Weir duties will include development the THS fundraising strategy and expanding the engagement of the organization's herd of retired racehorses through therapy and program utilization

“I am certain that our team will immediately benefit from Kim's diverse business background, successful fundraising skills and her deep relationships across the Thoroughbred industry” said  Dr. Erin Sisk. “Kim's understanding of the racing landscape and personal commitment to sharing the gift of horses with all who need them, will provide our young and growing organization with an invaluable new asset to help us realize our bold vision for the countless lives we can heal and help with the therapeutic benefits of our horses.”

Weir also served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association in Washington, DC.

The San Diego native graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations and received her M.B.A from the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary. She and her husband, Bob, moved to Saratoga Springs from the Washington D.C. area in 2018.

The post Weir Appointed Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga Director of Strategic Growth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The live event will be co-hosted by Kim Weir, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at the TRF; and Lonny Powell, CEO of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (FTBOA). The two organizations collaborate closely to raise the funds required to care for the 50 horses in the TRF herd at Lowell Correctional Institution. Weir and Powell will be joined by Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Trainer, Mark Casse; FOX Sports Racing Analyst Acacia Courtney; and Niall Brennan of Niall Brennan Stables. The global audience will be invited to participate in an interactive online Q & A at the event's conclusion.

“Everyone who works with and cares for horses knows that they make us better people,” said Weir.” Without judgment, and without words, they teach us to be stronger, calmer, more present, more confident and more empathetic.

“The Lowell Horse Show offers a unique window for the whole world to see, hear and feel the impact that the retired racehorses have on the lives of the women at Lowell,” Weir continued. “I believe that everyone who joins us on October 21st will be inspired, uplifted and perhaps more hopeful about the potential for Second Chances in our challenging world.”

The post TRF To Host Lowell 20th Anniversary Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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For two decades, the TRF and Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida have been engaged in a powerful public-private partnership focused on saving horses and changing lives through the TRF Second Chances program. The virtual event will bring viewers inside the horse farm at the Lowell facility and provide an unprecedented opportunity to experience the connection between the horses on the women currently participating in the program. The Lowell Horse Show will also shine a spotlight on several women who have successfully graduated from the program and gone on to brighter futures post-incarceration.

The live event will be co-hosted by Kim Weir, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at the TRF and Lonny Powell, CEO of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (FTBOA). The two organizations collaborate closely to raise the funds required to care for the 50 horses in the TRF herd at Lowell Correctional Institution. Weir and Powell will be joined by Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Trainer, Mark Casse; FoxSports Racing Analyst, Acacia Courtney; and Niall Brennan of Niall Brennan Stables. The global audience will be invited to participate in an interactive online Q & A at the event's conclusion.

“Everyone who works with and cares for horses knows that they make us better people. Without judgement, and without words, they teach us to be stronger, calmer, more present, more confident and more empathetic” shared Weir. “The Lowell Horse Show offers a unique window for the whole world to see, hear and feel the impact that the retired racehorses have on the lives of the women at Lowell. I believe that everyone who joins us on October 21st will be inspired, uplifted and perhaps more hopeful about the potential for Second Chances in our challenging world.”

There is no cost to view the event, which will be broadcast online to any connected device and streamed live on the TRF's YouTube, Facebook and Twitter feeds on October 21. A recording of the livestream will be available immediately following the event's conclusion.

Sponsorship for the TRF Lowell 20th Anniversary Horse Show has raised more than $50,000 toward the operating cost of the TRF program in Ocala. All sponsorship dollars are dedicated toward the cost of care of the 50 retired Thoroughbred racehorses in Ocala within the TRF national herd.

The Platinum Sponsors for the horse show are the Heider Family Foundation and Dr. Nick and Stephanie Meittinis. Gold sponsors include the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (FTBOA), Mary and Gary West and Dr. Calvin E. Burgart. The Silver Sponsors are Jill and Bob Baffert, Churchill Downs Incorporated, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Blue Moon Aftercare.

Supporting sponsors include Bergen Stables, Brook Ledge Horse Transportation, Casse Racing, Jellyfish Water Company, Lazy Dog Cookie Company, Little Red Feather Racing, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Niall Brennan Stables and Polyflex Horseshoes.

Media Partners from across the Thoroughbred Industry have extended their support for the 2021 livestream event along with a diverse and enthusiastic team of Promotional Partners who have helped the TRF reach new audiences for this year's livestream event.

