Ron Spatz, Thoroughbred Race Horse Trainer

Are you looking for a thoroughbred race horse trainer that believes in giving each horse the individual time and training it takes to make them a winner?

Ron never stables more than 25 horses at a time, giving each animal the hands-on time and personal training they need. What more could you want in a qualified thoroughbred race horse trainer?

Ron has 25 stakes winners and stakes placed horses and a 20% strike rate at first time out.

Private Thoughts Draws Off to Win St. Augustine Overnight Handicap

Florida-bred Private Thoughts and jockey Tyler Gaffalione came from mid-pack to challenge pace-setting leader Prevent and longshot Brawn around the far turn then spurted clear in the stretch to win the $100,000 St. Augustine overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Owned by trainer Ronald B. Spatz with David S. Romanik, Private Thoughts was the best of eight 3-year-olds and older who went a mile-and-one-sixteenth on the all-weather course.

Florida-bred Prevent, who was trying to duplicate his half-length victory ahead of runner-up Private Thoughts in the $100,000 Sabal Palm overnight handicap at Gulfstream on Nov. 29, was sent immediately to the front from the outside post by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. They raced with a clear lead through quarter-mile splits

So proud of this horse, Private Thoughts. He is the mark of consistency.

A nice gate to Wire wind today for the lovely Musical Design and my new client Etarip stable.

That horse is sure consistent! It was my first win with her after several placings.

Private Thoughts looks to build on success in Empire Builder

In September 2023, trainer Ron Spatz watched Private Thoughts make his debut and knew he had a live runner. The juvenile was clearly green and probably wasn’t staying on dirt for long, but Spatz was still impressed when he overcame a slow start to bull through the field and win by 2 1/4 lengths.

“In hindsight, it was probably an accident that he won first time out,” Spatz said.

That’s three in a row off the layoff for Private thoughts and his first stakes win, great ride by Leonel Reyes yet again

Private Thoughts Notches Third Straight in Jet Propulsion!

Trainers Arscott, Pulgarin Register First Winners Saturday Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $50,000 HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz’s Private Thoughts took full advantage of a perfect trip to score a narrow victory in the $70,000 Jet Propulsion at Gulfstream Park.

Private Thoughts back-to-back wins off the 9-month layoff!!

Private Thoughts Proves Value Breeding and Excellent Training Pay Big Dividends!
By Tandra Downs

On September 13, 2025, Private Thoughts delivered another impressive performance in his latest outing, showcasing the exceptional return on investment that defines successful thoroughbred ownership! The four-year-old bay gelding, foaled April 23, 2021, is by Florida stallion NEOLITHIC, out of Love Itself (Oasis Dream), and represents one of Florida racing’s greatest current value stories.

Bred by Helen and Joseph Barbazon of Pleasant Acres Stallions, Private Thoughts was purchased at the 2023 OBS March 2-Year-Old In Training Sale for just $11,000 by trainer Ronald B. Spatz, who co-owns the gelding with David S. Romanik.

In his most recent start, Private Thoughts earned a stellar 98 E Speed Figure while competing in a field of four over one and one-sixteenth miles on the all-weather track.

His success exemplifies the Florida-Bred Excellence program at Pleasant Acres.

Private Thoughts back-to-back wins off the 9 month layoff!!

Boombox Betty finally got her $#*! together and broke her maiden in a romp.

A Florida Breeder’s Perspective by Tandra Downs

Let’s Dance Again is in the best form of her career. More improvement wouldn’t surprise me.

A Saint She Ain’t wins her second lifetime start on the dirt.

Lady Backtalk wins her first start on the synthetic.

Private Thoughts gets the win off of a nine month layoff. Super race, super ride, by Leonel Reyes

Attorney David Romanik and his trainer, Ron Spatz, have enjoyed great success in recent seasons with runners sired by stallions from Pleasant Acres. On Friday, they made a $25,800 score at Gulfstream Park with Private Thoughts, a 4-year-old gelding by Neolithic who also earned a healthy breeders’ award for Joe and Helen Barbazon.

Romanik and Spatz purchased Private Thoughts for a bargain $11,000 at the 2023 OBS March sale and he has now earned $187,574.

AUGUST 4, 2025 BY BERNIE DICKMAN Romanik and Spatz strike again
with Private Thoughts

A very nice win. First time on synthetic surface for Majustify. Appears she likes it.

Flat Top Box wins a squeaker, great ride by Reyes!

Nice ride by the apprentice jockey, Yolber Torres, for the win!

Most Handsome wires the field in the Roar Stakes with his favorite jockey Emisael Jaramillo!

Flat Top Box does it again! Wins two of this last three starts.

Attorney David Romanik and his trainer, Ron Spatz, have had an exceptionally good run with many runners by Pleasant Acres stallions. Their latest success is with Most Handsome, a 3-year-old gelding by Neolithic who went wire-to-wire under Emisael Jaramillo at Gulfstream Park in a $56,000 allowance optional claimer at five furlongs on the grass.

Jaramillo sent Most Handsome to the lead and the gelding bred by Julie Ann Jackson never looked back, winning by three-quarters of a length and getting the distance in :54.92, just over one second from the course record. He paid $12.20 and collected $33,100 for his co-owners.

