M M Rice

The most telling detail is the partnership with Gimmieminnie, a horse that has run 15 times under Rice's care without winning. Fifteen races together is a significant investment of time, travel, and hope. At some point a partnership like that stops looking like bad luck and starts raising harder questions — but it also speaks to a loyalty and persistence that not every yard would show.

Rice has been training since 2021, which means this difficult stretch is arriving relatively early in a career that is still finding its feet. The honest truth is that four years in, a 0% win rate this season is a real concern. But trainers have come back from lean spells before, and the next winner — whenever it arrives — will mean a great deal.