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Repole Pledges Matching TAA Donation

Owner Mike Repole has pledged to match donations to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance up to $100,000 throughout the month of January.

“Every Thoroughbred athlete deserves an enjoyable and quality retirement. I am honored to support Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and their mission of accredited aftercare,” said Repole. “I encourage others to join me in making a charitable donation during the month when Thoroughbreds celebrate their birthdays. Let us all raise awareness and do our part in ensuring these athletes receive the best, well-deserved protection as they transition beyond the finish line. It is our responsibility, and we all owe it to these amazing loving Thoroughbred athletes.”

To help spread awareness of the matching campaign for the month, TAA and Repole Stable encourage anyone with a registered Thoroughbred–whether still racing, bred to race, or retired–to contribute to the campaign, capture the celebratory moment with a photo of their Thoroughbred, and use the hashtag #TbredBDAY2024 to post to social media.

“Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is deeply grateful for Mike Repole's extraordinary $100,000 pledge. His commitment sets the tone for all of us to rally together and make an even greater impact. Join us in honoring his generosity by contributing what you can to support our retired Thoroughbred racehorses,”

said TAA director of funding and events Emily Dresen, Director of Funding and Events.

Contributions can be made by check, text, or online donation.

To donate online visit: thoroughbredaftercare.org/donate
To donate by text message: text DONATE to 56651
To donate by check: mail with attention to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at 821 Corporate Drive, Lexington, KY 40503.

The 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, TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, TAA has granted more than $31.9 million to accredited aftercare

organizations. Currently 86 aftercare organizations comprised of approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation.

The post Repole Pledges Matching TAA Donation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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With Final-Weekend Blowout, Two Horses Tie for Winningest Horse in 2023

After 365 days and a pool of 45,308 starters, two horses with 10 victories each will share the honor of North America's winningest Thoroughbred in 2023 after the filly Divine Fashion (Divining Rod) uncorked a 9 1/4-length romp at Mahoning Valley Dec. 30 to tie the Midwest-based gelding Fayette Warrior (Exchange Rate), who has been resting at a farm since October after securing his continent-topping spot.

One other gelding who was on the cusp of winning 10 times, Uncaptured Storm (Uncaptured), had been the morning-line favorite for the first race at Laurel Dec. 31, but he failed to draw in off the also-eligible list.

Divine Fashion, a 4-year-old who won all her other races in 2023 at Charles Town, and Uncaptured Storm, a 3-year-old who won at Laurel, Timonium and Charles Town, are stablemates, both owned by Richard Burnsworth and trained by Anthony Farrior.

The 7-year-old Fayette Warrior is owned and trained by Troy Bethke, whose son, Scott Bethke, rode the gelding to wins at Energy Downs (three times), Fonner Park, Sweetwater County Fair, and Wyoming Downs (twice each), plus Columbus.

Troy Bethke told TDN last week that Fayette Warrior is a “spunky, cocky little guy” who likes to train and race, and the gelding is currently being freshened at Bethke's home in Minnesota in preparation for a 2024 campaign.

Divine Fashion and Uncaptured Storm are also expected to remain in training for Farrior.

“They're just sound horses and you can keep them running,” Farrior said in a Dec. 29 interview.

Between 2012 and 2022, the North American year-end leaderboard was topped by horses who won between eight (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign) and 14 times.

For perspective, only 48 Thoroughbreds in 2023 (one-tenth of one percent of all horses who started at least once) managed seven wins or more.

The post With Final-Weekend Blowout, Two Horses Tie for Winningest Horse in 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Rice Sets NYRA Single-Season Win Record

Linda Rice saddled her 165th winner of 2023 to set the record for most victories in a year on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“It's a tough number to get to. I think about how we're starting over at one tomorrow,” said Rice, with a laugh. “It's just been an incredible year. I'm really excited and I just hope we can do something that will compare going forward. That's a high bar to set.”

With George's Vice (Unified)'s win in Sunday's second race, Rice eclipsed the previous single-season record of 164 set by trainer David Jacobsen in 2013. During 2023, the 59-year-old earned leading trainer honors at the winter [37 wins] and spring [17 wins] meets at the Big A; the Belmont Park spring/summer meet [34 wins]; and tied with Chad Brown [35 wins] to register her second title at the Saratoga Race Course summer meet.

She has also secured the title at the Aqueduct fall meet, which concluded Sunday, with the record-setting victory on closing day marking her 20th win at the meet.

In addition to Rice's record training win, she also tied with Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables for leading owner at Aqueduct's fall meet. Each had seven wins. Klaravich Stables finished the year as NYRA's leading owner for a fifth consecutive time, completing the season with a record of 235-62-39-33 and purse earnings of $6,408,466. It was Klaravich's 25th owners' title at a NYRA meet and fifth this year.

Jockey Manny Franco won the Aqueduct fall riding title with 37 wins and earned the year's leading NYRA rider honors for the third time with 238 wins across the circuit's race meets.

Rice saddled 11 stakes winners on the NYRA circuit during 2023. Among that group was Pioneering Spirit (American Pharoah), who was haltered for $40,000 in March for owner A. Bianco Holding Limited and went on to win the Bernard Baruch S. and Knickerbocker S., and Mommasgottarun (Maclean's Music)–taken for $50,000 last December for owner Ronald P. Stewart–who won the GIII Distaff H.

“We claimed Pioneering Spirit in March in a maiden $40,000, and for him to win the Bernard Baruch, win the Knickerbocker, run in Grade Is, that was exciting,” Rice said. “Mommasgottarun we claimed in December. She won a Grade III, wins a couple of allowance races for some new clients. That was really exciting.”

Rice saddled her first winner, Contraboss, in 1987 at Garden State Park and now boasts a career record of 12,879-2409-1989-1829 for purse earnings in excess of $104 million, according to stats provided by Equibase.

The post Rice Sets NYRA Single-Season Win Record appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Santa Anita Bugler Jay Cohen To Perform During Rose Parade Monday

Santa Anita's popular bugler, Jay Cohen, who is currently sidelined as he recovers from back surgery, will represent Santa Anita on a worldwide stage Monday as he performs while riding in a vintage carriage during the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

“My doctor gave me the green light,” said Cohen from his home in Glendora on Saturday morning. “I'm going to be riding in a carriage provided by Scripps Miramar Ranch and I'll be sitting for the entire time. I'm really looking forward to it. The carriage was built in 1901 and was originally used to bring people in and out of Yellowstone National Park.

“So, I'm going to be playing music from that era, from like 1900 to 1910. A lot of the songs are well known today, so I'm looking forward to having some fun with it.

“My rehab is going well, so I hope to be back to the track by the middle of January.”

The post Santa Anita Bugler Jay Cohen To Perform During Rose Parade Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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