“We are so pleased to have the opportunity to partner with this wonderful organization,” said D. J. Stable's general manager Jonathan Green. “Our horses have benefited from being placed in New Vocations' aftercare programs, which prompted us to offer a matching fund for the first $30,000 contributed during the Giving Tuesday drive. We hope others follow our lead and donate to New Vocations.”

New Vocations was started in 1992 as a nonprofit organization which relies almost entirely on donations to carry out its mission to rehab, retrain, and rehome retired racehorses. Over the last 30 years, the program has served more than 8,000 horses. New Vocations also annually raises funds during a Breeders' Cup Pledge, which this year raised more than $140,000. Wonder Wheel was one of the winning horses with a part of her earnings earmarked for New Vocations.

“We are so thankful for the generous support from D. J. Stable and the Green family,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “Their match last year helped us raise over $50,000 on Giving Tuesday and this year's match has the potential to raise more than $60,000. We have seen an increase in costs to all our program expenses, so the funding from Giving Tuesday is greatly needed to help us continue to carry out our aftercare efforts.”

To ensure Giving Tuesday gifts are matched and have double the impact, click here. For more information, contact Carey Cairo at carey@horseadoption.com.

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“On average, 60 horses each year are shipped more than 700 miles from Florida to our Lexington facility,” said Anna Ford, the program director for New Vocations. “Horses coming from Florida racetracks and training centers will now have a much shorter travel distance and duration as they start their next chapters.”

New Vocations, the nation's oldest and largest racehorse adoption charity, now has nine facilities in six states. Ford said a Florida location near Ocala had been in the plan for some time, but was delayed by the pandemic.

According to New Vocations, MacDonald has years of experience restarting off-track Thoroughbreds. She said, “It is so gratifying to help a Thoroughbred smoothly transition into a second career after the races. I am honored to be working with such an outstanding aftercare organization and to join in their efforts to provide Florida-based horses and their connections with a quality rehabilitation and retraining program.”

The first horses arrived at the Florida facility in late 2021. Three have already been adopted with several more making progress in various stages of rehab and training. For information on donating a horse to the Florida facility or supporting its efforts, click here, call (859) 252-9574, or e-mail anna@horseadoption.com.

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Additional pledges are still coming in and final donations are still being tallied. Now in its 12th year, the Pledge has raised more than $940,000, with 100 percent of funds going directly to support the program's rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming efforts.

“Eclipse and our partners consider Thoroughbred aftercare of paramount importance and it is our duty and pleasure to support New Vocations,” said Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “It is with great pride that we're able to send a portion of Aloha West's purse winnings from his Breeders' Cup Sprint victory to support an organization that's always ready to help a rehoming or retraining prospect.

“The partnership that owns Aloha West is comprised of a healthy blend of veteran owners who understand the importance of aftercare and newcomers, as well,” he added. “To see these newcomers learning about aftercare and supporting the cause is gratifying and good for the sport.”

In addition to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, winning connections include Brad H. Cox (Knicks Go); China Horse Club, WinStar Farm and Todd Pletcher (Life Is Good); Coolmore (Golden Pal); Michael W. McCarthy (Ce Ce); Speedway Stables and Bob Baffert (Corniche); Bobby Flay (Pizza Bianca); and Stonestreet Stables (Twilight Gleaming). This year's pledge participants also include Al Shaqab Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Jim Bakke, Richard Baltas, Bonne Chance Farm, Bing Bush & the Abbondanza Racing Partners, Cannon Thoroughbreds, Bradley Thoroughbreds, DJ Stable, Michael Dubb, Brad Grady, Hat Creek Racing, LNJ Foxwoods, Paulo H. Lobo, Madaket Stables, Kenny McPeek, Elizabeth M. Merryman, Peter Miller, MyRacehorse, Patricia's Hope LLC, Richard Ravin, Larry Rivelli, J. Kirk & Judy Robison, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, SF Racing, Joe Sharp, Siena Farm, Spendthrift Farm, St. Elias Stable, Starlight Racing, Stud RDI, Three Diamonds Farm, Treadway Racing Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and White Birch Farm.

