The National Thoroughbred Owner Conference kicks off with a welcome reception at the historic National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this coming July 24, with the conference taking place July 25-27.
Month: June 2022
New York Breeding Industry Steps Up For Aftercare With Take2 Program
Two organizations fundamental to the growth of racing and breeding in New York State, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) and the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYSTBDF), are recognized for their contributions to Thoroughbred aftercare as the June “Donors of the Month” for the TAKE2 Program's 10th Anniversary celebration. NYTB and NYSTBDF contributed $7,500 to the campaign.
TAKE2, founded in March of 2012, set a goal of raising $10,000 a month for 10 months in honor of its milestone anniversary. With the generous help of previous “Donors of the Month” Len Green and the Green Group, TAKE2 competitor Patricia Hurter, and Empire Racing Club's Kyle Emmich, the campaign is ahead of its goal. Many more Thoroughbred lovers have contributed, raising more than $43,000 over the first four months.
“Our organization enthusiastically supports these donations,” said Najja Thompson, executive direction of NYTB. “Our membership application includes a check-off box for aftercare donations, and at the start of each year, our Board decides how we want to allocate those funds. Our focus is on organizations accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Association and based in New York, and TAKE2 is annually awarded an allotment of our funding.
“TAKE2 is such a great program that focuses on the care and retraining of retired Thoroughbreds,” Thompson added
NYTB and the Breeding and Development Fund are two organizations that have thrived and benefited from the success of New York's breeding and racing program, and each has made a commitment to providing funding to a variety of state-based aftercare organizations. Established in 1974, NYTB is a membership organization that serves as the authorized representative of the state's breeding industry and supports the development of New York's breeding and racing industries.
The Breeding Fund was created a year earlier; it's a public benefit corporation that oversees the registration process for foals and stallions, and it distributes financial incentives to Thoroughbred owners and breeders in the form of awards.
“What we do as an organization is create a population of horses every year,” said Tom Gallo, president of NYTB. “They race only until they're three, four, five years old, so when they retire, they can be at their physical peak. We don't want New York's breeders to just turn horses out in a field, so we've been active in supporting organizations that help horses from New York's racetracks.”
TAKE2 Testimonial: TAKE2's Ambassador of the Month for June is NYRA and FOX TV's own Maggie Wolfendale
Patricia Flores serves as a director of the Breeding and Development Fund. A veterinarian, breeder and equestrian, she works with mares and foals at New York's Stone Bridge Farm, purchased by Flores and her husband Scott Ahlschwede, a fellow veterinarian, in 2021. Both Flores and Ahlschwede work at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs.
“I see these horses come into the world so young and so beautiful,” said Flores. “It's very important that we make sure that they can do something else after racing.”
Her involvement in the horse show world in upstate New York has introduced her to a number of people who own Thoroughbreds and participate in the TAKE2 program. In July, Flores will be a part of Saratoga Horse Show's WIB Spectacular, which will include several Thoroughbred-only classes.
“It's so impressive to see Thoroughbred hunters taking three-foot fences,” she said. “It's breathtaking to see what great athletes they are.”
Tracy Egan is the executive director of the Fund and recalled her first meetings with the late Rick Violette, the longtime president of New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association who conceived of and established TAKE2.
“He had great foresight,” she said. “We talked about the Fund providing sponsorship at horse shows for Thoroughbred classes, and he was right: if you put up the money, you get more horses, and it's really worked.”
She went on, “It's not just the money, though. It's also the recognition. People are rightfully proud when they can take horses that have been retired sound off the racetrack, retrain them, and take them on the horse show circuit. It's wonderful to see, because the horse is happy and the owners are happy, and they get some recognition from the horse shows for the work and time that they put into the horse.”
Said NYTB's Gallo, “Aftercare programs are an integral part of our industry because horses have to be rewarded with a good life. Win or lose, they were working during their years on the track. Yes, they were well cared during those years, and when they're off the track, all of them deserve to be cared for in the proper way.”
The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program was the brainchild of then New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) President Rick Violette Jr. NYTHA partnered with the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB) in 2012 to launch TAKE2, with the goal of creating more second career opportunities and making it easier to find new homes for retired racehorses. TAKE2 sponsors awards and prize money in Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper divisions and supports Thoroughbred aftercare initiatives nationwide. The program has expanded quickly, from eight shows in three states in its first year to more than 370 horse shows in 23 states in 2021. To date, more than 2,000 Thoroughbreds have participated in the TAKE2 Program. A 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, TAKE2 is co-funded by members of the Thoroughbred industry around the country: New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund; Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations in Illinois (through Galloping Out), Maryland (through Beyond the Wire), and Pennsylvania (through Turning for Home); and Ocala Breeders' Sales Company. TAKE2 is a 2021 TCA grantee. For more information, go to www.take2tbreds.com.
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UK Gluck Publishes Phase One of Genetic Diversity Study
The first phase of a research study into the genetic diversity in Thoroughbreds is in the books, with researchers from the University of Kentucky's Gluck Center concluding from the phase one portion that diversity among Thoroughbreds “falls within the range for other breeds of horses” despite centuries of human intervention, according to the Gluck Center.
The study, by the Gluck Center's Ernie Bailey, PhD and Ted Kalbfleisch, PhD,, and Jessica Petersen, PhD, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is based on sequencing the entire genome of Thoroughbred horses, and is published in the Equine Science Review of the University of Kentucky.
