Month: September 2023

‘Here To Stay’: Third Time’s The Charm For Peruvian Martin Chuan’s U.S. Riding Career

Peruvian jockey Martin Chuan has competed fulltime in the U.S. twice but now well into his third stint in North America, he's ready to stay.

“I enjoyed riding in Peru and was very successful winning many Group 1 races but I wanted to come to North America to win Grade 1 races,” Chuan said. “That's my goal and I'm going to keep working hard to get that goal.”

Chuan, who's represented by Jake Romans, has started to make headway into some of the biggest barns on the Churchill Downs backside including Brad Cox and Jake's father, Dale Romans.

Chuan returned to the U.S. in June and has ridden 14 winners from 83 starters. He's already amassed more than $1 million in purse earnings.

“We've had a great start back but I'm going to continue to work hard to keep the momentum going,” said Chuan, who was named on nine horses Friday-Sunday at Churchill Downs. “I'm working hard in the mornings, the afternoons during races and at night going to English classes to become more acclimated to life in the U.S.”

Chuan has ridden four horses at the September Meet and sports a win in a $120,000 maiden special weight aboard Stretch Ride.

Chuan first rode professionally in the U.S. in 2013 when he finished 10th aboard Aroseforgigner at Turfway Park. In 2017, Chuan once again had one mount in the U.S., a sixth-place finish aboard More Than Words in an allowance event at Churchill Downs. One year later, Chuan and Jake Romans teamed together to ride fulltime at Ellis Park but he returned to Peru after the meet. In 2019, Chuan rode at Ellis Park and the September Meet at Churchill Downs before returning to his home country.

“I want to do what's best for my family,” Chuan said. “I came to America before to try to get my name out there and get to know people around the racetrack. My family is with me now in Kentucky. We moved here from Peru and are here to stay.”

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2023 Thoroughbred Makeover Numbers Show OTTB Values Rising; Half Of Riders Get Them Straight From Track

The final entry list for the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, is complete. You can view individual entries and explore the list using filtered search features at TheRRP.org/entries. We've taken a look at trends and statistics for the entire class here.

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is uniquely positioned as the only organization in aftercare that works across all facets of the industry, including both accredited and unaccredited adoption organizations, listing agents, and for-profit trainers and resellers. The data we capture through the Thoroughbred Makeover offers a closer look at how horses are moving into second careers and may provide the most comprehensive picture of the state of Thoroughbred aftercare available. While data only comes from the 551 horses who were registered for this year's competition, it still provides valuable insight into Thoroughbred aftercare as an industry.

404 horses made final entry, but the event impacted a total of 551 that were registered and are considered part of this year's Makeover. Let's take a closer look at the class of 2023.

Sales & Acquisition

The Thoroughbred Makeover gives us a cross-section of the aftercare industry and shows the routes by which retiring racehorses are finding their ways into their next careers. One of our key metrics of success is the value of horses retiring from racing: as this figure increases, we hope more connections will realize that their horses have value in retiring sound, and that their second career is as worthy of celebration as the first.

One of the RRP's key metrics for assessing the success of its programs is the average price of horses moving into second careers — a figure which has been steadily on the rise since the organization started tracking data in 2015. This year, Makeover trainers spent on average $3,050 on the acquisition of their horses, including direct purchases and adoption. That said, 26% of horses were acquired in transactions where no cash or a nominal sum was exchanged to memorialize the transfer of ownership.

The length of time elapsed from the date of last work or race to the date of acquisition for the Thoroughbred Makeover has shifted slightly in the past year. On average, horses are spending 84 days between last race and purchase for those moving directly from connections (up from 70 days in 2022); horses moving through resellers (defined as any owner between the track connections and the Makeover trainer) spent 175 days between last race and purchase (up from 124 in 2022). Interestingly, horses in non-profit aftercare facilities had been on an increasingly longer trend of time elapsed in past years, but this year are spending on average 152 days, down slightly from 168 days in 2022. Note that this data does not include the 26 mares in the former broodmare division, whose elapsed time since last race in most cases is far longer.

How Horses Are Acquired

In keeping with trends over the years of the Thoroughbred Makeover, over half of this year's entrants were sourced directly from their racing connections. This can include both working directly with contacts on the track, as well as using a listing agent (some CANTER branches work this way, as well as a handful of for-profit agents). About five percent of this year's entrants are still owned by their track connections as well.

Top Sources

Let's examine closer the horses who are moving through established aftercare channels, including non-profit organizations, listing agents, and resellers: which sources are the most popular within their branch of aftercare?

Last Track

Taking a look at the tracks at which horses made their last start or published work can give us insight into the tier of track where horses are ending their careers, where connections are making the decision to retire a horse, or where established track and retirement programs may be assisting connections in the transition. Here are the top 10 tracks from which this year's class retired.

Racing Careers

The total and average number of starts continues to decline somewhat since 2021, which may support the conclusion that more racing connections are recognizing the value in retiring their horses earlier. On average, our 2023 Makeover entries made about 17 starts (down from about 18 in 2022) with about three wins (up from about two wins in 2022). They earned an average of $70,277.

