FTBOA Offering Over $2.2M To Promote Royal Palm Meet

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) will devote more than $2.2 million to support the Royal Palm Meeting at Gulfstream Park over the summer months.

Of that amount, $1.4 million is earmarked for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series, $375,000 toward purse enhancements for Florida-breds and Florida Sire Stakes-eligible runners in stakes races and $250,000 in FTBOA Florida-bred Incentive Funds (FTBOA FBIF).

“Florida-breds are so important to Gulfstream Park racing and these supplements certainly will make our stakes more attractive,” Gulfstream Park vice president of racing Mike Lakow said.

The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds by registered FTBOA Florida stallions will again highlight the Summer racing program at Gulfstream beginning with the $100,000 Dr. Fager S. and $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies, both at six furlongs, Aug. 6. The lucrative series continues at seven furlongs Sept. 3 with the $200,000 Affirmed S. and $200,000 Susan's Girl S. for fillies before concluding at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Oct. 1 with the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies.

“The FTBOA is once again pleased to offer numerous economic incentives in terms of either funding entire stakes purses, as is the case with our six FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes races for 2-year-olds and the new Gil Campbell Memorial, or the plethora of bonuses the FTBOA offers ranging from Florida-bred to FSS Eligible Florida-breds throughout the year of which we are offering $375,000 just for the current Royal Palm Meet alone,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said.

He continued, “The FTBOA is also pleased beyond expectations by the incredible growth of the Florida Sire Stakes with a 14% increase in eligible foals compared to the prior year. This is proof as to the popularity and broad awareness of our FSS program and nationally acclaimed signature 2 year-old stakes. The FSS program is working well in terms of providing some of the very highest stakes purse schedules at each track–including the highest for the Royal Palm meet–while putting additional money into the hands of the deserving owners, trainers and breeders of our Florida-breds, which is a very good thing for the entire Florida racing and breeding industries.”

The FTBOA will also supplement 10 maiden special weight races for 2-year-old fillies eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes with a $5,000 supplement for the winners of each and 10 maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds eligible for the Florida Sire Stakes with $5,000 supplement for the winners.

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TRF To Host Lowell 20th Anniversary Show

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will host a worldwide livestream event Thursday, October 21 at 8 p.m. ET, celebrating the transformative power of horses through the TRF Lowell 20th Anniversary Horse Show. The virtual event will bring viewers inside the horse farm at the Lowell facility and provide an opportunity to experience the connection between the horses and 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; 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.”

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TRF To Host Worldwide Live Stream Event From Lowell On Oct. 21

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will host a worldwide livestream event on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET, celebrating the transformative power of horses through the TRF Lowell 20th Anniversary Horse Show.

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 Livestreamhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI3spYat2zE

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Princess Rooney, Smile Sprint Invitationals Highlight Gulfstream Park Spring/Summer Stakes Schedule

Gulfstream Park announced Monday a $3.5 million Spring/Summer stakes schedule highlighted by the $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) Saturday, July 3, and the lucrative $1.3 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series.

The schedule includes 34 stakes with $500,000 in incentives for Florida-bred and Florida-sired horses' courtesy of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA).

The Princess Rooney, a “Win & You're In” Challenge Series race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), and the Smile, which make-up the Summit of Speed, were moved to September last year after being run in July since its inception 20 years ago at Calder Race Course. The Princess Rooney was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both races will be invitationals this year for the first time.

“This year we focused on bringing back the popular Summit of Speed on July 4 weekend,” said Mike Lakow, Gulfstream's vice president of racing. “The Princess Rooney fits perfectly on the national calendar within the female sprint category. We've increased the purse to $350,000 and have made the race an invitational along with the Smile. The Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint on Sunday, July 4, completes the Independence Day weekend.”

The Sire Stakes will begin on July 31 and culminate Sept. 25 with the $350,000 In Reality and $350,000 My Dear Girl. Florida-bred stakes races will include the $75,000 Big Drama May 1, $75,000 Musical Romance and $75,000 Soldier's Dancer May 29, the $75,000 Ginger Punch June 12, and the $75,000 Benny the Bull August 14.

The stakes schedule begins Saturday, May 1 with the $75,000 Honey Ryder for fillies at 1 1/16 mile on the turf and the Big Drama for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

“We appreciate the support from Lonny Powell and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association offering an additional $500,000 to enhance the Spring/Summer stakes schedule with bonuses for Florida Bred and Florida Stallion Sired winners,” Lakow added,

For a complete stakes schedule, go to: http://gulfstreampark.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2021-stakes-spring-summer.pdf

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