“It was truly amazing to have eight pledged contenders win this year,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Program Thoroughbred Program Director. “We were thrilled with the number of owners and trainers who joined the Pledge to support our aftercare efforts and mission to rehab, retrain and rehome these incredible equine athletes.”

For more information on the Pledge, please visit www.newvocations.org or e-mail Anna@horseadoption.com.

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The 18th annual show—held for the first time at Highfields Event Center, in Aiken, SC, Sept. 3-5—was an exciting and successful return to live events for New Vocations after a quiet past 18 months due to COVID-19. The competition brought together nearly 100 Thoroughbreds from 10 different states to compete in a variety of disciplines including dressage, hunter, jumper, Western and pleasure classes.

“We were thrilled that we were able to far surpass our goal of raising $100,000 through the support of our generous long-term and new sponsors,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “The new venue meant that we were able to put on a more intimate event, which allowed exhibitors extra opportunities to connect and share their love for Thoroughbreds. It was so rewarding to look across four competition arenas full of horses knowing that while they have rich racing bloodlines and histories, they now have new skills, new careers, and new purposes.”

Show highlights included:

• Winner of the War Horse W/T/C was Bail Bondsman, shown by Karen Morgan. Bail Bondsman, a 2009 Kentucky-bred gelding by Bellamy Road, raced 44 times and earned $106,499
• Winner of the Open Hunter Derby was Blame it on Texas, shown by Elisabeth Demars. Blame it on Texas, a 2012 Kentucky-bred gelding by Blame, raced 12 times and earned $12,788
• Winner of the Open Jumper Stake was Ballerino, shown by Susan Sisco. Ballerino, a 2008 Florida-bred gelding by Lido Place (CHI), raced 15 times and earned $38,709
• Winner of the Dressage High Score was Big Iron, shown by junior rider Mayela Salazar. Big Iron, a 2015 son of Caleb's Posse, raced 29 times and earned $65,281

At the show's inaugural exhibitor party, New Vocations also handed out several special awards recognizing:

• The Thoroughbred that earned the most money racing: Two Notch Road, $536,193
• The most recently raced Thoroughbred: Jammin Jamie, 6/28/2021
• The Thoroughbred with the most starts: Mind Magic, 58 starts
• The youngest Thoroughbred competing: Jammin Jamie, 2/20/2018
• The oldest Thoroughbred competing: Bold Estela, 3/22/1994
• The Thoroughbred sold for the highest auction price: Ditka, $500,000

The groups that traveled the farthest to compete: horses and riders from Sugar Creek Equinapy, in Harrisonville, MO, and North Country Horses, in Gansevoort, NY, hauled 974 miles and 956 miles, respectively.

“We were so glad to, once again, be able to celebrate the Thoroughbred with a weekend full of competition, fun and horses,” Ford said. “We're excited to get started on plans for what we hope can be an even better 2022 event.”

Read more here.

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One of the largest fundraisers for New Vocations, the annual show was held virtually last year due to COVID-19. As a way of showcasing the versatility of Thoroughbred athletes, classes will include hunter, jumper, combined test, pleasure, in-hand, dressage, and western. An exhibitor's party will take place on the Friday of the event and a live concert will be held Saturday.

“We are excited to welcome Thoroughbreds and their exhibitors back to compete and connect with others who share the same love and passion for the breed,” said Anna Ford, program director for New Vocations. “The support we have received for this year's show has been simply amazing. So many Thoroughbred owners, breeders, trainers, industry partners, and fans have become sponsors of the event.”

Entries are open until Aug. 27 to any Thoroughbred registered with The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.). For sponsorship information or any other questions, please visit newvocations.org/event_detail/24.

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Robinson, together with pharmacist Scott Mangini, was accused of operating consumer-facing websites such as HorsePreRace, peddling products which purported to be blood builders and pain blockers which were allegedly untestable, as well as discounted versions of prescription drugs despite not being an FDA-approved manufacturer. Robinson is neither a veterinarian nor a pharmacist.

Click here to read the Paulick Report's investigation of HorsePreRace from 2016.

