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Thirty Two Years and 5,794 Starters Later, Rick Schosberg Calls it a Career

There would be no fairytale ending Thursday at Aqueduct for trainer Rick Schosberg. Silken Dollar (Central Banker), the last horse he will start before retiring from training, finished eighth in Thursday's fourth race at Aqueduct. That's OK. Schosberg, 61, learned a long time ago that the life of a horse trainer is never that easy.

“Obviously the game has changed with the emergence of unlimited stall allocations,” Schosberg said. “It's really affected the competitiveness of it. It used to be that every barn had a different outfit. Now there are trainers that take up five barns. That has really hurt the smaller trainer. It's hard to compete. I have nothing against Todd [Pletcher] or Chad [Brown]. They did nothing wrong and played by the rules. More power to them.

“There are a lot of reasons I'm doing this now and certainly the financial part of it was a factor. It's hard to work seven days a week living in New York and taking home $55,000.That just covers the property taxes around here.”

But Schosberg is not complaining on his way out the door. Nor is he about to disappear. Schosberg will remain active on several fronts and will continue to spend much of his time working on horsemen's issues and advancing the cause of Thoroughbred aftercare. He is a vice president with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the president of two aftercare initiatives, Take 2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and Take the Lead. He also sits on the board of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. He has been called the “conscious of the backstretch.”

“Something had to change,” he said. “We needed a system whereby the horsemen had an avenue that included a safety net for the horses. The industry has a responsibility to take care of these horses once they transition off the racetrack. Seventy-five percent of their lives comes after they are done racing. It's daunting task to be able to find facilities and organizations that are up to standard to make sure these horses are taken care of and rehabilitated for purposeful second careers. This work is very important to me.”

Schosberg will also continue to work with the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority and is on that organization's horsemen's advisory committee. There's more: he will continue on as an owner and has some horses in partnership with Clear Stars Stable. He also sits on the board of Marx Realty, a Manhattan-based commercial real estate company that was started by his grandfather.

“I'm still going to be around,” he said. “It's just that I don't have to get out of bed at 3:30 in the morning any more. Trust me, that gets old fast.”

Schosberg, a Cornell graduate, worked for trainers Tom Skiffington, Sid Watters and Walter Kelley before going out on his own in 1988. He won 62 races in 1993, 63 in 2000 and will finish his career with 876 winners from 5,794 starters and earnings of $38,278,409. His best horse was Maria's Mon, the champion 2-year-old colt of 1995 and the winner of the GI Champagne S. and the GI Futurity S. He also campaigned Affirmed Success, whose career included wins in the GI Cigar Mile H., the GI Carter H. and the GI Vosburgh S. Schosberg won 25 graded races.

“I've had a wonderful career and have been lucky to have wonderful clients and owners,” he said.

With his stable including about 15 horses through much of this year, Schosberg has won 12 races in 2022. He won seven last year and six the year before. He will officially continue on as a trainer for the remainder of the calendar year, but does not have any horses entered for the rest of 2022. His horses will be dispersed, some going to trainer David Duggan and the rest to trainer David Donk.

For Schosberg, Thursday was like so many other days, thousands of them in fact. He got up early, worked, drove back and forth between Aqueduct and Belmont, ran a horse who didn't live up to her 5-1 odds and put in a 13-hour day. But now that's all done with.

“How did it feel? I don't think it has sunk in yet,” he said when asked about starting his last horse.

Come Sunday and the beginning of the new year, he can catch a couple extra hours of sleep and won't have to deal with the pressures of trying to grind out a living with a medium-sized stable. It figures to be a good day.

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David Cassidy: A Triple Crown Life Event Held Aug. 16

In celebration of the life and memory of celebrity David Cassidy, the 5th Annual David Cassidy: A Triple Crown Life Event will be held at Putnum Place in Saratoga Springs, NY Aug. 16.

Hosted by the David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group (DCMLG), the fundraiser aims to promote racing and to support Thoroughbred aftercare organizations, this year including the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, NYRA Cares, Take The Lead, Take2 and Columbia Greene Humane Society.

Debuting in 2021, the David Cassidy Remember Me Awards will again be included at this year's summer fundraiser. Featured among the award categories are Thoroughbred Aftercare Awards, Compassionate Trainers and Owners Awards, Heart of Saratoga Awards, Animal Welfare and Advocacy Awards, Animal Rescues and Shelters Awards, Amazing Horse Racing Awards and Thoroughbred Horse Racing Community Awards. The program will also include a concert.

The DCMLG previously announced a scholarship program, which includes four scholarships: The David Bruce Cassidy Thoroughbred Horse Racing Family Scholarship; David Bruce Cassidy Memorial Saratoga County Scholarship; The Dr. Jerry Bilinski Animal Sciences Scholarship; and The David Bruce Cassidy Theatre and The Arts Scholarship. The deadline for all scholarship applications is Apr. 12. For more information, email DavidCassidyIts4ever@gmail.com.