Last year, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation hosted a livestream horse show featuring the TRF Second Chances Program at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington, KY.

When: Thursday, October 21st 8:00 p.m. ET   

Where: Worldwide, https://www.trfinc.org/event/trf-lowell-20th-anniversary-horse-show/  

Direct Link to Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI3spYat2zE

The post TRF To Host Worldwide Live Stream Event From Lowell On Oct. 21 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Aftercare has grown significantly since the TRF's founding, in the number of organizations that provide opportunities for retired Thoroughbreds and in awareness among many in the industry that it is simply the right thing to do,

TRF's Kim Weir joins publisher Ray Paulick and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth in this week's edition of the Friday Show to talk about the TRF's Second Chances program that teams ex-racehorses with incarcerated men and women as part of a rehabilitation and vocational effort to get those individuals prepared for life outside of prison.

Weir is especially excited about an upcoming Horse Show on Oct. 21 that will be streamed live to showcase some of those inmates and the horses they care for. Go to www.trfinc.org for details.

Hackbarth had the opportunity recently to see real-world results of the program, writing about former Blackburn Correctional inmate Josh Ison, now working at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. (Read the story here.)  “The TRF Second Chances program at Blackburn taught me patience with horses, and people,” Ison said.

Paulick and Hackbarth review Woodbine Star of the Week God of Love, Mark Casse's third consecutive Cup and Saucer Stakes winner. The 2-year-old colt is the 99th stakes winner for Eclipse Thoroughbreds, a partnership that had its first runner 10 years to the day before the Oct. 10 Cup and Saucer.

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Woodbine, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Giving Horses And People A Second Chance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“Sometimes I can't believe this happened for me,” Ison said reverently last week, leaning against a bale of straw in the quarantine barn at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. 

He looked down for a moment.

“It's different from anywhere else I've worked,” he continued. “They take care of me, no matter what, whatever I need. Like, when I got out, [my boss] came and got me and took me to get clothes and all that. I mean, who else is going to do all that?”

Ison, 40, is a graduate of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Second Chances program at Blackburn Correctional Facility. The eight-month program utilizes a herd of more than 50 retired racehorses to help inmates build life skills while participating in a vocational training program. Inmates learn to work with the horses one-on-one in a round pen, to trim their feet, and to provide daily care, as well as taking lessons on equine anatomy and physiology in a classroom. 

“The TRF Second Chances program at Blackburn taught me patience with horses, and people,” Ison said. “You're locked up, you know, and there's all kinds of different people. But when you get down there, it's a whole different story. You're not locked up anymore. It's freedom.”

Considering his role on the facilities maintenance team at Rood & Riddle, Ison acknowledges that his time in the Blackburn program helped him become the kind of man he wants to be. Now, it's the support of his boss and his coworkers at Rood & Riddle that are helping him to continue that growth.

“Why do I like working at Rood & Riddle? It's a family,” Ison said. “We're all together. If anybody needs help, anybody that needs anything, it's gonna be done for them. That's what I like about it. And the horses, I love it. That's why I show up every day.”

Ison grew up in the southeastern part of Kentucky, coal country.

“I worked in coal mines all my life, and you don't miss work there,” Ison explained. “I've always been used to production, and this [job at Rood & Riddle] is nothing about production. That's hard for me to comprehend sometimes, because I get caught up, and I want to do everything right then. But you have to slow down and take your time with it, because every horse is different.

“It's all about patient care, making sure everything's taken care of with the horses. The horses are first, no matter what. After that, I take care of some maintenance things; I do everything.”

Ison did have some experience with horses as a child, when his family would go for trail rides and picnics on horseback, but he had never been involved with them up close, every day. That all changed when he was able to enter the program at Blackburn.

“My favorite horse was Big Time Spender,” he said. “That's the one I fooled with every day. We'd lunge them, you know, learning how to train them in the round pen. But mostly I just liked to curry him off, getting to know him, developing a relationship. I loved that horse.”

Big Time Spender is a 21-year-old bay gelding who raced 97 times in his career, compiling a record of eight wins, 10 seconds, and seven thirds. He earned $73,045 on the track, last racing in 2008.

Working with Big Time Spender on the lunge line is about “getting his respect,” Ison explained. “He's a good horse, though. He knows everything. You have to show him you're not scared of him. You just have to get a feel for each other. It's something you can't really explain, or I can't, anyway.”