A pre-sentencing report filed by federal prosecutors ahead of Oetken's ruling revealed even more disturbing details about the conditions in which those products were made. A state pharmacy board inspection report dated February 2016 which was published by the Paulick Report had picked up on unsanitary conditions at co-conspirator Scott Mangini's facility in Florida: the Florida Department of Health Records noted that there was no working sink in the pharmacy for hand washing, and employees were instead using a ten-gallon bucket. The department noted so much dust on the counters where prescriptions were made that an investigator was able to trace letters in the dirt with an alcohol swab — a particular problem since some products were injectables. Ingredients were mislabeled.

Click here to read more about Mangini's facility from this 2016 investigative feature by the Paulick Report.

Even before that inspection however, the report cited communications from Robinson to Mangini indicating he knew something could be wrong with the products he was selling. In spring 2015, Robinson began asking Mangini whether there had been changes to manufacturing processes.

“R u making stuff different? I have a lot of stuff that doesn't look same and has stuff floating in it. Blood building peptide has black particles,” one message to Mangini read.

“[Employee] has been complaining of bugs coming out of boxes u send. I told him he was crazy until I found one floating in bottle today when labeling,” read another, also to Mangini.

The Board of Pharmacy conducted its inspection in December 2015, but Robinson was dismissive of any danger resulting from the inspection, writing to Mangini, “And board of pharmacy worries about u? They got bigger problems! Lol.”

(Mangini, who has been charged with two counts of drug adulteration and misbranding, has entered a not guilty plea and his case is ongoing.)

Between December 2015 and January 2016, Robinson fielded complaints from trainers who had injected Pentosan into their horses, only to see the horses become severely depressed and unable to move. The horses' veterinarian attributed the reactions to a bad batch. The pre-sentencing report indicated Robinson “was dismissive of these complaints.”

When federal agents executed search warrants on premises used by Robinson in September 2019, prosecutors say he became incensed and “attempted to extort the federal agents involved in the seizure by threatening to release a letter to certain members of the racehorse industry informing them of of the existence and scope of the FBI's investigation if the FBI did not immediately return his electronic devices the same day they were seized. After being informed his threat was itself a crime, Robinson retracted his threat hours later.”

After he became aware the FBI was investigating him, prosecutors say Robinson continued distributing adulterated and misbranded drugs, generating “millions of dollars in revenue.”

Prosecutors had requested the maximum available sentence of five years in prison, while Robinson's defense team, pointing out his lack of prior criminal convictions, suggested he serve no time. Defense attorneys painted a picture of a man who had risen to business success from near-homelessness and who battled depression and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to injuries sustained in the United States Navy. Letters from friends and family framed Robinson as a caring person who gave liberally to charity and financially supported family members.

Although Robinson had no criminal history, prosecutors did note that he was court martialed in 1998 and dishonorably discharged from the Navy after he admitted to reselling anabolic steroids to other enlisted members of the Navy.

One character reference letter in support of Robinson's defense came from New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, where executive director Dot Morgan wrote that Robinson “donated a massive amount of his compounded omeprazole ulcer treatment” to the program in 2010 and 2011. In 2014, HorsePreRace and HorseGold (of which Robinson was president) were the recipients of warning letters from the Food and Drug Administration warning them to stop marketing omeprazole and other products designed to act as prescription drugs because they were not approved as mass manufacturers of drugs.

Another letter, from Robinson's psychiatrist, highlighted the defendant's feelings for horses.

“From my three years of work with Mr. Robinson, I have become aware of his great knowledge of and love for racehorses,” wrote Dr. Ronald E. DeMao. “Horses and horse racing have literally “been his life.” It is inconceivable to me that he would ever do anything to intentionally harm a horse. In fact, he has developed products to aid in the physical health and rehabilitation of horses. I have heard him speak in very pejorative terms about others who 'dope' or harshly train racehorses.”

Robinson is required to surrender himself on Sept. 7, 2021 to begin his sentence. He will have another three years of supervised release after serving his time.

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Palmer’s contributions to racehorse safety also include current service on the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium Scientific Advisory Committee and on the Association of Racing Commissioners International Drug Testing Standards & Practices Committee and Equine Welfare & Veterinarians Committee.

“As a leader, Dr. Palmer comes to any challenge fully prepared, listens attentively to all opinions, is always willing to adjust his own position if indicated, and clearly and respectfully articulates his opinions,” said nominator Dr. Harry Werner. “These leadership qualities are very much respected by those who work with him.”

