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Fashionable Fillies Luncheon August 7 in Saratoga

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation will host its annual Fashionable Fillies Luncheon in Saratoga at Saratoga National Golf Club on Monday, August 7, TJC announced Wednesday.

The luncheon will honor Libby Imperio, a longtime supporter of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, horse owner, and president of the Belmont Child Care Association. Outside of racing, Imperio has been a member of CME-Nymex for more than 20 years, trading for herself in world energy markets and specializing in precious metals.

Fashionable Fillies Saratoga has traditionally been Safety Net's premier fundraiser.

The theme of this year's luncheon is “A Day at the Spa!” Guests will celebrate and explore the beauty and wellness realm with special guest Heather Thomson, CEO, inventor, health and wellness expert, and reality TV star. Thompson will lead a discussion with Denise Dubois, founder of Complexions Spa & Dubois Beauty & Wellness. The event will also feature teasers of spa and salon services, including skin consultations, and pop-up shopping featuring skincare and relaxation products, loungewear brands from Violet's of Saratoga, and Beyond Fresh, Thomson's premium line of whole food powder supplements.

The luncheon will offer an infused water and herbal tea bar, Jackson Family wines, and a fresh and colorful food menu.

“We are so excited to have a new theme for Fashionable Fillies Saratoga, a city known for being a wellness escape,” said Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. “We have partnered with Denise and Complexions Spa over the years, and they have always been an amazing resource. We're especially excited to join forces with Heather and learn more about her experience in the health and wellness sphere. Heather is a native of the Capital Region, and we're excited to welcome her back. Having Libby as our honoree is a great fit, as her dedication to and care for the backstretch community in New York is apparent in her role at Belmont Childcare Association. Libby has supported Fashionable Fillies for many years and always comes dressed to impress!”

A donation to Belmont Childcare Association's Saratoga center, Faith's House, will be made in Imperio's honor.

Tickets ($150) and sponsorship opportunities are available at tinyurl.com/SaraFF23.

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families. Recipients of the Safety Net Foundation's support represent virtually every facet of the Thoroughbred industry, from jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, and grooms to office personnel and other employees of racetracks, racing organizations, and breeding farms. Assistance can come in any number of forms, including financial aid for basic living expenses such as rent and household bills, and for medication, surgical, and hospital costs. Since 1985, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation has provided more than $16 million in assistance.

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NYRA To Increase Purses For NY-Breds At Saratoga

Registered New York-bred horses competing in open company at the upcoming summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will receive a new series of purse increases the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced Sunday.

“NYRA is committed to supporting and enhancing the New York-bred program now and in the future,” said Frank Gabriel, NYRA SVP of Racing Operations. “These purse increases reflect the sustained growth of the New York-bred marketplace while also rewarding owners already invested in the program.”

The purse for registered New York-breds running in select open-company races will be 30 percent higher than the purse offered for non-New York-breds. Additionally, New York State Breeding Fund Owner Awards (NYSBFOA) and breeder awards will be paid on top of the 30 percent additional purse for registered New York-breds.

“The opportunity for registered New York-breds to compete for elevated purses in select open company conditions during the Saratoga meet, along with increases in breeder and open company awards provided by the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund reflect the commitment by New York's respective thoroughbred racing stakeholders in continuing to elevate the New York-bred program,” said Najja Thompson, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) Executive Director. “We are confident much of the money earned from these purse increases will be reinvested in New York-breds, starting with the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Select Yearlings Sale in August at Saratoga.”

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Heider Family Foundation Issues Challenge Grant for Chaplaincy Summer Enrichment Program

Scott and Cindy Heider and their Heider Family Foundation have issued a $10,000 matching grant to raise money for the New York Race Track Chaplaincy's Summer Enrichment program, the focus of a TDN feature earlier this week.

The Chaplaincy started the summer program 10 years ago to allow families to stay together when racing shifts to Saratoga, sending the children to local summer camp programs while the parents work. “The kids love it,” Humberto Chavez, New York Chaplain for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America told the TDN last week. “They get out of city life and get into the country.”

Scott Heider saw the article, sent it to his wife, Cindy, and the pair decided to jump in and help.

“We race under Heider Family Stables, and we also have a foundation here in Omaha, the Heider Family Foundation,” Cindy explained. “We work with a lot of different organizations, whether it's under-served youth, education, a little bit in the arts, mental health, and over the years have supported some organizations in racing, like the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, programs on the backstretch, Blue Grass Farms Charities, and New Vocations. We like to support the good the work that everyone is doing; they're working really hard, and helping a lot of people working really hard that don't have great support systems. Scott saw the article, forwarded it to me, and we saw that the chaplaincy was doing some great work in the summer program. So between us, we said we should help them a little bit. and then when I talked to (General Manager) Karen (Chavez) today, I said to her, `I don't know if it's helpful to do a match, but if so, this is the time to do it.”

Said Chaplain Humberto Chavez, “We are grateful to TDN for allowing us to speak from the heart about what this program means for our families. The kids have the opportunity to experience the outdoors, make new friends, take on new challenges, and develop confidence in themselves and their abilities. We have found that the impact of participating in the summer program is lifelong and we often hear from the kids, now adults, who have come through the program what a difference it has made in their lives. We are thankful for the widespread support from the industry and individuals.”

Said Cindy Heider, “There are people who don't have access to help, and a lot of people don't want to ask for help. But it's important to reach out to those people, especially the kids.”

Asked why they were moved to give, she said simply, “It's not a why. It's a why not.”

The Heiders will match up to $10,000 that is raised from now through July 6. To donate, visit the Chaplaincy webpage's summer enrichment program page by clicking here.

All donations made up until July 6 will count toward the challenge grant.

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Tickets, Sponsorships Available for NY Race Track Chaplaincy Brunch

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy, an organization devoted to serving the community of stable workers and their families who make Thoroughbred racing possible at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Saratoga Race Course, have announced that tickets and sponsorships for its 16th annual brunch in Saratoga Springs are now available.

The brunch, scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. EDT, will once again be held at the Saratoga National Golf Club. Tickets and sponsorships can be obtained online by visiting www.rtcany.org. or by calling 516-216-5196.

“This increasingly popular event brings together hundreds of members of the racing community in a joyful setting and, more importantly, allows the chaplaincy to continue to offer a wide variety of services and programs for our backstretch community and their families,” said Lead Chaplain and Executive Director Humberto Chavez.

The honorees at this year's brunch, who will receive the Marylou Whitney award, will be Tracy and Todd Pletcher for their longtime support of the chaplaincy and its programs.
Previous honorees have included: Andy Serling, Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, and Irad Ortiz Jr.

The brunch is one of two major fund-raisers hosted by the New York Race Track Chaplaincy in Saratoga Springs each summer. The other is charity basketball game pitting horsemen versus jockeys on Thursday, Aug. 4 at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center.

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