Ison's hands-on equine skills are one of the reasons Rood & Riddle's Facilities Manager Erin Mathes decided to hire him after his release, but it also came down to his personality.

“Josh has a great sense of humor,” Mathes said. “He's a good guy; I think he'd do anything for anyone, but the big thing is he's really smart and funny. I actually enjoy working with him, and we work together quite a bit.”

Ison had learned how to interview for the job thanks to Laurie Mays, the Equine Talent Pipeline Project Manager for the Kentucky Equine Education Project. Mays is the connection between Blackburn and Rood & Riddle.

“Rood & Riddle has definitely decided to become this kind of partner in the industry, because we are looking for people who want to work in it,” Mathes explained. “Josh is not my first Second Chances hire, but he is one of my first three.

“Josh came with the horse knowledge from the Blackburn project, but it's so different from the knowledge that we need him to have here. Those are horses that have been in the program for a long time, they're very broke, and here we see a lot of new horses every day, and you never know what you're going to get. It's something we are slowly building on with him, but Josh embraced every job here. He wanted to be involved as much as possible with anything and everything. 

“Josh came to us with a background in not just horses through the Blackburn project, but also in construction and landscaping — a little bit of everything. He wanted to do everything, so as facilities manager, I got him as involved as possible. 

“He comes across to me as an employee who wants to be challenged with different things every day. I know, with where he was, for the time he was in, it was a good thing for him to be continuously active and involved. With that, he gets to meet different people, and I think he's made some friends here, so he's part of a big team.”

Ison agreed that keeping himself busy has been the best way to keep moving forward since his release. Still, his favorite part of the job is being able to work with the youngest horses at the hospital.

“To go out in the pen and put my hands on them, to rub on them… I love it,” he said.

The post Blackburn Grad Grateful For Second Chance With The Rood & Riddle ‘Family’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In addition to a meal, the event will feature family-friendly activities, music, raffle and silent auction items, along with book signings by Chris Brown, author of “Roll Cyrus Roll” and award-winning broadcaster and former jockey Donna Brothers, author of “Inside Track.” There will also be guest appearances from racing celebrities including Maggie Wolfendale Morley, Acacia Courtney, Ramon Dominguez, and more, as well as a few special equine guests.

“We are so excited to welcome back so many friends of the herd to celebrate the summer at Saratoga,” said Kim Weir, Director of Major Gifts and Planning. “2020 was certainly a year unlike any other and we are so grateful for the continued support of our mission to save horses and change lives.”

Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are available for advance pricing of $40 through Aug. 1 before increasing to $45 per ticket.

The post TRF ‘Barbecue at the Barn’ Returns For 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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After winning nine of his 17 starts from 1986 to 1991 at the Spa, Quick Call transitioned in his post-racing career to another starring role in the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's (TRF) pioneering “Second Chances” vocational training program, working with inmates at Wallkill Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

That blend of excellence earned Quick Call rock star status at both the Spa and at Wallkill – and now, a rare honor on the Saratoga backstretch. This week, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will bury the ashes of the two-time Grade 2 Forego champion at Clare Court, the bucolic, half-mile jogging track.

An unveiling of the memorial will be scheduled in July, along with a TRF event to celebrate his life in coordination with the running of the Grade 3 Quick Call on Opening Day, July 15.

“Few Thoroughbreds ever had that kind of dual career and did it so well for so long,” said TRF Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving Kim Weir of Quick Call, who died in October 2019 from the infirmities of old age, at 35. “He had an aura about him. Quick Call was a legendary horse who earned respect from the other horses and from the men at Wallkill. To know he'll be at rest at Saratoga Race Course, which he loved so much, is a great ending.”

Quick Call will be put to rest at Clare Court, a serene and magical spot on the backstretch named in honor of Clare Belmont wife of the late August Belmont II. He will share the hallowed ground with a select group of Thoroughbred racehorses who were beloved stars at Saratoga Race Course.

He joins Fourstardave, another fan favorite from Quick Call's era who won at least one race for eight straight years at the Spa, as well as two other mid-1980s legends, the Irish-bred turf runner Mounjare, and A Phenomenon, a top sprinter. Like the others, Quick Call will have a headstone commemorating his accomplishments.