According to Dr. Bailey, the completion of their first phase of research in 2021 documents that the diversity among Thoroughbred horses is consistent with that found for other domestic animals and that it falls within the range for other breeds of horses.
In a press release Thursday, the team at Gluck called the study “the most comprehensive analysis of the genetics of the U.S. Thoroughbred to date. Previous studies of Thoroughbred diversity were based on sampling small subsets of the genome,” the release says.
“The goals of the study are to create a database that catalogs the variation across the genome of today's Thoroughbred horses and to generate anonymous (by horse) data that will create a foundation of knowledge for use in monitoring changes in genetic diversity over time,” they write.
During the first phase of the study, 1,000 Thoroughbred samples were collected from horses in Kentucky, California, Florida and New York. Pedigrees of the horses were examined and 120 were selected for whole-genome sequencing to capture as much of the genetic variation of the population as possible. As a result of sequencing these horses, the study aims to create a catalog of 15 million DNA variants among U.S. Thoroughbreds which can be used to monitor future changes in the Thoroughbred population as well as to construct computer models to assess how changes in breeding practices may affect the genetic structure of the population.
The second phase of research, now set to get underway, will be a sequencing project that aims to help protect the breed from deleterious recessive genes. The appearance of variants will be identified, and programs will be used to predict whether those variants might have a potentially negative effect on a gene. Additionally, the team is interested in using part of a survey of the whole breed to get at overall frequencies of genes.
“We can whole genome sequence every animal that is suspected of suffering from a deleterious recessive condition and look for possible causes; if none are proven we can archive the DNA in a database for comparison with future horses that appear with similar disease phenotypes,” Bailey said. “If we wait until a recessive deleterious disease occurs in 1% of the population, then 18% of all Thoroughbreds will already be carriers. This approach allows us to detect such genes before they become so prevalent.”
“Importantly,” the press release concludes, “these data will be publicly available so researchers at other institutions can perform studies of specific traits or genes. The genetic data, and the approach used in generating them, also represent a new tool available for breeders to use in maximizing the genetic potential of each foal and in ensuring the Thoroughbred's status as an elite population of equine athletes.”
Those interested in learning more about the project are invited to contact Dr. Bailey at ebailey@uky.edu. Those interested in supporting this project through financial contributions may contact Danielle Jostes at danielle.jostes@uky.edu.
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Thoroughbred Makeover Marketplace Expands In Partnership With ASPCA
Thanks to the continued generous support of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced Thursday that the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, will include for the first time the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, in addition to the returning ASPCA Makeover Marketplace.
The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, open through the Makeover on Oct. 12-15 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, will include Thoroughbred horses of varying ages and backgrounds who are up for adoption from partner organizations of the ASPCA Right Horse program.
“Our continued partnership with the Retired Racehorse Project has been a fantastic avenue to support placing retired racehorses in new careers and loving homes,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of ASPCA Equine Welfare “We are thrilled to launch the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn this year to help even more Thoroughbred enthusiasts find their right horse through equine adoption.”
Participating horses will be identified closer to the event and a list of participating organizations will be published in the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, available both digitally and printed as an insert to the Fall 2022 issue of the RRP's award-winning publication, Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine. The Fall magazine issue also doubles as the Thoroughbred Makeover program. Leading up to the event, prospective adopters can visit www.myrighthorse.org, the ASPCA's online adoption platform for equines, to search for adoptable Thoroughbreds.
In addition to the horses available through the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn, the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog is expected to include over one hundred transitioned, restarted and competition-experienced Thoroughbreds who will compete at the 2022 Thoroughbred Makeover. Interested shoppers and adopters have the unique opportunity to watch horses perform, take a trial ride in a designated arena, and vet prospects on-site, all in one location, in one weekend. The trial arena and ability to schedule pre-purchase exams are also open to the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn participants, as well.
“We're grateful for the ASPCA's continued support of the Makeover Marketplace and their commitment to the RRP's work,” said RRP executive director Kirsten Green. “Through their Right Horse program, the ASPCA has fostered a new level of collaboration and innovation within the equine welfare community. The ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn is just one example of that, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to expand the scope of the Marketplace to serve more Thoroughbreds.”
The ASPCA Makeover Marketplace has become an adopter's or buyer's trusted source for Thoroughbreds for sport and pleasure. Makeover graduates available through the Marketplace have undergone extensive preparation for the event, with emphasis placed on a healthy transition from the track and appropriate training and exposure to a big show environment. Past ASPCA Makeover Marketplace graduates have gone on to successful careers in eventing, hunter/jumper, field hunter, western performance, pleasure, and trail riding.
Organizations wishing to participate in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn are encouraged to sign up by August 15th, 2022, as space is limited. More information is available on the RRP website.
Sign up to receive your free copy of the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalog, including the list of organizations participating in the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Barn as well as Makeover graduates available for sale and adoption. The digital catalog will be released at theRRP.org after August 15 and the print version will be mailed in late September.
About the Retired Racehorse Project
The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.
About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first animal welfare organization to be established in North America and today serves as the nation's leading voice for vulnerable and victimized animals. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA assists animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources. For more information, visit www.ASPCA.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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