First, Kiaran McLaughlin was leaving New York. Now, he’s simply leaving training altogether. McLaughlin will give up training horses and become the agent for jockey Luis Saez beginning with the Keeneland meet, which opens on April 2. McLaughlin will be taking over for Richard DePass, who is retiring. DePass worked as Saez’s agent for the last eight years. McLaughlin, 59, decided to make the move in part due to issues he had with the New York State Department of Labor, which last November fined him $304,646 for violation of minimum wage requirements. McLaughlin, who insists he did nothing wrong to warrant the hefty fine, is also expecting a penalty from the U.S. Department of Labor. That and the high cost of doing business in New York prompted McLaughlin to divulge last December that he was going to leave New York and, after wintering in Florida, relocate to either Kentucky or New Jersey. :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter However, McLaughlin said he was approached by DePass earlier this winter about the possibility of taking Saez’s book as DePass planned to retire, citing a health scare last year. McLaughlin, who has multiple sclerosis, previously worked as an agent for Chris Antley from February 1992 through November 1993. “I loved being an agent before,” McLaughlin said. “I can stay in the business and I have a lot relationships. I had to give up three or four owners that everybody in the business would dream to have. It was a tough decision but it made too much sense not to give it a try.” When McLaughlin stopped working for Antley, he went to Dubai and began working for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing. McLaughlin also worked for Sheikh Hamdan, the brother of Sheikh Mohammed, who raced under the Shadwell banner. For Shadwell, McLaughlin trained Invasor, the 2006 Horse of the Year; Lahudood, the champion female turf horse of 2007; and Jazil, the 2006 Belmont Stakes winner. For Godolphin, McLaughlin trained the champion 3-year-old filly Questing as well as Grade 1 winners Frosted, Alpha, and It’s Tricky. “The Maktoums were so good to me and my family over the years,” McLaughlin said. “They’re the greatest owners in the game.” Saez, 27, is one of the top riders in the game. In each of the last four years, he has finished in the top nine in purse money won. In 2019, he had a personal-best $18.2 million in purse earnings. Saez is the regular rider of Maximum Security, on whom he won the $20 million Saudi Cup last Saturday. Saez is the second-leading rider at the Gulfstream Park meet with 81 wins. “Luis Saez is a great jockey and a better person,” McLaughlin said. “He has a great wife and kids and I’m excited about the opportunity.” McLaughlin said he and his owners are in the process of deciding how to divvy up the horses he has based at Palm Meadows in Florida. McLaughlin said A Thread of Blue, who won last year’s Saratoga Derby, has been moved to John Servis. McLaughlin has trained horses in the U.S. since 1995. He has won 1,577 races and his horses have earned $120,427,849 in purse money.