Over the course of his 86-start career for owner Lynda Stokes, the gelding won $807,817 on the track and established a 16-15-12 record. Putting his affinity for Saratoga to good use, Quick Call and Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day won the 1988 and '89 editions of the Grade 2 Forego Handicap. They narrowly missed a third straight win at the Forego in 1990, losing by a nose to Lay Down.

Prior to retirement, Quick Call, under Jorge Chavez, upset Sewickley in the 1990 Grade 2 Tom Fool at Belmont Park. The son of Quack was trained by Hall of Famers Sid Watters and Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll, Jr. The Quick Call Stakes, now in its 14th year at Saratoga Race Course, is named in his honor.

“He always showed up, he was always prepared, and my goodness, he loved Saratoga, where he had a knack and always stepped it up,” said Day. “Some horses have the talent, but no heart. Quick Call had both talent and heart.”

Just why Quick Call took so well to Saratoga is anyone's guess. “Whether it was the air, the cool mornings, the racing surface, or all of the above, we'll never really know,” said Day. “Quick Call was a good horse downstate, but took it to another level at Saratoga. It was a joy to ride him.”

Retired from the track in 1990, Quick Call became a riding horse, before joining the TRF herd in 2001, and spending the next 18 years at Wallkill, where he worked with inmates on the TRF “Second Chances” accredited equine care and stable management program. At Wallkill, Weir said, Quick Call quickly established himself as the most accomplished and respected horse at the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) accredited program.

NYRA and its horsemen are committed supporters of the TAA, which accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.

Quick Call wasn't the first member of the TRF herd at Wallkill; the first to arrive was Promised Road. But at his passing, Quick Call was the senior resident among the approximately 50 horses at Wallkill as well as TRF's 500-member herd at farms across the country.

“Whenever his name is mentioned at a New York track, someone will tell a story about him,” said Pat Stickney, Executive Director of the TRF. “We were honored to have had him in the TRF herd for so many years. People would visit the farm to just see him and to have their picture taken with him. Until the end he was dignified and all class; he knew he was special.”

Bred by Warner Jones, Jr. and David Greathouse, Jr., Quick Call made five starts as a 2-year-old in 1986, winning a Belmont Park maiden race and finishing fifth in the Saratoga Special Stakes. In 1987, he broke through at Saratoga, winning three of four races to help Watters claim the meet championship for trainers with 12 wins. Quick Call was even better in 1988 when he won five of 15 starts including all three Saratoga starts and the first of those two consecutive Grade 2 Foregos.

NYRA TV's Ernie Munick, who was a handicapper with the New York Daily News when Quick Call reigned at Saratoga, vividly remembered him as a handicapper's dream – “a fast, classy and reliable horse who first and foremost, liked the wet track, and gave it his best every single time out.”

“He was an honest horse, one you knew would always give you 110 percent,” says Munick. “As a handicapper, I always looked forward to seeing him, and at Saratoga in particular. You knew he'd be there. God bless that horse.”

Day couldn't be happier that Quick Call's ashes will soon be at Clare Court.

“He loved Saratoga and I'm delighted he's getting that honor,” he said. “He really deserves it.”

The post Quick Call To Have Ashes Interred At Saratoga’s Clare Court appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The new TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall will be the permanent home of 11 horses from the organization's national herd of 500 retired Thoroughbred racehorses. These “herd ambassadors” will serve as educators to tell the story of the long life and diverse second careers that await these equine athletes when their racing days are done. Located on nearly 30 acres of historic farmland in Oldham County and featuring a beautiful farmhouse restored to serve as an event venue, Chestnut Hall has been created for the express purpose of connecting Thoroughbred horses to the people of Louisville, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond.

Starting mid-May, the farm will be open to the public for tours through Visit Horse Country and will be available as a unique venue for educational events and fundraisers for nonprofits across the Louisville community.

The TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall represents the realization of a dream of local businessman, Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The new farm has been created as a gift to the horses of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the citizens of Kentucky. On behalf of his family and community, Carstanjen was moved to purchase the property in Prospect to protect the historic farmhouse and pasture land from residential development.

Over the course of the past year, Carstanjen has personally overseen the restoration of the 25+ acre property to its former beauty as an active horse farm. Reflecting his deep personal appreciation for the horses at the heart of the Thoroughbred racing industry, Castanjen sought out the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation as his partner to provide a home for retired racehorses and to connect the Louisville community, broadly defined, to the majestic animals upon whom the Thoroughbred racing industry relies.

