It’s been smooth sailing for first generation horseman Keigan Madden
by Chris Lomon
Keigan Madden never expected to go from sitting in the grandstand to sitting in the race bike, but that is exactly where the Maritimes native ended up.
“Technically, I would be considered a first-generation horseman,” said Madden, who was born in New Waterford, an urban community near the Atlantic Ocean that is bordered on one side by cliffs. “But it certainly doesn’t feel that way.”
Not when you have a lifelong connection to standardbred racing and to prominent local names in the industry.
Geography played a large role in those associations.
“I hung around the Leblanc family when I was a kid — I grew up right across the street from them,” Madden said of his association with one of Eastern Canada’s most well-known racing families. “My father, Ken, has been a handicapper of the races for as long as I can remember. I know it’s a cliché, but going to the races was something my father and I both enjoyed so much.”
By the time the younger Madden reached his teens, horse racing had become a fixture in his life.
“I remember my dad taking me to the races one day and I would see my friend Brett Leblanc there,” Keigan said. “One day, I went from the races straight to the barn — and the rest is history, as they say. I haven’t left the barn since.”
Keigan’s rookie season as a trainer was 2021.
His first win came in his very first start, a 5¾-length score on July 31, courtesy of Ten Mile Beach, a pacing son of Net Ten Eom. Harold Leblanc, Jr. was in the sulky for the milestone victory.
After posting a pair of wins the following year, Keigan decided to shift his focus toward driving.
“I never planned on doing that [driving],” he said. “I owned horses with Brett, and he trained and drove them. I started training myself, but when he moved to Prince Edward Island, I ended up driving his mother’s mare in an amateur race one day.”
Holding the lines was an eye-opener for Keigan.
“I remember saying to myself, ‘I kind of like this,’” he said. “I started picking up more drives, and the training kind of went by the wayside.”
In 2023, Keigan drove 10 winners and recorded 31 top-three finishes from 65 starts.
His first driving victory came at Northside Downs in Sydney, NS — the same half-mile oval where he celebrated his first training triumph.
“It was on July 15,” Keigan said. “I was listed on two horses, but the one I was supposed to drive, Elm Grove Ocean, was scratched. I ended up picking up the drive on Howmac Napoleon.”
The bay son of Articulator held a 1½-length lead after three-quarters in 1:30.4 and extended that margin to more than two lengths turning for home.
At the wire, Howmac Napoleon and Keigan were 3¾ lengths clear in a time of 2:00.1.
“I knew I wanted to put him on the front — that’s where he does his best work,” Keigan said. “We drew off after three-quarters, went good fractions, and then sprinted home.”
Keigan compared the moment to reaching the pinnacle of a professional sports championship.
“It felt like I had won the World Series,” he said. “It was a thrill of a lifetime.”
In 2024, Keigan posted 20 wins from 164 starts. During the 2025 season, he made 12 trips to the winner’s circle and recorded a career-best 59 top-three finishes.
Although the 2025 campaign did not yield early dividends, Keigan found his rhythm down the stretch.
“Things didn’t start the way I wanted, but they turned around,” he said. “I was happy with how I was able to finish the season off.”
A major contributor to his prosperous season came on the hooves of the bay pacer David Lloyd George, who Keigan co-owns with his father and Harold Leblanc, Jr.
“We bought him halfway through 2023,” Keigan said. “He was racing in Ontario at Kawartha Downs, and we found out he had developed a reputation for being hard to handle — a sweetheart in the barn, but all business on the track.
“When we got him here, we had some figuring out to do. Since then, he’s won 15 races for us.”
Seven of those victories came last season, all at Northside Downs.
In 155 career starts, David Lloyd George — whose 1:52 lifetime mark was taken at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Aug. 29, 2021 — has compiled 28 wins and $101,891 in purse earnings.
“When I set goals each year, the first one is success with the horses I own,” Keigan said. “He’s been a great one for us.”
Keigan, who works full-time for Newfoundland and Labrador Ferry, has a familiar face helping care for David Lloyd George and his other horses.
“My dad does all the barn work when I’m at my full-time job,” Keigan said. “I guess you can say that it’s come full circle. I never imagined our shared love of racing would turn out this way, but I’m certainly glad it did.
“Harold and my dad have been best friends their entire lives, which just adds another great layer to the story. The Leblanc family has been incredible to me and has helped in so many ways. I truly love having racing in my life.”
Keigan, whose racing colors are blue and white, is already looking ahead to the 2026 season and the Northside Downs meet, which kicks off May 9.
A strong start is a top priority.
“I want to keep trending upward,” Keigan said. “I’ve had at least 10 wins each year, and I’d like to see that number grow. I’m competitive, but I don’t put too much pressure on myself.”
Which helps explain why the first-generation horseman has enjoyed every mile of the racing journey.
“I remember those days sitting in the stands, watching the races,” Keigan said. “Now I’m on the other side. In a lot of ways, I guess it was meant to be.”