In total, the class of 2023 made 8,876 starts, went to the winner's circle 1,144 times, and earned a whopping total of $37,106,256 in their careers. Our highest earner is the accomplished Arklow, three-time Breeders' Cup Turf runner and multiple graded stakes winner, who retired with just over $3 million in earnings.

War Horses

To be eligible for the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover retiring racehorse division, horses need to have either raced or posted a timed workout on or after July 1, 2021. We've been holding steady at about 8% of our entrants making a timed work but never making a start, and that trend continues this year. That said, we like to honor and celebrate the war horses, defined as those horses who made 50 or more starts over their careers. This hard-knocking population of horses are often sought after for their experience and general soundness. Here are our top 10 warhorses with the highest starts.

Stakes Horses

Equally exciting is our population of former stakes horses who enter the Makeover. Aftercare is for all horses, after all. Here are the stakes horses whose names you might already recognize that you can plan to see in person at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover.

Breeding

While Thoroughbreds at the Makeover were bred first to race, the decisions made by breeders today are in some way shaping the future of the Thoroughbred in sport tomorrow. Here's a closer look at how breeding industry trends will shape the Thoroughbred in its second career.

States Bred

While Kentucky continues to lead the way for most horses represented as one would expect, breeding over a third of this year's Makeover class, New York and Florida command 10% or more each. (How can the state in which a Thoroughbred is bred affect his second career? Here's our take on how regional differences in breeding affect conformation, running style, and more — and how that translates to a sport career after racing.)

Sires Represented

We always enjoy seeing which of the breed's stallions are represented, and notice that they run a range of sires enjoying regional success as well as industry leaders.

Top 10 Sire Representation

Our Makeover trainers enjoy riding horses sired by the best in the industry, and we equally enjoy seeing which leading stallions are represented each year (as reported by Bloodhorse as of press time). The only stallion on the top 10 list who is not represented at the Makeover is Not This Time.

Siblings & Families

We won't see any full siblings competing this year, but we do have half siblings coming to the Makeover: Soulful Song (2019, by Songandaprayer) and Fast Livin (2020, by Bucchero) are both out of Living Light.

Fun fact: one of last year's sets of half siblings, Spots Appeal and Maria Rose, are now represented by their dam Mariastheboss, who will be competing in the inaugural Former Broodmare division under the same trainer, Karyn Wittek.

Sale History

A total of 200 horses — that's 36% of the class — have gone through a Thoroughbred sales ring, 81 of them more than once. Here are the sales figures representing this year's Makeover class.

Demographics

Year Foaled

As is typical, the bulk of our entries are in the 3-5 years old range, but there are enough older horses to skew the average age up to 6.

Looking at just our inaugural former broodmare division of 26 horses, the average age is 12, with the majority of mares retired due to reproductive issues rather than advanced age or commercial performance of offspring.

Height

We run the gamut this year from a couple of 14.3 hand “honies” to an 18.1 hand tall drink of water.

Gender

Our number of mares overall is on the rise, aided in part by the new former broodmare division. Note that the five stallions were stallions as of time of registration, and may have been gelded by the Makeover.

Coat Color

While the majority of our entrants this year will be either bay or dark bay/brown, keep an eye out for four rare white Thoroughbreds at the Makeover.

Take a look at the full entry list here. We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, October 11-14 at the Kentucky Horse Park!

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Breeders’ Cup Launches 40 Days Of Giving Fundraising Campaign

Breeders' Cup Limited today announced the launch of 40 Days of Giving, a fundraising program that puts key Thoroughbred industry charities in the spotlight as the countdown continues to the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Designed to raise funds for a variety of important causes within the Thoroughbred industry, Breeders' Cup Charities' 40 Days of Giving campaign highlights the vital work of nonprofits in the following areas: aftercare, jockey health and wellness, backstretch and industry workers, equine services, diversity and education, and research.

Throughout the program, designated charities and their selected donors – who will show support for each cause by offering a match of up to $1,000 on their dedicated day – will be featured at Breederscup.com/Giving. Funds raised on each of the beneficiaries' dedicated days will go directly to the designated charity.

Breeders' Cup will match up to $20,000 on the 40th day of the program, Oct. 30, with the intention of raising $40,000 in honor of the Breeders' Cup's 40th running. Funds raised on the 40th day will be distributed evenly to all 40 Days of Giving charities. The donation pages will remain open through the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

“Since our founding, Breeders' Cup has worked to find innovative ways to give back to the industry,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “It couldn't be more appropriate to celebrate our 40th running with this important initiative. We thank the donors who have stepped up to support this program and we look forward to the public joining in support of these vital industry charities.”

