Byron López was 18 years old when he moved from Guatemala and began working for a talented new trainer named Todd Pletcher. He started out as a hot walker and soon moved up to becoming a groom. Twenty-four years later, he now cares for some of the best of the best among Pletcher's elite stable.
López shared his story in Spanish, but the deep devotion he has for his equine charges surpassed any language barriers.
“I am motivated by the horses,” he said. “They are so affectionate and I get along with my horses well. I never really liked to work, but I like working here. It has been a lot of years and I just got used to it. It became home. I feel good working at the stable with everybody around.”
With his quiet presence, soft hands and pockets full of peppermints, López has played a role in developing many of Pletcher's superstars.
Invisible Ink was the first top-class horse López remembers looking after. The son of Thunder Gulch was third in the GI Florida Derby and second in the GI Kentucky Derby in 2001.
The veteran groom has had a few other favorites over the years: 2010 GI Ogden Phipps and GI Beldame Stakes winner Life At Ten (Malibu Moon), 2014 GI Breeders' Futurity and 2015 GI Blue Grass Stakes hero Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway), 2019 GIII Sunland Park Derby winner Cutting Humor (First Samurai) and of course his all-time favorite, Malathaat (Curlin).
From Malathaat's first Grade I score by a head in the 2021 Ashland Stakes to her sixth and final one in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff, López was there for every step and shared a close bond with the champion.
Byron López and Malathaat | Sarah Andrew
“She was very affectionate, very intelligent and she always liked to eat,” he said. “I looked after her a lot. I would always carry a bag of peppermints for her.”
After Malathaat retired, López didn't have long to wait before he began working with another special horse who would develop into a champion. Fierceness (City of Light) broke his maiden in devastating fashion last summer in Saratoga, winning by over 11 lengths and becoming a 'TDN Rising Star,' and then claimed the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
“He knows when he's going to the track and he settles himself,” shared López. “He knows what he's going to do on the track. He's very quiet. When I arrive in the morning and put the halter on him, he starts asking for peppermints.”
This year Fierceness put in another jaw-dropping performance in the GI Florida Derby and then after a disappointing finish in the Kentucky Derby, the Repole Stable homebred bounced back in his most recent start in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes. Before the race, Fierceness proved to be somewhat of a handful in the paddock at Saratoga.
“He started looking around and was very happy,” López said with a smile. “I was not.”
Fierceness has maintained a steady win-lose pattern throughout his seven-race career, but he will look to break that trend in the upcoming GI Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 ahead of a potential bid in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic come November.
“I know he's going to do well because he's a really good horse,” López noted. “The most important thing for me is I ask God for him to stay healthy for what's expected from him in the race. Hopefully he has the same performance and luck.”
This week, López had to part with a colt that he has grown particularly attached to. Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) had been pointing for the Breeders' Cup Classic after his win in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes, but an injury incurred during training in Saratoga forced the 4-year-old to retire prematurely.
The Fierceness team celebrates a win in the GII Jim Dandy | Sarah Andrew
Doing everything he can to ensure that his horses are healthy has always been López's top priority.
“Every time I see a race or the horses leaving the gate, I always ask God for them to have a safe trip. All of [the horses], not just ours, and the jockeys too,” he said.
Working for the same stable for over 20 years is a rare feat. López has been with Pletcher for some of the renowned trainer's very first Grade I wins, on through dozens of training titles and Breeders' Cups, and more recently, Pletcher's Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
“I am always grateful to the boss, Todd Pletcher,” said López. “I am thankful for the trust he has always had in me and to all the assistants and the people he has had on the team–because that's what we are, a team.”
No matter the outcome of next Saturday's Travers, Fierceness will receive the highest level of care when he gets back to the barn after the race. Long after the track has quieted for the night, López will be there to make sure Fierceness is clean, comfortable and stocked with plenty of peppermints.
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