During the AAEP’s 2020 Annual Convention & Trade Show, held virtually Dec. 9, the group also honored Mary Scollay, DVM with its Distinguished Service Award. Scollay, now in her fourth term on the AAEP’s Racing Committee, is executive director and COO of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. She also spent 11 years as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s first equine medical director and 13 years as senior association veterinarian at Calder Race Course and Gulfstream Park in south Florida. While in Florida, she conceptualized and developed the forerunner to The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, to which she has served as a veterinary consultant since its launch in 2008.

“With her unwavering philosophy that the health and welfare of the horse remains paramount above all else, Dr. Scollay has provided many years of outstanding service to the veterinary profession, steadfast dedication to the equine industry, and deep commitment to the mission of the AAEP,” said nominator Dr. Patricia Marquis.

The AAEP honored New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, the largest racehorse adoption charity in the United States, with the 2020 Lavin Cup, recognizing a non-veterinary organization or individual that has distinguished itself through service to improve the welfare of horses.

Founded in 1992, New Vocations’ mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses has led to the placement of over 7,000 individuals, with nearly 500 retirees served by the program each year. With facilities in five states–Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Louisiana–New Vocations serves over 40 racetracks, working directly with owners and trainers in need of equine aftercare options.

“New Vocations has a longstanding commitment to the health and welfare of the equine athletes that deserve help in transitioning to a healthy and productive second career,” said co-nominators Dr. Jeff Berk and Dr. Wesley Sutter. “In every sense, they have partnered with us, the equine veterinarians who seek the same goals for our patients.”

During its annual convention and trade show, the AAEP also installed Scott Hay, DVM, president and managing shareholder of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based racetrack practice Teigland, Franklin and Brokken DVMs, as president.

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“The need for our services continues to grow each year,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “This year, in particular, has been very challenging due to the obstacles presented by COVID-19. Over the last decade, we have grown this Pledge into an extremely important fundraiser and we had our most successful year yet in 2019, raising over $130,000. We hope to have another record-breaking year in 2020 and are so grateful for the generous contributions of our donors who have continued to support and value our program. The Pledge is a great way for owners and trainers to give back and support New Vocations' aftercare efforts.”

Last year, over 50 Championship contenders had owners and/or trainers who pledged a percentage of their Breeders' Cup earnings. Of those, Vino Rosso, British Idiom, Sharing, Covfefe, Uni and Bricks And Mortar were victorious in their Championship races.

This year, New Vocations hopes to grow the list of pledgers to ensure yet another successful event and help raise the much-needed funding for daily operations that ultimately help retired racehorses transition into new homes and careers.

New Vocations will continue to seek pledges from owners and trainers until Nov. 5. All Pledge information can be found here or by contacting anna@horseadoption.com or andrea@horseadoption.com.

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An avid equestrian, Coleman grew up in northeastern Ohio and graduated from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Coleman moved to the Bluegrass in 2004 to work with multiple equine and agriculture-related publications based in the area. She shifted to equine-oriented roles at Lexington Catholic High School and Georgetown College before transitioning to her most recent role as Community and Public Relations Director for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.

“I am excited to step into this role with the Kentucky Horse Council,” Coleman said. “Katy [Ross] did an incredible job; I look forward to capitalizing on the momentum she has built to grow the membership, develop relationships and resources, and awareness of the organization and its mission and programs within Kentucky. I have invested my life into the education of equine enthusiasts and equine welfare, and I am looking forward to seeing what can be accomplished in this new role.”

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When racing in most states was a giant question mark for months on end, for many horses that would have otherwise stayed in training throughout the spring season, the decision was made to enter them into retirement.

Since the first of the year, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program has brought in 240 horses to their rehabilitation and rehoming program, a 23% increase from last year’s statistics.

Thankfully, they’ve also seen an influx in their adoptions, which are up 34% this year compared to 2019.

Despite a global pandemic, the show had to go on at New Vocations. And every show requires funding.

For nearly two decades, the respected aftercare organization has held an All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show in an effort to raise money for the general operation of their eight facilities which serve over 40 racetracks throughout the country.

