Former O’Neill assistant Sisterson to train for Calumet

Jack Sisterson, who has worked as an assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill twice since 2010, is going out on his own and will be a private trainer for the legendary Calumet Farm.

Sisterson, 33, will be based at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., with approximately 48 horses in a new barn that Calumet recently built near Rice Road. Calumet Farm is located 1 1/2 miles from Keeneland.

Sisterson completed his latest stint with O’Neill on Sunday, one day after he saddled Blended Citizen to win the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park for O’Neill.

“That was a bittersweet moment for me,” Sisterson said Sunday. “That was the last horse I’ll run for Doug. I’m excited for the new venture. They’re going to give me about 50 horses to start. I’m looking forward to it and I like Keeneland. It’s a beautiful place, and horses seem to love it there.”

It was unclear if Sisterson will be getting all new horses or if he will be getting some currently in the barns of other trainers. Calumet has horses with at least a dozen trainers, including prominent names such as Todd Pletcher, D. Wayne Lukas, Richard Mandella, Keith Desormeaux, Neil Drysdale, and Kiaran McLaughlin.

Eddie Kane, farm manager for Calumet, said Monday he could only confirm that Sisterson will be joining Calumet but could not comment any further.

Sisterson, began his career in horse racing as a hotwalker for Todd Pletcher at Churchill Downs in 2007 while he attended the University of Louisville’s Equine Administration Program. Sisterson also worked for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

In 2010, he began working for O’Neill and was part of the team that prepared I’ll Have Another for victories in the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. In November 2016, six months after O’Neill won his second Derby with Nyquist, Sisterson went to work for Eaton Sales as an account executive.

Sisterson never truly took to that side of the business and went back to work with O’Neill in 2017. Sisterson said he left on good terms with Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales.

“Reiley taught me a lot,” Sisterson said. “I was honest with Reiley. I didn’t want to stay there not being 100 percent into the sales side of it. I picked up the phone and called Doug and begged, ‘Would you have me back?’ If it wasn’t for Doug, I’d never been in the position I’m in.”

O’Neill said he has mixed emotions about losing Sisterson as part of his team.

“I’m so bummed to lose him, but as a friend, more than anything, I’m so excited and pumped for his future,” O’Neill said. “I have a feeling we’re going to be knocking heads real soon.”

For the short term, O’Neill said he will rely on the help of trainer Ralph Nicks and his staff at Belmont Park to oversee the training of Blended Citizen before he figures out whom he will be sending to New York to help prepare the colt for the third leg of the Triple Crown on June 9.