Katryan has had to overcome numerous obstacles, but keeps on punching

As a former fashion designer, Abraham (Eddie) Katryan has managed to ‘design’ a stellar career in thoroughbred horse racing.

Now in his late 60’s, and fighting back from a serious health issue, Katryan remains optimistic that there are many good things in store for him and his barn in the future.

“I would like to win the King’s Plate eventually. We’ve been working towards that,” said Katryan. “I also had a horse in the Breeders’ Cup once and that was a good experience. I enjoyed it and will do it again.”

Katryan’s chestnut Wake At Noon, bred and owned by Bruno Schickedanz, finished fifth at the 2000 Queen’s Plate and also competed in the 2002 Grade 1 NAPA Breeders’ Cup sprint. The veteran trainer is determined to get back.

“It was a good experience, I enjoyed it and I will do it again,” said Katryan, of the Breeders' Cup. “I try to be optimistic and look at the good side of everything and try to aim a little bit higher than normal. I remember my mom back home always said: “Son, always aim for a Cadillac. If you fall short, you may have a bicycle. But if you aim for a bicycle, you may have nothing.’ So, I always aim a little bit higher and hope things work out eventually.”

Katryan will be aiming high this Sundayon an outstanding card at Woodbine that features four stakes races – including Canada’s filly classic, the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Stella Artois (plus up to $250,000 for eligible Ontario-breds), and the $200,000 Plate Trial Stakes. Katryan has his six-year-old star Awesome Bourbon entered in the $200,000 Connaught Cup Stakes for three-year-olds and up. On July 5 at Woodbine, Carlo D’Amato-owned Awesome Bourbon finished one length behind highly-touted winner Poulin in OT in the Pink Lloyd Stakes after an incredible charge in the stretch.

As a young man growing up in Guyana, Katryan always did aim high. His dad was a leading trainer in that South American nation for close to 60 years, as were some of his brothers. The youngest of 12 kids, Katryan grew up around horses, though, after emigrating to Canada in 1975 as an accounting student, wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursue the Sport of Kings as a full-time occupation. His older brother Arnold was a tailor back in Guyana, so Abraham worked as fashion designer for a few years in Toronto before reaching the conclusion that horse racing was calling him back into the fold.

“At one point of time, before my dad passed away, he said: ‘Son, you’re not very happy doing what you’re doing. It’s in the blood, so stick with the horses,’” said Katryan, who started out by claiming horses off veteran trainers Ralph Biamonte and Frank Passero, eventually working for Vito Armata before breaking out on his own around 1989. It didn’t take the personable horseman to carve out a name for himself. In 4,733 lifetime starts, Katryan’s horses have posted 674 wins, 626 seconds and 570 thirds for career earnings of $24,323,784 (US). He’s also won 31 stakes races and seven graded stakes scores and, in 2000, was the top conditioner at Woodbine with 56 victories.

Not that it’s always been smooth sailing. Just over a year ago, Katryan started to feel that something was amiss physically.

“First, the doctors said I had a condition that sometimes people get if you drink a certain type of water and you come from the Caribbean. And you can treat it and it will go away,” he said. “So, they treated that, but when I was going through the checks, they found the tumour.”

The tumour was located between the heart and the lungs.

“It was terrible, but it wasn’t cancerous, so I was lucky,” said Katryan. “And when I went for surgery, they told me I’d have to be away from work for 3-4 weeks, but I was back in two weeks. But not full-scale. It took me a while to get back. I feel 100% now, but I need to gain some weight, that’s all.”

Katryan credits his racetrack assistants, including his brother Newman and sister Pearl, with helping to keep his operation running smoothly. Over the years, he’s had tremendous help from his extended family.

“(Over the years), I had a lot of assistance from my brothers and nephews, who are horse people, so they always came to give me a hand or worked for me at the time,” Katryan said. “That makes life a bit easier.”

As for this season, Katryan has two wins, eight seconds and six thirds from 30 starts.

“I’m happy with the start. We're about 50% in the money,” he said. “But I got a lot of young horses and they’re just starting to come around.”