Jeff Cullipher, one of the leading trainers in Indiana for the past eight years, scored his 1,000th career training victory at The Meadowlands Friday, Jan. 7. The milestone was recorded with Birdman in the $13,000 conditioned trot with Yannick Gingras in the bike.
Jeff Cullipher warms up a horse at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Cullipher just earned his 1,000th career training victory at The Big M. Photo by Dean Gillette
Cullipher got close to the milestone the day before at Miami Valley with two wins on the card, but one was set back to third in the Open Pace. Cullipher had two in the next night at The Meadowlands when he scored the victory with Birdman. The very next night, he won his 1,001th race with Sonny Weaver N, also at The Meadowlands with Jason Bartlett in the bike.
Cullipher is coming off his best year to date. He earned the training title at The Meadowlands and finished second in the standings at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with 105 wins from his Indiana string. Top horses racing under Cullipher’s and light blue stable colors this year in Indiana included Dunbar Hall, winner in seven of 13 starts and Goldie’s Legacy, who won five races.
Cullipher, a multiple year training champ in Indiana, has had 6,359 career starts as a trainer and has accumulated in excess of $14.7 million in earnings. After taking a break from racing, he returned to the track in 2013 and began working with Tom Pollack. From that point on, the duo has been one of the toughest partnerships in racing with 2021 recorded as the best year. The Cullipher Stable won 240 races and accumulated more than $4 million in earnings, a personal best in both categories for Cullipher.
Cullipher and Pollack also teamed up for Leading Owner honors at The Meadowlands this past year. They ventured to the East Coast in 2018 and opened up a second string of horses, keeping a strong contingent based in Indiana where they compete in Ohio off season of pari-mutuel racing in Indiana.
Cullipher, who now calls Middletown, Ind. home, also has 535 career wins as a driver. His best year as a driver was in native Kentucky in 2006 when he scored 94 wins and maintained an average of .334.