Whitney and Lon, sons

Hal Wiggins, one of the most popular conditioners in the Oaklawn stable area and around the Midwest, returns for the 2008 season.

Although sending only 27 starters to the gate during the 2007 season, three returned as winners while earning more than $72,000 in purses.

Wiggins became a licensed trainer in 1975, focusing on quarter horses and thoroughbreds in Louisiana. He exclusively conditioned thoroughbreds in 1980. Now a resident of Louisville, he has since won training titles at Keeneland and Kentucky Downs.

Oaklawn fans became particularly aware of Wiggins in 1994 when he saddled 18 local winners, among them Yukon Jones in the Bachelor Stakes and Front Line Only in the Rainbow Miss.

Since then, Wiggins won some 35 added money events, among them Charwon, who made more than $1,000,000 in purses, Morris Code, who banked $745,000 and Leo's Gypsy Dancer, $457,263.

“Leo’s Gypsy Dancer was an interesting horse,” Wiggins remarked. “A group of 17 women wanted to put up some money and buy a horse. I bought them Leo’s Gypsy Dancer as a yearling for $20,000. The filly went on to earn more than $450,000. The women went by the stable name of Purse Strings Farm,’’ said Hal.

At Oaklawn, Morris Code won the 1996 and 1997 editions of the American Beauty and the 1996 Carousel.

"Morris Code was a personal favorite. She never found a track she didn't like," assured Wiggins.

In recent months the Wiggins barn has been headed by Call Me Kitty, Cielo Gold and Swingit.

Wiggins, an excellent horseman, is particularly good at moving horses up the talent ladder. In 1989 at Louisiana Downs, 19 percent of his winners were being elevated in class.

The old racing office files show he has an outstanding career percent with second time starters, second-after-layoffs and with grass horses."You must be patient in training horses," he said. "I am from the 'old school' of horsemanship. Even a horse with only a small ailment, you should stop on the animal immediately. Believe me; this pays off in the long run."

Wiggins is a third generation horseman. His father and grandfather trained quarter horses. As a young man, he promised his parents that he would get a good education. In keeping that word, he graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in accounting.