As uncertainty over the potential end (or not) to racing at Golden Gate Fields and Turf Paradise continues to bubble, people have wondered what will happen not just to the trainers based at those racetracks, but to their horses if and when the tracks call it quits.
For those who envisioned a mass exodus of racehorses suddenly swarming overtaxed rescue organizations in Arizona and California after these closure announcements, rest easy – for now. Those on the ground in those places say that, so far, there hasn't been a significant change in the number of horses seeking placement as a result of the uncertainty at either track.
Track owner The Stronach Group announced Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif., would stage its last race in December, but then agreed to run for the first half of 2024. Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms said last month the Phoenix, Ariz., track would not reopen after a deal to sell fell through, but then said a new buyer stepped forward to run an abbreviated live race meet beginning in January.
We spoke to longtime Arizona trainer Cynthia George before last week's news about the potential new buyer of Turf Paradise. George said she's been working with the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to secure funding and placement for former Arizona runners in need of second careers and soft landings, but she's not hearing from people who need her help because they're liquidating their entire barn.
George is working with Teri Ferguson (her partner on the Turf Paradise Race Horse Feed Angels program that provided feed and hay to horsemen in need at the start of COVID-19) to put together a non-profit called A Love 4 Horseracing Aftercare. The group is awaiting IRS approval of its 501(c)3 status and its purpose will be to serve the typical aftercare needs of the circuit.
“We place horses and we also watch for retired horses that end up in bad situations,” said George. “We did buy one off the Stroud kill pen and rehabbed him and he's currently looking for a new home. That's more what our efforts are towards, the aftercare, second careers, keeping the integrity of the sport by helping people that get in hard times.
“If people do need help they can reach out. we'll either take on the horse — we have several people who have offered to be foster homes until we can get horses placed.”
George said she heard from an older gentleman who asked for her help to sell his two pony horses after the original Turf closure announcement, but otherwise she's not aware of the potential closure pushing anyone else to retire horses.
Rumors about the future of Turf Paradise have circulated for years, and rose to a fervor earlier this year. George said that meant horsemen were ready for the possibility they may need to go somewhere else to race.
“From what I've seen, other people picked other racetracks,” she said. “Some of the people that would return from Emerald Downs in Washington are going to Golden Gate Fields because it's open an additional six months. We have some people going to Louisiana. A lot of people are filtering into New Mexico. People are going to Kentucky, Iowa; Indiana has year-round training, Florida has year-round training. People have been researching all summer, and they were prepared.
“We've been ready. It's been ongoing since the beginning of summer. It's nowhere near a dire situation. Horses are all still in good hands with owners and trainers, and they're trying to just support the industry as best they can.”
In Northern California, CARMA executive director Lucinda Lovitt agreed that if and when racing does end at Golden Gate Fields, there will still be a market for runners based there in other places.
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) provides funding for retirement of California-raced Thoroughbreds and serves as an education resource for the public and racing community.
“I recognize there is an overall concern by horsemen, track management, etc., that there will be a significant influx of horses into the aftercare system with the closure of any racetrack and that makes sense,” she said. “However, I know from all my years working at TOC (Thoroughbred Owners of California) that most owners are in this as a business or at least to attempt to break even and if they have stock that is viable in other places, my thinking is many of them will try to sell their horses to other jurisdictions where they will be frankly more competitive and run for twice as much money.”
Lovitt said she could see NorCal runners who don't ship to Southern California ending up in New Mexico, Texas, Indiana, or maybe Louisiana. She has fielded a couple of calls from people who are opting to do an off-track placement for their horses rather than selling them on, but is not seeing an enormous change in demand for placement services as of now.
Any time a track closes, however, it impacts not just horses stabled there, but the supply of horses who would have been headed there at some point in the future – and that's where Lovitt is a little more concerned about ripple effects.
“I think the challenge is going to be what the challenge always is, which is those individuals that are not 100% racing at the moment,” she said. “If they're laid up, if they have a recent injury, breeding stock, 2-year-olds that are at a farm and haven't started yet, yearlings — to me that's what I'm more worried about, the hard horses to place.”
Despite the announcement that Golden Gate will run at least six more months, Lovitt said now is the time for owners and trainers to be preparing for their horses' futures. Most of the charities within CARMA's network have a minimum wait time of three to four weeks before they can accept a horse into their program, because the majority of facilities are at or near capacity the majority of the time.
Many of the aftercare organizations Lovitt works with are boarding horses that are in the process of retraining, and horsekeeping costs in California remain extremely high. The low end of board is $600 to $750 per month per horse, and many horses who are eligible for retraining and adoption end up requiring six to nine months for training, marketing, and adoption at a pricetag to the non-profit of $5,000 to $7,000. For that reason, owners are expected to help foot the bill for a horse they want to donate into an aftercare program – either by paying to board the horse someplace until a space can open up, or by sending the horse for placement with a check.
Not everyone is thrilled to hear this, but Lovitt said it's the reality for accredited organizations. Those that are accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance are held accountable to the organization, which scrutinizes their finances and stocking rates. Becoming overcrowded or financially strapped could risk the grant money they rely on from TAA.
“From the aftercare community's perspective, we are getting much better at saying 'Sorry, we can't help you,'” she said. “It used to be everybody was scared to say no. These charities would take horses all the time. They felt so bad, everybody was so worried about the welfare of the horse that they would just take it. That's how organizations go broke. I don't think they do that as much anymore.”
The best thing she can advise for horse owners? Use this grace period to plan – for your horses' sake.
“For CARMA the important message to owners, trainers, horsemen, breeders — you need a plan,” she said. “You need to plan for retiring your horse. That may mean setting some money aside, that may mean reaching out to organizations before the horse needs to retire so you have information on what the expectations will be. That means making retiring your horse a part of your business plan.”
The post No Aftercare Crisis Looming In Arizona Or California, But Experts Say Now’s The Time To Plan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