Most Handsome increased his record to 3-0-1 in six starts with earnings of $146,360. Neolithic now has 21 winners in 2025 and progeny earnings of $898,545.

APRIL 22, 2025 BY BERNIE DICKMAN

Most Handsome strikes again for Romanik and Spatz!

Jockey Jaramillo took it right to them from the start.

Lots of upside to this Filly wins of the
long layoff.

The Ronald Spatz-trained son of Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister will be running for a portion of the $15,000 in Florida-bred bonus money included in the purse and presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

Flat Top Box was in tune today, played that field like a fiddle.

Fontina comes off an eight month layoff for the score!

Come Dream With Me wins right back off the maiden victory!!

Win With Faith from last
for 2 wins in a row

Peppermint Man wins his maiden race second time out and first time around two turns.

Come Dream With Me scores his first win!

Excellent start and first time top finish for Boots on the Moon

Another maiden win first time in my barn for owner, Laura Murphy!

Ron’s Winners in 2024

Florida-bred Fillies Take to Tapeta in Juvenile Fillies

BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred fillies will be going head-to-head over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta Saturday in the $60,000 Juvenile Fillies, co-featured with $60,000 Juveniles. Both races will be run at a mile-and-70 yards and will each offer an additional $15,000 to the winners presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association if they are eligible for the rich Florida Sire Stakes program.

The FHBPA wishes to congratulate Trainer, and FHBPA Board Member, Ron Spatz on posting his 800th career win when his 2yo Filly “I Get It” bested the boys in last Sunday’s allowance race. Ron has amassed a record of 800-758-727 since he saddled winner #1 named Fast Change on 12/23/1982 at Calder.

We foster relationships between Florida horsemen, racing associations and government. More info: FloridaHorsemen.com

Thoroughbred Winners

Currently Ron has over 784 career wins and made over 16 million in purse earnings. Some of his early successes include Carterista, a Florida bred Turf Champion, grass horse who won most of the major stake races in Florida, After the early successes of Carterista, whose career ended with 27 wins out of 102 starts included graded stakes wins.

First starter at GPW a winner, Frank Alone
Congrats Monarch stable!

- Redoubled Miss was another of Ron’s early successes. She had earnings of $629,839 and is a multiple Graded Stakes Place winner. She was retired at the end of her racing career to be a broodmare.

History of a Thoroughbred Race Horse Trainer, Ron Spatz

Ron started a summer job hot walking at Monmouth Park Racetrack. He then spent 4 years grooming and 6 years as an assistant to top trainers, Budd Lepman, and Hall of fame trainer, Jimmy Croll. After a 3 year stint as a Racing Official Ron took out his trainers license in 1981 and began, what has become, a successful training career.

Individual Attention to Each Thoroughbred Horse

Ron recently attended the Ocala Breeders sales looking for young prospects. Ron’s passion is buying young horses and turning them into success stories. He enjoys working with young athletes and developing their potential.
His strong desire to personally serve his owners and give his attention to each individual horse is the root of his success.
Being a horse race horse trainer is all about winning races and keeping horses in the barn and the owners enjoying the business.

The Passion of a Thoroughbred Race Horse Trainer

Some of his more recent successes include:

Art G is Back was a OBS April 2018, 2 yr old for $90,000 purchase. As of Sept. ’19 he’s had 11 starts, 4 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, for earnings of $235,655. He has 2 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third in his last 5 stakes races.

Bye Bye J, a $21,000 OBS yearling purchase. She was Uncaptureds first starter and first winner. She won her first start and also became a stakes winner in her 2nd start. Check the article on Bye Bye J.

Mo Cash was a very interesting story. He was an 11,000 OBS June, 2016, 2 year old sale. He was also a multiple graded stakes winning, stakes placed horse.

That same week, St. Michael was the first runner and first time out winner for his sire, Handsome Mike.

Ron Spatz - Race Horse Trainer — Mo Cash

Some of Ron's Stakes Winning Horses

Here are some articles written about Ron’s winning horses after their win.

Connect with Ron, Race Horse Trainer

Connect with a thoroughbred race horse trainer that creates winning horses.

About Ron Spatz

Ron believes there is nothing more important than the time spent with the horse and the experience he brings to the table. He never stables more than 25 horses at a time, giving each animal the hands-on time and personal training they need. What more could you want in a qualified thoroughbred race horse trainer?

Are you looking for a race horse trainer for your thoroughbred? If you’re looking for a trainer that spends time with the horses on a daily basis, you’ll appreciate the personal care that Ron Spatz brings to training.

A WINNING RACE HORSE TRAINER

Being a race horse trainer is all about winning races and keeping horses in the barn.

Ron knows that the more horse races you win, the more horses you get to train. Ron knows how to do both. After starting with just 2 horses he moved to 25 horses in his barn that he was training within 3 years.

Currently Ron has over 770 career wins and made over 16 million in purse earnings. Ron Spatz got his start back in 1971 while working a summer job in his college years. He gravitated towards what he loved and headed down to the race track and started walking horses.

Ron became a hot walker and then a groom. Ron spent 4 years grooming and another 6 years as an assistant to other trainers before setting out on his own. In 1981 he took out his trainer license and began a successful career.

He has found that, for his way of doing things, stabling no more than 25 horses is the ideal to allow for the hands-on training and detailed attention that he has become known for.