Donors scheduled to participate include Bob Babbage, Barbara Banke, Bluewater Sales, Brook Ledge, Brookside Nursery, Stuart Brown II DVM, Javier Castellano, CJ Thoroughbreds, Alan Cooper, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Double L Racing, Steve Duncker, Gainesway Farm, Tyler Gaffalione, Hallway Feeds, Lawrence Herring, Juan Hernandez, Fred Hertrich III, Hronis Racing, Lane's End, Patrick Masson, Nathan McCauley, Old Smoke Clothing Co., Rancho Temescal, Stephen Reed DVM, Thomas Riddle DVM & Margaret Riddle, Gino Roncelli, Jaime Roth, Saratoga Spring Water, Mike Smith, Spendthrift Farm, Sterling Thompson Equine Insurance, John Velazquez, Elliott & Rebecca Walden, West Point Thoroughbreds, and WinStar Farm.

For official guidelines and to donate, visit http://www.breederscup.com/Giving.

From its ground-breaking debut of multi-million-dollar races in 1984 to record-setting triumphs in the modern era, the rich heritage of the Breeders' Cup is woven into horse racing's history. The 40th running campaign, marked by the slogan “It Runs Deep,” highlights 39 years of international competition and resulting champions via innovative fan and participant engagement opportunities across multiple platforms and on-site at Santa Anita Park. For more information, fans can visit BreedersCup.com/40.

40 Days of Giving Selected Charity Partners

California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Foundation

The California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Foundation (“CTHF”) is a 501c-3 registered charitable trust. Since 1984, CTHF has provided for the healthcare needs of backstretch workers, and their families, at California racetracks and training centers, with on-site clinics, offering primary healthcare at most venues. Our mission is “to improve the quality of lives for backstretch workers.”  We accomplish this, not only through our healthcare programs, but by offering and/or financially supporting programs and activities to better balance the lives of these hard-working individuals. www.cthfcares.org

Ed Brown Society

The mission of the Ed Brown Society (EBS) is to celebrate the rich history of African-Americans in the equine industry and to create opportunities for young people of color to gain industry exposure, training and experience. EBS offers scholarships and internships to students who demonstrate interest, skills and commitment to become trainers, farm managers, equine veterinarians, bloodstock agents and business professionals in all aspects of the thoroughbred industry. www.Edbrownsociety.org

Edwin J. Gregson Foundation

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to develop programs to benefit and enhance the quality of life of California thoroughbred horse racing's backstretch workers and their family members. Named in memory of veteran trainer Edwin J. Gregson, who was the initial driving force in its establishment, the Foundation has been in existence since 2000. The major focus of the Foundation is to provide scholarship grants to college-bound individuals, as well as supports other important programs for backstretch workers, such as English as a Second Language and literacy classes, and recreation, sports, and social activities. For more information visit www.gregsonfoundation.com  or follow on X @calgregson.

The Foundation for the Horse

For 29 years, providing care and compassion through Veterinary Scholarships, Equine Research, Disaster Relief, and Equitarian Projects. The Foundation seeks a world in which every horse, everywhere, has a healthy and productive life. www.foundationforthehorse.org

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation's leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. Since 1940, the foundation has provided more than $40 million to fund more than 426 projects at 45 universities in North America and overseas. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

Established in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1950, the mission of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is to preserve and promote the history of Thoroughbred racing in America and honor the sport's most accomplished participants in the Official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. www.racingmuseum.org

Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund

The PDJF is a 501(c)(3) charity providing financial assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Founded in 2006, the PDJF has disbursed over $13 million dollars to permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have sustained paralysis or traumatic brain injuries. The Fund is a cooperative effort among racetracks, jockeys, horsemen, owners, and racing fans. Visit www.pdjf.org for further information.

Race Track Chaplaincy of America

From the backside to the boardroom, the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) exponentially improves the lives of the 400,000+ individuals of the horse racing industry through the love of Christ.  As an evangelical Christian ministry, RTCA Chaplains, Councils, and volunteers accomplish this vision by teaching, preaching, and meeting the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and educational needs of everyone involved in horse racing.  For more information about RTCA, go to www.rtcanational.org.

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. Recipients of the Safety Net Foundation's support represent virtually every facet of the Thoroughbred industry, from jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, and grooms to office personnel and other employees of racetracks, racing organizations, and breeding farms. Assistance can come in any number of forms, including financial aid for basic living expenses such as rent and household bills, and for medication, surgical, and hospital costs. Since 1985, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has provided more than $16 million in assistance. www.tjcfoundation.org

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance & CARMA

Based in Lexington, KY, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Along with continued funding from its original partners Breeders' Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has granted more than $28.1 million to accredited aftercare organizations. Currently 81 aftercare organizations comprised of approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation. To learn more about Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to assisting Thoroughbred rehabilitation and retirement organizations. CARMA provides essential support to ensure the care and retraining of racehorses who have concluded their careers in California. By managing and disbursing funds to qualified retirement facilities, CARMA enables retired racehorses to enjoy fulfilling second careers and secure futures.

Winners Foundation

Winners Foundation is an employee assistance program (EAP) serving the California horse racing industry. An employee assistance program helps employees with personal problems that may impact their job performance, health, and mental and emotional well-being. We provide a variety of services for all employees licensed with the California Horse Racing Board and any family members of the licensee. Our team is dedicated to assuring that each employee and/or family member is comfortable and safe. We are bound by strict confidentiality guidelines in providing services. www.winnersfoundation.org

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