Sports In The Making

Tom Van Berg - Thoroughbred Horse Trainer, Son of Hall of Fame Trainer Jack Van Berg

Episode Summary

Tom Van Berg continues his family horse racing legacy and reflects on his relationship with his Hall of Fame father, Jack Van Berg, how he's grown as a trainer and what it's like working in the industry.

Episode Notes

• 2:29 - What the responsibilities of a thoroughbred horse trainer are.
• 3:57 - How much he was around his dad, Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, when he was young.
• 5:08 - Why Tom wanted to study aerospace engineering instead of following his father into the thoroughbred world and his post college experiences.
• 9:07 - How Tom likes to bring people into the horse racing world to show them what it’s like rather than tell them.
• 11:33 - How Jack Van Berg got his work ethic and how he would make anyone feel comfortable.
• 13:53 - How Tom describes his dad as a “dad.”
• Chris Kotulak authored a book called “Jack, From Grit To Glory, The True Story of Jack Van Berg, an American Horse Racing Legend.”  Tom talks about how the book affected him in painting a better picture of his dad.
• 17:22 - What Tom learned most about training horses from his dad.
• 20:35 - How Tom applies his dad’s philosophy in how he trains horses today and the differences than when Jack was at the peak of his career.
• 22:17 - What a typical day/week is for a horse trainer.
• 24:29 - What a horse trainer’s team looks like in helping to make a thoroughbred successful.
• 27:15 - How the horse racing industry is mostly made up of people who have grown up in the business.
• 29:49 - How a horse trainer works the business and ownership groups.
• 33:26 - What the Covid-19 situation is for horse owners & trainers
• 39:08 - How Tom’s been able to work within Covid-19 limitations.
• 43:43 - What Tom’s biggest win was in his training career.
• 48:22 - How Jack Van Berg still makes his presence known with Tom and the horse racing community.
• 53:00 - On whether Tom is brave enough to make a prediction on if any of his horses will win the Kentucky Derby.
• 55:00 - The difficulty on training a horse to be a Kentucky Derby contender.
• 59:49 - How Tom loves to get people involved in horse racing.
• 1:02:42 - How much care goes into training the horses.
• 1:05:12 - Best advice Tom has been given working in this industry.
• 1:06:17 - How a fan should watch horse racing either at the track or on television.
• 1:09:32 - The color of Van Berg Stables silk colors.