Jen Roytz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Thoroughbred Makeover’s Arrival Exam, Finale Jogs Sponsored By Keeneland

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced Wednesday that Keeneland has returned as the sponsor for the Arrival Exam and Finale Jogs at the combined 2020 and 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover. The Arrival Exam and Finale Jogs are the most prominent equine safety and welfare initiatives at the Makeover.

First instituted at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, the Arrival Exam requires each horse to have proof of current vaccinations, vitals (temperature, respiration and heart rate) within a normal range, be scanned for a microchip that has been registered with The Jockey Club, pass a walking soundness exam, and score a four or higher on the Henneke Body Condition Scale (the industry standard for assessing a horse's condition and fat coverage).

The Finale Jog was originally intended to debut at the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, which was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Now instituted for the first time for both the 2020 and 2021 competition years, the Finale Jog will ask the top five finishers in each of the ten disciplines offered to present their horses in-hand at the jog for a ground jury consisting of at least two veterinarians and the chief steward the day prior to competing in their respective discipline championships.

“Keeneland has long been a global leader in Thoroughbred racing and sales, and through their support of aftercare and welfare initiatives like the Arrival Exam and Finale Jog, they demonstrate their dedication and commitment to the breed,” said Jen Roytz, executive director of the RRP. “Their support offers credence to our hundreds of competitors who invest their time, effort, money and skill in transforming these former racing athletes into viable sport horses.”

To help participating trainers prepare their horses for the Thoroughbred Makeover, the RRP provides educational resources throughout the year leading up to the event, including interactive webinars with veterinarians and nutritionists as well as educational videos and articles. The RRP's consulting veterinarian, Dr. Shannon Reed, also makes herself available as a resource for trainers throughout the year, answering questions and helping to connect competitors with appropriate resources and support in their local equestrian communities.

“Equine safety and welfare remain a top priority for Keeneland, and our sponsorship of the Arrival Exam and Finale Jogs is another opportunity to strengthen that commitment,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are proud to support the Thoroughbred Makeover and its work to showcase the talents of former racehorses who have entered the next phase of their careers.”

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The 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium will be a double competition, with horses from the postponed 2020 event competing in their own classes alongside the regularly scheduled 2021 competition year. The combined event will take place October 12 through 17 and will include two Finale days on Saturday and Sunday. In total, over 800 trainer applications were accepted between 2020 and 2021, and as many as 900 horses could be competing this October.

In addition to competition, the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium will once again feature the ASPCA Makeover Marketplace, a unique horse shopping experience in which more than 150 of the well-started Thoroughbreds competing in the event will be available for purchase or adoption. This year, the Marketplace is also open to listings for 2022 Makeover prospects from non-profit aftercare organizations. The Makeover will also include seminars on topics pertinent to transitioning racehorses to new disciplines, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Summit, the Master Class (a racehorse retraining clinic), and a vendor fair.

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 putting on the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world's largest retraining competition for recently retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, hosts off-track Thoroughbred retraining clinics around the country, maintains the Thoroughbred Sport Tracker (the internet's only user-driven database tracking second career talent and accomplishments of registered Thoroughbreds) and presents programing at major horse expos across the country. Visit RRP online at therrp.org.

About Keeneland: Since its first race meet began 85 years ago on Oct. 15, 1936, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world's largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts four sales a year, in January, April, September and November, and presents online auctions through the Keeneland Digital Sales Ring. Graduates of Keeneland sales dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2015 and 2020 and is holding the event again on Nov. 4-5, 2022. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research, and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains the Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.

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Keeneland Continues Sponsorship at Thoroughbred Makeover

Keeneland will return as the sponsor of the Arrival Exam and Finale Jogs at the combined 2020 and 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover, the Retired Racehorse Project announced Wednesday.

The Finale Jog was originally intended to debut at the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, which was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Now instituted for the first time for both the 2020 and 2021 competition years, the Finale Jog will ask the top five finishers in each of the 10 disciplines offered to present their horses in-hand at the jog for a ground jury consisting of at least two veterinarians and the chief steward the day prior to competing in their respective discipline championships.

