One Morning at a Time for ‘Steady Eddie’ Cornier

The Life

Eddie Cornier watches a race. (Photos courtesy of Julie June Stewart, unless otherwise noted)

Edwin C. “Eddie” Cornier remembers clearly the day that changed his entire life. He was 11 years old and his mom brought him to Aqueduct Racetrack, where she worked as a groom for Joe Aquilino.

“I loved it at first. I was drawn in right then and there and knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be a horse trainer. I learned how to take care of horses. My mom would let me rub legs, fill the hay nets and water buckets. I thought it was very cool as a kid.” 

Now 38 years old, he is standing outside John Shirreffs’ barn at Belmont Park with Zenyatta’s first-born colt, Cozmic One. In a well-learned, choreographed dance, Cozmic One would make a move and was countered by Cornier. While we talked, he never took his eyes off of Cozmic One, making sure that the horse was behaving while enjoying some afternoon sun. Cornier remembered that as a kid he tried to find as many books as he could about training horses. There wasn’t much available, so he grew up reading books about horse racing history. 

CORNIER WITH COZMIC ONE

He spent his weekends and summers at the track. He eventually started working for Joe Aquilino. Then he worked for Pete Ferriola. When he was walking hots, all he would think about was: “What is the best way to become a trainer?” So he headed to upstate New York to learn how to gallop for Lorraine Rowe. 

The first time he galloped, he knew he could do it. “It was an amazing experience to be on the back of a horse.” From New York, Cornier moved to Ocala, Fla. to work at Sabine Stables, where he stayed for two years while learning how to train and school young horses. He started freelancing. Along the way, he galloped multiple stakes winner Rob ’n Gin, who won the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, the Jersey Derby and the Kentucky Cup Mile Handicap. Life was good as he summered in New York and wintered in Florida.

In 2003, Cornier got his “first real big job” working for trainer Ken McPeek and his (then) assistant trainer Helen Pitts in Saratoga. He said it was a great job with great horses, and he loved working the Kentucky-Florida circuit.

The first time he arrived in Kentucky, he was in a horse van at 5 a.m. “I saw the Twin Spires under the lights. I was amazed. All I could think was wow, the Kentucky Derby! To see the Twin Spires gave me goose bumps. The first time I galloped, I was so excited; I think my horse went a little fast because I was looking around. I felt really small being there because the place felt so big and magical.”   

Cornier worked with many great horses, including another multiple graded stakes winner in Take Charge Lady, who earned more than $2.4 million. He also went to his first Kentucky Derby in 2001 and saw Monarchos win. He especially remembers the torrential rain when Smarty Jones won the Derby in 2004.

New York beckoned, and he returned to work for Steve Asmussen. He was offered the opportunity to work with Keith Asmussen (Steve’s father) in Laredo, Texas. He reflected on the experience. “I jumped on this opportunity because I wanted to learn how Steve wins so many races with 2-year-olds. This was a good learning experience for learning the mind of a young horse and seeing how their operation works. This is essential for a future trainer — to figure out how to train a young horse so they will be better behaved later in life.” 

CORNIER SCHOOLING FRESH FELINE THIS YEAR AT BELMONT

Cornier remained there for several years and eventually ended up at Fair Grounds in 2006. It was the year after Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans was still a city in recovery. He took the time to explore the city and learn the history and culture. His memories are vivid of abandoned neighborhoods and the difficulties people faced afterward. 

Cornier’s travels continued as he started working for trainer Chris Hartman at Lone Star Park in Texas. It was his first opportunity to be an assistant trainer. He was very excited when he took a string of horses to Del Mar. It was his first trip to California. “I thought it was beautiful because it was next to the beach.  We had two seconds and came within a nose!” 

After going to Zia Park in New Mexico with Hartman, Cornier decided to try being a trainer on his own. He found an owner with two horses and eventually had five horses to train. “It was a one person show. I did everything myself.” He had seven starters as a trainer and his best finish was a fourth. “Actually, just to have my first horse start and have my name in the program was a big accomplishment for a little kid from Aqueduct. I tried to convince myself that I made it, but I knew I had a long ways to go. It was good to get a taste of it to see what improvements I needed to make in myself and what changes I would have to make to become successful. It was a good learning experience.” 

It wasn’t going well. “My mom was proud of me but little did she know about the struggles I was going through financially. I was tired and broke all the time. It’s pretty hard. But if you love it, it doesn’t seem so hard.” 

CORNIER ON HORSEBACK AT 10 YEARS OLD

Photo courtesy of Eddie Cornier

Cornier gave it a lot of thought and decided he wanted to return to California. He found homes for his horses and moved to Santa Anita in December 2010. “I thought that Santa Anita was the most beautiful track I have ever seen, and by this point in my life, I have been to a lot of them.”

He freelanced as a galloper. He worked with Matthew Chew for the HBO TV show “Luck” about horse racing. He helped train the horses and extras for the show. The following spring, he freelanced for Shirreffs. “I freelanced for one day and got the job! It’s a really good job, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with one of the best. It is super exciting to work side by side with John. He takes the time to show me things, even if it’s giving me a riding lesson when we are riding side by side on the track. I am so fortunate to learn from him.“ In 2013, Cornier returned to New York with Shirreffs and managed his Belmont barn while Shirreffs was in Saratoga. 

Shirreffs is very complimentary about Cornier. “Eddie’s nickname is Steady Eddie because you can always count on him to do the right thing and he always takes things in stride. Great qualities for a horseman.”  

CORNIER DISCUSSES A RACE WITH VICTOR ESPINOZA

When he gets up in the morning, he reviews his “to-do” list. “I am fortunate to wake up and like what I do, even if it’s at 5 a.m. and even if it’s hard to get up sometimes. I feel fortunate to like my job. I like what I do. I like to see the sun rise. I like to get to the barn when it’s quiet before everybody else does.”

When asked if there were any memorable horses that he worked with, Cornier responded that there was one horse that has held his heart over the years. Bocelli was a horse who was in Shirreffs’ barn during 2013. “He was one horse that I learned so much from. Sometimes the horse is the one doing the teaching.” Another horse he learned from was New York-bred Invitation who raced 38 times from 1996 to 2001.“He taught me how fit a horse can be and how long it takes to get them there.”

As for his plans for the future: “I am very happy where I am right now, but I try not to be complacent. I always try to keep learning. And the horses will always keep teaching me. I never think that I know everything.”

From an 11-year-old little boy who tried to find books on horse training to a life spent working across the nation with some of the finest trainers in the United States, Eddie Cornier continues to work toward his dream. As he stands in the sunlight with Cozmic One, it is apparent that his dreams are attainable.  Steady Eddie is on the path to success, one morning at a time.  

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