Dale L. Romans

Dale Lewis Romans (born August 14, 1966) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, best known for winning the 2011 Preakness Stakes with Shackleford and the Breeders' Cup Turf with Little Mike. He also upset American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers Stakes with Keen Ice. He won the 2012 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.

In November 2025, Romans announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senator from the state of Kentucky in the 2026 election. He ran as a Democrat, losing the nomination to Charles Booker.

Background and early career Dale Romans is the son of trainer Jerry Romans and grew up around horses at Churchill Downs in Louisville. He graduated from Butler High School in 1984 despite having dyslexia. Romans worked for his father from a young age. He once said, "I had a way with the horses. I could walk the worst horse in the country when I was 10 years old. My parents were divorced, and if my father had a bad horse he couldn't get on the van he'd come and get me at home to load the horse. I don't know what it was about horses, but they saved me as a child. The guys who worked for my dad took me in and I always felt at home here. I didn't have to worry about reading and writing. I could communicate with the horses. Whatever primal instinct we have with horses, we're connected to them." His career was slow to take off. He won only four races in each of 1987 and 1989, and only 21 races in each of 1988 and 1990. Bailey and Jake.

In 2005, Roses in May provided Romans with the biggest payday of his career to date when he won the $6 million Dubai World Cup. Unfortunately, Roses In May was then diagnosed with a tendon injury and was retired.

In 2006, Romans earned his 1,000th career victory on June 11 with Haiaccept at Churchill Downs. Later that year though, he parted ways with owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, for whom he had trained both Roses in May and Kitten's Joy. It would take several years for Romans' stable to recover. Shackleford finished second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, while Court Vision won the Breeders' Cup Turf. Romans finished 2011 ranked #8 in North America by earnings.

Romans is also the trainer of Keen Ice, notable for his August 2015 win over Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes. Romans confidently predicted the upset, with Keen Ice winning at 16–1 odds. "That was a special day," Romans said. "What was so reassuring and made me feel so good was that they cheered us all the way back. It was very sporting of them to appreciate a big effort from a horse, whether it's American Pharoah or not. I never expected that."

Politics Romans announced a campaign for the United States Senate in his native Kentucky on November 12, 2025. He lost the nomination to Charles Booker.