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Trainer Doug O'Neill with his main owner J. Paul Reddam at the 2016 Alibi Breakfast before the Preakness.

Doug O'Neill reaches 3,000 wins

Trainer Doug O'Neill notched win number 3,000 with Hero Or Zero, bred and owned by J. Paul Reddam, in the eighth race at Santa Anita on Sunday, June 15, a $60,000 maiden special weight for two-year-old California-breds going 5 furlongs. He started the day with 2,998 wins, and got win number 2,999 just an hour earlier with Pavlovian in the sixth race, also for owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam. This was closing day of Santa Anita's lengthy winter-spring meet, before the circuit shifts downstate to Del Mar for the summer. Unofficially he reached the milestone back in the eighth race on March 14, a $67,000 allowance optional claimer with Fowler Blue, however his 12 wins in Dubai, most recently Raging Torrent in this year's Godolphin Mile (G2), do not count in Equibase statistics.

Doug O'Neill at Santa Anita after winning his 3000th race.

In the milestone race, Hero or Zero was a first time starter in the field of 10 and sent off as the 9-5 favorite. After 9-4 second choice Arkadelphia was quickest out of the gate, jockey Umberto Rispoli moved the favorite outside, took over on the turn, and powered away under a hand ride to a 6 1/2 length win over Arkadephia with 6-1 fourth choice No Joke Antares third. O'Neill said, "I'm so glad we were able to get our 3,000th for (the Reddam family). It's a testament to the great people I work with and the great horses." Asked on Thursday if he would hit 3,000 with one of his 12 runners Thursday thru Sunday he said, "I think we can get lucky with three of these 12."

I'll Have Another wins the 2012 Kentucky Derby for O'Neill. He also went on to win the Preakness.

The native of Dearborn, Michigan moved to Santa Monica, California at age 10, and his father Patrick took him and his brother Dennis to Santa Anita. While in high school he became a hot walker, and took out his trainer's license in 1989, while Dennis went on to be a bloodstock agent. By the early 2000's he had the largest stable in Southern California, and won his first Grade 1 with his first ever Grade 1 starter, Sky Jack in the 2002 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Nyquist wins the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile for O'Neill. He went on to win the Kentucky Derby the next year.

He had two Kentucky Derby wins, I'll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016, to go with I'll Have Another's Preakness win giving him his 3 wins in the Triple Crown. I'll Have Another had to be scratched the day before the Belmont Stakes due to a tendon injury. Nyquist finished third in the Preakness, while Hot Rod Charlie was second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2021.

"Coach" Lava Man continued to work for O'Neill after he retired from racing.

He has 5 wins in the Breeders' Cup: Stevie Wonderboy (2005 Juvenile), Thor's Echo (2006 Sprint), Maryfield (2007 Filly and Mare Sprint), Goldencents (2013 Dirt Mile), and Nyquist (2015 Juvenile). Along with his wins in Dubai, he also won the 2003 Japan Cup Dirt with Fleetstreet Dancer. In terms of purse earnings, his top three have all earned more than $5 million. Nyquist leads all his runners with almost $5.19 million in earnings, followed closely behind by Lava Man, a multiple Grade 1 winner (including consecutive Santa Anita Handicaps in 2006 and 2007) with earnings of $5.17 million. Hot Rod Charlie earned $5.15 million, winning the Louisiana Derby and Pennsylvania Derby and finishing second in the 2022 Dubai World Cup to go with his Triple Crown runner-ups.

At time of writing (June 16, 2025) O'Neill has a record of 3,000 wins, 2,766 seconds, and 2,538 thirds in 18,742 starts, with total purse earnings of $170.8 million. In graded stakes competition he has 150 wins, 163 seconds, and 163 thirds in 1,481 starts, with earnings of almost $62 million.

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