“Thoroughbred horses have enriched the lives of countless citizens and visitors to Louisville throughout history, but very few opportunities exist for the community to experience and interact with these extraordinary animals,” said Kim Weir, the Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “It is with this goal in mind that Mr. Carstanjen restored the horse farm and historic home at Chestnut Hall with the express intention of giving the gift of the horses to the community of Louisville. Together, it is our hope that the TRF Sanctuary Farm at Chestnut Hall will provide a venue for education, inspiration and imagination for many years to come.”

Tour Booking and Private events: Visit https://www.trfinc.org/trf-sanctuary-farm-at-chestnut-hall/

The post Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Opens Louisville Sanctuary At Chestnut Hall appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“To honor my late wife, Phyllis Mills Wyeth and her Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags, I am transforming our farm into a retirement sanctuary for racehorses,” Jamie Wyeth explained. “I view Pastures of Point Lookout as a lasting reminder of the contributions to the world of horse racing by Phyllis and her champion, Union Rags.”

Anita Motion will serve PPL as its executive director. The farm used by PPL has been modified to support the “pasture lifestyle” to which the TRF horses have become accustomed over their many years at the TRF Second Chances Program at Wallkill.

“It has been a remarkable experience to participate in the creation of Pastures of Point Lookout and to enable Mr. Wyeth to realize his dream for a legacy in his wife’s honor,” said Anita Motion. “Watching the horses step off the van on Tuesday and soak in the beauty of their new home was genuinely like experiencing a dream come true.”

The horses will live together, as they did for so many years at Wallkill, in a natural pasture setting. Run-in sheds will provide shelter from the sun and inclement weather, water is available from a nearby stream flowing through the farm, and the two full-time farm managers will manage their hay and grain, to supplement the abundant grass of their 20 acre pasture. All expenses for the operation of the farm along with the feed, farrier and veterinary care required by these horses will be covered by Pastures of Point Lookout according to the TRF’s Adoption Policies.

“When I first received Anita’s call to share this idea in late January of this year, I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. It simply seemed too good to be true,” said Kim Weir, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at the TRF. “In less than six months, and despite all the challenges we have faced around the world in 2020 due to COVID-19, the dream has become a reality. With this bold and generous gesture, Mr. Wyeth has given ten horses the happiest possible final chapter of their lives while saving twenty total – the ten adopted by PPL, and the next ten retired racehorses that the TRF can accept into our herd to take their places over the months ahead.”

To learn more about adopting a horse from the TRF at https://www.trfinc.org/adoptretire/

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The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and its horsemen are committed supporters of the TAA, which accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.

In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, the annual TRF BBQ at the Barn has been reimagined as a drive-thru experience at Saratoga Winery which will feature a drive around the grounds complete with miniature ponies, racing celebrities, and a special appearance by Joey, the TRF Herd Ambassador, who will be returning to Saratoga from the TRF Second Chances Program at Wallkill to see all his friends from last summer.

Friends of the TRF Herd across the country can participate in spirit by purchasing a bale of hay ($5) or a bag of grain ($15) for the horses, by making a gift of sponsorship (starting at $100), or purchasing raffle tickets for an online raffle.

Working in partnership with The Saratoga Winery and the Barnsider BBQ of Lake George the $30 single meal (carry-out) will include pulled pork, BBQ bone-in chicken with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Other items on the menu include the TRF Signature Cocktail featuring Pick Six Strawberry Jam Vodka along with your choice of apple, blueberry, strawberry or rhubarb pie from Mourningkill Bake Shop.

For a full list of menu items and other TRF merchandise, please visit https://www.trfinc.org/event/bbq-at-the-barn-2020/.

All orders must be placed by 12 p.m. on Friday, August 7 (pre-ordered, carry-out only). Sponsorships are welcome.

To retire a horse to the TRF, horse owners are asked to visit the TRF website at http://www.trfinc.org and review the retirement process and apply online. Each application is reviewed by the TRF's national herd manager, in consultation with the Herd Committee of the TRF Board of Directors, who then review each application and approve, place or waitlist each horse that meets retirement criteria.

For more information about the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, or to sponsor a horse at Wallkill or at one of the 500+ retired racehorses in the TRF Herd, please visit https://www.trfinc.org/you-can-help.

The post Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Drive-Thru BBQ In Saratoga Set For Aug. 11 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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