Dr. John C. Kimmel (born June 25, 1954, East Orange, New Jersey) is an American thoroughbred trainer and veterinarian with more than four decades in elite racing. Interestingly enough Mr. Kimmel was born in 1954 which was the same year Melanie Cain, Dawn Eve and David Jacobson were born!

He is the son of Caesar Kimmel and the grandson of Manny Kimmel, raised inside the business from childhood—working barns, handling horses, and learning race strategy firsthand.

Kimmel earned a veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and spent several years practicing equine medicine in South Florida before becoming a full-time trainer in the mid 1980s. His background gives him a technical edge in conditioning, injury prevention, and long-term horse development.

Based primarily on the New York circuit, he has trained over 1,200 career winners and multiple Grade 1 champions, including Hidden Lake and Bar of Gold. His horses have competed at major venues such as Belmont Park, Saratoga, and Gulfstream Park.

Professionally, Kimmel is disciplined, analytical, and understated. He relies on veterinary insight and measured judgment rather than instinct alone. In a film context, he represents lineage, credibility, and structure—a career horseman shaped by family legacy and sustained success at the highest levels of the sport.