The post Keeneland Continues Sponsorship at Thoroughbred Makeover appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Thoroughbred Makeover Diaries Presented By Excel Equine: The Next Generation Sees Aftercare As The Future, Not A Charity

Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, who was born and raised in Louisville, changed boxing, as well as society at large. Quarterback Johnny Unitas, who played college football at the University of Louisville, was the architect of the two-minute drill. German immigrant J. Frederick Hillerich pioneered the modern baseball bat and founded Louisville Slugger. In horse racing, there's the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.

Two miles from Churchill Downs is the University of Louisville College of Business, and that's where horse racing can find some of the answers the sport desperately needs to keep it relevant and thriving in the 21st Century.

I was the guest speaker at the EQIN 304: Equine Marketing class that is part of the College of Business's Equine Industry Program on March 17. Although I was there to answer questions about the horse racing and aftercare industries, as well as about my broadcasting and riding, it was the students asking me the questions that I believe have the answers.

Before I even spoke to the class, I had a good feeling that I would learn as much from them as they would learn from me. University of Louisville offers the only undergraduate equine program in the world that is part of an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited business school.

Sarah Memmi, who teaches the equine marketing class and contacted me about being a guest speaker, has a sure-thing exacta box of qualifications as an assistant professor of marketing combined with a background working with horses.

During the week before I joined the class, Memmi sent me a list of questions that the students created as the basis for our discussion. The very first on the list: “How do you see the industry moving forward from outside pressures other than 'We love our horses'? How important would a national campaign be?” I could tell we were going to get right to it.

I enjoyed our discussion, but what I found even more valuable was learning about the semester projects the students were in the process of creating. Although she said she could have chosen other topics, Memmi chose aftercare as the focus of EQIN 304.

“Number one, aftercare is an important ethical issue in racing, and anyone that is going into this industry as a career needs, not only to be aware of it, but to understand it,” Memmi said. “It's also important to marketing the sport of racing.”

In the same way that the development of racehorses doesn't start when they arrive at a racetrack because breeding and raising yearlings is an integral part the sport, horse racing is starting to embrace that it also doesn't end when they leave the track.

“Aftercare is not charity; it is part of the life cycle process of a Thoroughbred,” said Jen Roytz, the executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project, who also spoke to EQIN 304. “They can't race forever, so they need to have a purpose after racing, and they need to have a value associated with that purpose, whether it's breeding, sporthorse, or recreational.”

That first question that I was presented with about moving the industry forward is something the students began to answer through their Marketing Plan Project Assignment.

Madison Jackson and Reagan Mestre thought of a “Trainer Aftercare Awareness Certification” that incorporates aftercare awareness into the licensing process for trainers at the state level.

“Many times, racehorse trainers are not aware of the ways to properly rehome a Thoroughbred after its career, nor are they aware of the vital role they play in this process,” they wrote.

Sean Collins and Davis Klein proposed “CK Aftercare” in order “to promote aftercare awareness and education in low-tier and low-income tracks within the United States.”

Alyssa Carinder, a 2021 graduate of the University of Louisville, is launching her career as Farm/Development Manager at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's sanctuary farm at Chestnut Hall in Prospect, Kentucky. At UofL, Carinder double-majored in Equine Business and Marketing and competed on the hunt seat team.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Memmi/UofL Equine Industry Program

“This issue has come to light in recent times where trainers and owners have had a 'one more race' mentality instead of retiring their horse,” they wrote, adding, “We will create an on-track presence and form personal connections with both the horseman on the track and the different local organizations that may take the horses when their racing careers are over. These personal connections will help educate horsemen on the different options and create trust with our organization.”

But because aftercare must address the range of horses coming off the track, Adrianna Lynch and Emily Charnota proposed that prominent auction houses such as Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton could create a “select sale” that would promote higher-end Thoroughbred sporthorses.