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The Week in Review: Some Good News for a Change

Tired of the constant drumbeat of bad news, negativity and scandal? So am I. All the problems the sport is dealing with are not going to go away and they need to be dealt with and reported on. But I thought I'd give you and I a break in this week's edition of “The Week in Review.” So here are some stories we can all feel good about.

Schosberg Claims, Retires Twisted Tom

In his role as the president of Take The Lead, a retirement program for Thoroughbreds based at the NYRA tracks, Rick Schosberg's message has always been that it's better to retire a horse too early than too late. In other words, don't take any unnecessary chances.

So when Schosberg saw that a one-time New York-bred champion, the 8-year-old Twisted Tom (Creative Cause), was entered in a $10,000 claiming race Saturday at Aqueduct, he decided to act. Schosberg, who had never trained the horse, reached in and claimed Twisted Tom for the $10,000, immediately retired him and sent him off to start the retraining process at ReRun in East Greenbush, New York.

“I like to practice what I preach,” Schosberg said.

Twisted Tom won nine of 42 career starts and earned $939,135. He finished second Saturday, losing by just a half-length.

Twisted Tom's story was a typical one. He debuted in 2016 for trainer George Weaver and broke his maiden in his second start but, in time and after age set in, found himself racing on the bottom.

After his maiden win he moved over to the Chad Brown barn and went on to win five stakes in 2017. The list includes wins in open company in the Private Terms S. and the Federico Tesio S. His 2017 campaign, which included a sixth-place finish in the GI Belmont S., ended with his being named champion 3-year-old male New York-bred.

After a pair of losses in 2018 and after he was moved to the Bill Mott barn on June 19, 2019, he made his first ever start in a claiming race. He was taken that day by trainer David Cannizzo and, in the short-term, proved to be competitive in New York-bred allowance/optional claiming races while bouncing around from the barns of A.C. Avila, Mike Maker, Bruce Levine and Mertkan Kantarmaci.

But in November, after finishing off the board in four straight races, he was dropped in for $10,000. He managed to finish a distant second that day, but followed that up with a 16 1/4-length defeat in a starter allowance at Parx. Kantarmaci then dropped him back in for $10,000 for Saturday's race.

“He's 8 years old and it looked like it was time for him to retire,” Schosberg said. “He had been a voided claim a couple starts back. There were a lot of people who agreed that this was the right thing to do. People came by the barn this morning to say goodbye. He's a real popular horse. I got a lot of messages from prior trainers and connections thanking me for doing this.”

There was a time when there would have been little chance that a horse like Twisted Tom would have been retired when he was. Not that long ago, if a horse couldn't make it on the bottom in New York, they would be sent to a Penn National or a Mountaineer Park. With each race, the risk of injury would grow greater. If a horse couldn't compete on the bottom at the lower tier tracks a trip to the slaughterhouse could be next.

With initiatives like Take The Lead leading the way, the industry ushered in meaningful change. Created by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the program sees to it that all horses racing in New York can enjoy a safe and happy retirement, with many of them going to second careers.

“It's not just me,” Schosberg said. “I have a great team of people helping out. The owners and the trainers, NYRA, everybody in the racing office, the Gaming Commission, veterinarians, van companies, everybody volunteers their time and their efforts to make sure this initiative is at the forefront of the aftercare industry.”

At ReRun, Twisted Tom will be prepared for his second career.

“There are so many things for these retired race horses to do,” Schosberg said. “In his case, 60 to 70% of his life is still ahead of him. There are so many activities now for these retired horses. They don't need to spend the rest of their years standing out in a field somewhere. These are horses that are used to having a job.”

Schosberg said that Twisted Tom was in good order after Saturday's race. He is sound, healthy and is guaranteed a great retirement. It's the perfect ending to his story.

Brook Smith Not Done Trying to Help Churchill's Backside Learning Center

Brook Smith's heart was in the right place when he wagered $10,000 on Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) in the second round of the Derby Future Wager. If Tiz the Bomb went on to win the GI Kentucky Derby, Smith would have donated the proceeds from his winnings, $114,000, to the backside center.

The Backside Learning Center serves as a resource center for the equine backstretch community, providing educational programs and services and promoting community amongst the backstretch workers and their families.

After Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream, it doesn't look like Smith made what will be a winning wager. Tiz the Bomb was trying the dirt after three straight tries on the turf and didn't fare well, finishing seventh. Though trainer Ken McPeek said afterward that he hasn't given up on getting the colt to the Derby, it looks like Tiz the Bomb's future will be on the grass.

But Smith isn't done. Still hoping to find a way to raise awareness and funds for the Backside Learning Center, he said Sunday that he is looking to buy into a Derby contender. If he can make that happen, he will donate a share of the horse's earnings to the “Purses for a Purpose” program. Started by Smith, Purses for a Purpose involves owners pledging to donate a portion of their earnings to the backside center.

“Why won't or why don't more owners allocate a small percentage of their earnings to similar programs?” Smith said.

Eighteen Months Later, Montanez Is Back

Jockey Rosario Montanez finished sixth in the fifth race Jan, 30 at Laurel, but there was plenty of reason to celebrate. It was his first mount since a July 17, 2020 spill, also at Laurel, that left his career in doubt.

