aftercare | Horse Racing Free Tips

American Pharoah Halter Headlines Iowa Aftercare Organization’s Online Fundraising Auction

American Pharoah, one of the most famous horses in the world, is helping Thoroughbreds whose lives are spent far outside of the limelight, especially when their racing careers are over.

A halter worn by the 2015 Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic winner headlines the upcoming silent auction raising money for the Iowa-based Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds (HART) aftercare organization.

The halter was donated by Kentucky's Ashford Stud, where American Pharoah has been a stallion since retiring after the unprecedented season that saw him not only become the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes but to also capture the Breeders' Cup Classic.

In its 10th year, HART's silent-auction fundraiser will be conducted entirely online, starting at noon on June 26 and concluding July 3 at 8:30 p.m. Central. The auction features other memorabilia, services, photos, paintings, tack and more. All the proceeds go to HART's care, rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming of retired racehorses from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Those wishing to donate outside of the auction may do so directly through HART's website at iahart.org.

“We're so grateful to Ashford Stud for donating this halter worn by one of the all-time greats,” said HART president Jon Moss. “This is a chance for a racing, horse or sports enthusiast to own this priceless memorabilia while helping horses that don't have a set future when they are through racing. HART finds safe, loving homes for our retired racehorses, preparing them for second careers in the show ring, eventing, trail riding or simply as pleasure or companion horses.”

An account with 32auctions is required for bidding. Auction items can be viewed in person July 3 starting at 3:30 p.m. CT in Prairie Meadows' Prairie Rose Room on the fourth floor in the Clubhouse.

To view items, create an online account or for more information, go to www.32auctions.com/hart2020.

Since 2011, HART has worked closely with the horsemen at Prairie Meadows to provide Thoroughbred horses a soft landing after their racing careers are over.

HART is accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and is a TAA grant recipient. Facilities and organizations that rehab, retrain and/or re-home horses receive support from the TAA after undergoing an arduous application process and are inspected annually to maintain accreditation. HART is Iowa's only TAA-approved organization.

HART's board includes a representative from the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Associations, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino and the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

“Our racehorses take care of us,” said Moss, who also is executive director of the Iowa HBPA. “All of us in racing owe it to take care of them when they are through racing. We thank Ashford Stud and American Pharoah for helping Iowa horsemen to do our part through HART. We also say thank you to all our contributors over the years without whose support HART would not continue to be the organization here to help horses find new homes.”

The post American Pharoah Halter Headlines Iowa Aftercare Organization’s Online Fundraising Auction appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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At Almost 20 Years Old, Exploding Star Returns Home

As a yearling, Exploding Star (Exploit) showed all the early potential to become a successful racehorse. Her dam Star Minister (Deputy Minister) won the 1992 GII Cotillion H. at Philadelphia Park and claimed six additional stakes races over her three-year career. Her half-brother, Concerned Minister (Concern), also won several black-type races.

Exploding Star was purchased as a yearling at the 2002 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale by the late F. Eugene Dixon Jr. for $450,000.

After three career starts where she ran in the money twice, Exploding Star retired under the same ownership, and began her broodmare career at Claiborne Farm. She spent nine years at Claiborne, and was then sold in 2014 at the Keeneland November Sale for $18,000.

Six years later, Claiborne found out that this mare, who had once called their farm home, had ended up in the wrong hands and was in a kill pen in Texas. They immediately sprang into action.

Claiborne’s Client Relations and Sales Manager Jill Gordon relayed the story.

“Our assistant broodmare manager Mary Ormsby was made aware that Exploding Star was in a kill pen,” she said. “She was instrumental in organizing and coordinating Exploding Star’s return back to the farm.”

After completing a period of quarantine in Texas, Exploding Star returned to Claiborne Farm this month.

“Although thin, she returned to the farm in good health,” Gordon said. “She is doing well and is putting weight on daily here at the farm.”

Exploding Star will live out the rest of her days in retirement at Claiborne, the farm where she has spent more of her life than any other one place, sharing bluegrass pasture with fellow broodmare retirees and, as Gordon said, “being spoiled by the farm’s staff.”

“At Claiborne, we strongly believe that if you take care of the horse, the horse will take care of you,” Gordon said. “We are dedicated to the horses that we breed and raise, and this mare had strong ties to the farm through the late Mr. Dixon. It made sense for us to jump into action, just as we believe the majority of other operations would have, had they been in our position.”

The post At Almost 20 Years Old, Exploding Star Returns Home appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Thoroughbred Makeover Diary: The Gift Is in the Journey

The story of my horsemanship journey has looked a lot like this: a horse enters my life typically for an intended purpose such as to train for a specific competitive discipline, and as I truly listen to them and commit myself to solving their unique challenges, they take me down a very different and unexpected path. Just because the horse is “doing” the job doesn’t mean that it is the right one for them to stay sound and happy for their career. I like to think of the “round peg, square hole” analogy for this explanation.

What Is Meant To Be Will Be

After Entangle and her colt left, I started a new job and decided that it was time to try working with yearlings. I did not mind working with teenage horses, but I did not get the same buzz as teaching babies the ABCs of being a good horse.