“Aftercare is really complicated and fairly new, so that means you have a lot of room to innovate,” Memmi said. “I was really impressed with the work that they did. They came up with some really interesting ideas, and looking back on it, what I'm happy with is that the future leaders in the industry are getting this ethical piece of the sport. They're into it because they care about horses. They want to do right by the horses.”

The month of May has brought many issues in horse racing into the mainstream. Trainer Bob Baffert gave enough material to the writers of Saturday Night Live to make a mockery of himself and the sport. Then, one day later, Michael Blowen of Old Friends gave enough material to the writers of CBS Sunday Morning to show how moving aftercare can be.

With Churchill Downs suspending Baffert, the city of Louisville may not be as welcoming a place to him as it once was. But, with the growth of the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program, including the addition in the fall of a graduate program connected to an MBA, the city is welcoming some bright minds and future leaders that can revolutionize horse racing if they're given the chance.

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More Inspiration Presented With RRP’s Highpoint Thoroughbred Award At 2021 Grand-Prix Eventing

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) proudly presented the $5,000 Highpoint Thoroughbred Award at the 2021 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Bruce's Field in Aiken, SC on Saturday, March 6. Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration took top honors as the highest-placed Thoroughbred, with Colleen Rutledge and Confidence Game coming in second.

The Highpoint Thoroughbred Award was first introduced at the 2020 Grand-Prix Eventing, and the Retired Racehorse Project continued the tradition thanks to the contributions of Dr. Kevin Pfiester of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Dr. Stuart E. Brown of Brownstead Farm, Dr. Andy Clark and Kathleen Sullivan, and Dr. Rebecca Newell and William Griffin. The RRP's board president Carolyn Karlson was on hand to present the award.

“Showcasing Thoroughbred competing successfully at the highest levels of equestrian sport goes a long way in increasing demand for them in the equestrian world,” said the RRP's executive director Jen Roytz. “The RRP was proud to support this year's Highpoint Thoroughbred Award, along with Dr. Kevin Pfiester, Dr. Stuart Brown, Dr. Andy Clark and Kathleen Sullivan, and Dr. Rebecca Newell and William Griffin. All of us are thrilled to shine a light on More Inspiration, Confidence Game, and their talented riders in this way.”

Holly Jacks-Smither's More Inspiration is a 16-year-old Ontario-bred gelding bred by Display Farm, by Inspired Prospect out of the Buckley Boy mare Gentle Buck. He made 28 starts in Ontario, winning four for total career earnings of $55,560. With strong ties to the racing industry — Jacks-Smither started galloping racehorses at age 12 and her husband is a racing trainer — it's fitting that she has taken an off-track Thoroughbred to the highest levels of eventing.

“I grew up riding Thoroughbreds and that's essentially almost all I've ever ridden, so it's amazing to have the Retired Racehorse Project getting behind these horses!” stated Jacks-Smither. “It's always special to have one you produced yourself come up through the levels, especially More Inspiration — he's the horse that made my career.”

Taking home the second prize for the Highpoint Thoroughbred Award, Confidence Game is Jockey Club-registered as Pam's Luc, an 11-year-old Arkansas-bred stallion bred by Richard Hessee. Confidence Game is by Morluc out of the Brief Ruckus mare Pam's Ruckus. Colleen Rutledge sourced the horse through Three Plain Bays, a private Thoroughbred reseller based in Maryland.

“I'm so proud of Confidence Game and how he handled the weekend,” described Rutledge. “This was the toughest course he's ever seen from a visual aspect. Thoroughbreds have such great heart, and he gave me everything I could have asked from him on the cross-country and show jumping.”

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 organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, hosts off-track Thoroughbred retraining clinics and programming at major horse expos and events around the country, and maintains the online Thoroughbred Sport Tracker (the internet's only user-driven database tracking second career talents and accomplishments of registered Thoroughbreds). Visit the RRP online at TheRRP.org.

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