“The New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show is something that we’ve been doing since 2003,” said Andrea Mandella, New Vocations’ Director of Development and Donor Relations. “The first show was at Turfway Park. It has grown into a really big event that we now do every year in September here at the Kentucky Horse Park.”

The show has turned into New Vocations’ largest annual fundraiser, bringing in $117,000 last year.

The five-day event featured 452 Thoroughbreds from over 26 states, some traveling from as far as Oregon, California, and Texas.

Class divisions include hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, as well as western and driving. “War Horse” classes are available to any retired racehorse that started over 50 times, or earned over $100,000. The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) also holds their annual championships in conjunction with the event.

This year, the show is scheduled for September 3-6, dates that have been set on the calendar well before the Coronavirus forced the rescheduling of the Kentucky Derby for September 5.

And while the New Vocations team is said they were looking forward to their annual event, and excited about showcasing the Derby festivities on the big screen of the Rolex arena, they first need to find the capital to make the show possible.

“We’re struggling to find funding in the current climate with COVID,” Mandella said. “Right now our sponsorships are down 50%.”

Mandella said that the money raised during the show goes to the organization’s general operations fund to provide feed, daily upkeep, veterinary care, and any other necessities for the horses in their program. The average cost to rehabilitate, retrain, and rehome each retired horse through the duration of their stay is $3,000.

One gelding that has recently gone through the New Vocations program is now working towards making an appearance at their annual show.

Gozer the Gozerian, a 4-year-old son of Astrology, was adopted last year by Leandra Cooper, the facility manager and trainer at New Vocations’ home base in Lexington.

“He just had a personality that was like a magnet to me,” Cooper said while giving ‘Gozer’ a pat. “He was super sweet and right from the beginning, I knew that he was a horse that I was drawn to immediately.”

Unplaced in two starts as a juvenile in 2018, Gozer was given time off last year before starting full-time training for his second career in December.

“It became apparent pretty quickly that he liked to jump,” Cooper said. “He really likes to work. That’s one of the things that’s great about Thoroughbreds- they have this work ethic. They generally really are true athletes where they like to be in a program. They like to have challenges and he certainly is no exception to that.”

As Gozer continues to progress in his training, Cooper has her eyes set on looking to taking her gelding to the show in September.

“Our big target this year will be the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to competing at this show because it’s so unique to have something where you’re competing against all Thoroughbreds. Especially in an atmosphere of such grandiosity where you’re able to be in the Rolex Ring, something you dream of competing in since you’re a kid, and here we are able to have the opportunity to compete with all these other Thoroughbreds.”

Both Cooper and Mandella spoke of the unique atmosphere the show has developed.

“It’s really amazing to be able to take horses that come off the track with several different career paths,” Mandella said. “Some of them were competitive and winners, some were unraced, and some just weren’t interested in racing and have gone into second careers and all of a sudden they’re excelling. So everyone has a different, unique story, which makes it amazing to watch 400 of them out there doing their thing. And that’s what we strive to provide for them.”

Cooper agreed. “It feels fun and inclusive, and it’s amazing to see all the different levels that these horses are able to compete at and all the different varieties. The people are really committed to the breed and it’s just a celebration, in so many different ways, of their accomplishments. It’s a neat show, and it’s the only one like it.”

The team behind the popular event is pushing now more than ever to find sponsors. While donations can be accepted at any time, the deadline to have a sponsorship recognized in the program is Friday, July 17.

“Typically our donors come from all over the country,” Mandella said. “They’re Thoroughbred owners and breeders, people who have adopted through our program and are showing their horses at the event, and people within the industry that support us, like veterinarians and feed suppliers.”

The majority of sponsorships range anywhere from $100 to become a class sponsor, to $50,000 to be the title show sponsor. A number of different sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of differing donations.

Mandella said that the average cost to rehabilitate, retrain, and rehome a retired horse through the duration of their stay in the New Vocations program is $3,000.

“We’re hoping that our previous sponsors and maybe some new ones will decide to get involved and help us continue to put on this show that we find so important,” Mandella said. “It gives us the ability to illustrate how these horses go from the racetrack to a second career. To put them all together and let them compete against each other is a really awesome event.”

For more information on the event and how to participate, click here.

For those interested in becoming a sponsor for the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show, contact Andrea Mandella at andrea@horseadoption.com.

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