From Baling Twine to the Oaks: Kelsey Danner's Homecoming with Lovely Grey

Key facts

• Lovely Grey, a 30-1 longshot, will run in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs.
• Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, bought Lovely Grey in March 2025.
• Trainer Kelsey Danner could become the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Oaks.
• Breeder Jim Paliafito, with 7-8 mares, bred Lovely Grey on his small Shelbyville farm.
• Lovely Grey entered the race after Bottle of Rouge was scratched due to a cough.
• The filly has a career record of 7 starts, with 1 win, 2 seconds, and 1 third.
• Lovely Grey will break from post position 15, with jockey Dylan Davis aboard.
• Portnoy's Go Go Greys Stable owns the horse; Paliafito and partners raised her until March.

A Longshot's Journey to Churchill Downs

On Friday night, 14 fillies will thunder down the Churchill Downs stretch in the 151st running of the Kentucky Oaks. Among them is Lovely Grey, a 30-1 longshot owned by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who acquired the horse in March. For breeder Jim Paliafito, a Shelby County horseman with a modest seven- or eight-mare operation, the race marks his first starter in the prestigious competition after 35 years of breeding. Lovely Grey earned her spot when Bottle of Rouge developed a cough last weekend and was scratched. Portnoy, who started Go Go Greys Stable last year, posted on social media: "My horse Lovely Grey is an extreme longshot. I don't care. All you need is a chip and a chair. I'm proud of her win lose or draw."

The Small-Town Breeder Behind the Filly

Paliafito's farm, unassuming among the sprawling horse operations around Shelbyville, is where Lovely Grey was raised. Along with partners Paul and Anna-Marie Carrico and Joe and Joann Adams, Paliafito nurtured the filly until Portnoy's purchase in early March. "To get to this point, to have a filly running at this level, it's very rewarding," Paliafito said. Lovely Grey's career includes a win at Colonial Downs and second-place finishes in the Bourbonette Oaks and Cincinnati Trophy Stakes. Despite her long odds, Paliafito remains hopeful: "They have her very much of a long shot, but she's a very hard trying filly. They run the race for a reason, so fingers crossed." He plans to watch from home, saying, "8:30 at night... I'd rather watch it on TV. You get better coverage."

Trainer Kelsey Danner's Churchill Roots

Kelsey Danner, Lovely Grey's trainer, has a deep history with Churchill Downs. As a child, her father, trainer Mark Danner, would loop baling twine through her jeans to keep her close while he worked. "Oh, I remember being drug around here," she said, smiling. She learned to ride at the track on retired thoroughbreds and galloped her first horse there at age 15. Danner apprenticed under prominent trainers such as Frankie Brothers, D. Wayne Lukas, Carl Nafzger, Ian Wilkes, and Rusty Arnold. "I learned to gallop here on this track. I grew up here. I've watched every Derby my entire life," she said. Now, she walks over with Lovely Grey, a turf specialist who has looked comfortable on dirt this week and could benefit from a faster pace.

A Defection Opens the Door

Lovely Grey's entry into the Oaks came through the quiet chaos of Derby week. Bottle of Rouge's cough forced a scratch, reshuffling the field and giving the filly a spot in the primetime NBC broadcast. Portnoy's social media post captured the moment: "She'll prob be at least 30-1 unless the Stoolies bet her down. If it was a beauty pageant she'd win in a landslide." If Lovely Grey crosses first, Danner would become the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Oaks. The horse's ownership by Portnoy, a polarizing figure in sports media, adds an extra layer of attention. "There is, of course, another layer to this story," the report noted. "Dave Portnoy... owns a piece of the filly, which means the moment arrives with a spotlight attached."

The Stakes and the Outlook

Lovely Grey will break from post position 15, with jockey Dylan Davis aboard. Her career record stands at seven starts, with one win, two seconds, and one third. Portnoy's Go Go Greys Stable, founded last year, owns the horse; the breeder is listed as Joann Adams & Katy Lee, LLC. For Paliafito, the race itself is the reward. "She'll do her best, that we know," he said. Danner, who has come full circle at Churchill Downs, now prepares for the biggest moment of her training career. The spotlight from Portnoy's involvement ensures that even a longshot's run will be watched closely.

The bottom line

• Lovely Grey is a 30-1 longshot in the Kentucky Oaks, owned by Dave Portnoy's Go Go Greys Stable.
• Breeder Jim Paliafito, a small-scale operator, gets his first Oaks starter after 35 years.
• Trainer Kelsey Danner, who grew up at Churchill Downs, could become the first female trainer to win the Oaks.
• The filly entered the race after Bottle of Rouge was scratched due to illness.
• Lovely Grey has a 1-2-1 record in seven career starts, with a win at Colonial Downs.
• Portnoy's ownership adds a media spotlight to the race, drawing attention from both horse racing fans and casual observers.