Breeder's Cup Winner Gets Kentucky Association to Overturn Horse Training License

Breeder's Cup Winner Gets Kentucky Association to Overturn Horse Training License

Maria Borell’s name has been tied to both success and controversy. The trainer made a name for herself after helping Runhappy to victory in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. However, her career was put on hold in 2016 when charges of animal cruelty were laid against her and her father. Although the charges were dropped later, her fortunes took a turn in 2025 when Kentucky authorities indicated that her trainer’s application for a license would prob…

Hearing Officer Recommends That Maria Borell Be Granted A Trainers' License

Following a hearing on March 31, a hearing officer assigned to the case by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation has recommended that the Corporation re-license trainer Maria Borell. The former trainer of Runhappy (Super Saver), she has not started a horse since 2016. The Corporation identified three grounds for attempting to deny the renewal application: 1) lack of candor; (2) failure to satisfy the financial-responsibility statute a…

Hearing officer backs Borell's bid for Kentucky trainer's license

A hearing officer recommended the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation grant a trainer's license to Maria Borell, who conditioned 2015 champion sprinter Runhappy, concluding the regulator denied her application on "vague and inconsistent" grounds and failed to honor her due-process rights. Clayton Patrick, deputy executive director of the Public Protection Cabinet's Office of Administrative Hearings, wrote that Borell "met her burden of …