One day after the spill, Montanez, 31, underwent surgery at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He had multiple back fractures and was diagnosed with a brain injury. He was told that these were injuries that could prevent him from making a comeback.

“After so many obstacles, I'm very blessed that I was able to overcome all of them,” Montanez said after his return mount. “I'm very thankful to all the doctors and nurses and all the staff that helped me make it back.”

This was the second time that Montanez had had a serious injury. He missed 20 months after suffering a concussion, a fractured rib and pelvis and head lacerations that required a plate to be surgically inserted in his face after a July 2014 spill at Saratoga.

His determination and perseverance is admirable. A capable rider, it shouldn't be long until he returns to the winner's circle.

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For New York Aftercare Organizations, The Success Stories Keep On Coming

For Stacie Clark Rogers of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), there are several ways to measure progress in aftercare.

One is concrete: following up the TAA's banner 2021 by continuing to pursue the organization's proven, long-range strategy in 2022 of raising funds for TAA-accredited aftercare facilities – all geared to re-homing retired racehorses.

The other is more personal, best measured by the tales of the racehorses adopted and how they're thriving in their new careers. For Clark Rogers, the industry's “success stories” are what she and the others in the aftercare community relish most of all.

“Fundraising will continue to be our primary focus because the assistance goes directly to the organizations now caring for the horses,” said Clark Rogers, the TAA's operations consultant. “But we love hearing the follow-up stories about the horses adopted and how they're doing. In New York, that means building on a number of successes in what was a great 2021.”

The TAA awarded a record $3.7 million in grants in 2021 to 82 of its accredited aftercare organizations comprising approximately 180 facilities in North America, including 10 in New York State.

Clark estimates that since the TAA's inception it has affected approximately 13,700 horses, a number that should grow by more than 3,500 in 2022, which is about the average of the last several years.

Among the organization's highlights in 2021 was the inaugural TAA Day in August at Saratoga Race Course, which generated nationwide attention to the importance and benefits of thoroughbred aftercare. The two-day event on Whitney Weekend raised funds for various TAA-affiliated organizations, and provided significant exposure to aftercare at one of the country's most prestigious and closely followed meets.

“NYRA and the New York horsemen have been great supporters of TAA since our inception (in 2012), but TAA Day at Saratoga was amazing,” said Clark Rogers. “For us, it was a validation that aftercare is an integral part of our industry – and one that embraces the whole diverse racing community. That it happened at Saratoga, with such a large fan base and all the media coverage, was huge.”

Backing the TAA in its pursuit of industry-wide funding is the steadfast year-round support of NYRA and its horsemen. Every owner competing at NYRA racetracks donates $10 per start to the TAA, which funds the aftercare organizations that provide homes for retired racehorses.

New York's horsemen also donate 1.5 percent of the purchase price of every horse claimed at a NYRA track to TAA and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's Take the Lead program, which provides preliminary vet exams and treatment, as well as costs related to transportation, rehabilitation or retraining. The recently-concluded Big A fall meet saw 47 total claims made for a total of more than $1.34 million, generating in excess of $20,000 for aftercare.

Meanwhile, the hard work of accrediting more facilities and re-homing retired racehorses continues. Among the organizations achieving TAA accreditation in 2021 was Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga or THS, which specializes in equine assisted therapy and rescues and retrains retired racehorses for hands-on work with individuals in need. Clark Rogers is soon headed to Spokane, Wash., where she plans to meet with officials of a prison about setting up an aftercare program that uses horses to help rehabilitate inmates.

Small wonder that rehoming retired racehorses is an everyday task involving a never-ending number of details for New York-based trainer Rick Schosberg, who is on the TAA board and also runs the Take The Lead retirement program.

Schosberg said the Take The Lead program is “rapidly approaching” its 900th horse placed thorough the program, a number it should hit in 2022.

“At the moment, I have 12 horses who are transitioning off the track,” Schosberg said. “At any time of the week, we have anywhere from five to 12 horses on our list in different phases of transition. We are very busy and have horses leaving for retirement all the time.”

Take The Lead's goal with each horse is to create a profile and then network with potential aftercare facilities. To do so, the organization gathers information and medical records and ensures that a vet provide a thorough evaluation of each horse for soundness or any lingering injuries. Key is the need to research and find those horses the best fit and career, whether it's show jumping, dressage, part of a rehabilitation program or as a companion, turned out on the family farm.

Working to a retired racehorse's advantage is what Schosberg called “an innate ability to learn new things.”

“[From knowing] the starting gate, the big track, the little track and jogging the right way and the wrong way, they're already processed for that,” Schosberg said.

To make it work, Schosberg, Take The Lead's executive director, Andy Belfiore, and aftercare coordinator, Kristin Mason, hold weekly conference calls with an eye to where the horses in transition stand. No detail is too small, from evaluating a thoroughbred's quirks and habits to bringing in a vet for an exam to checking on van schedules to see if there are any slots on an upcoming trip to Saratoga or Florida in which a transitioning horse might catch a ride to its new home.

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“All in all, it's a busy week and there are times when we're inundated [with aftercare work],” said Schosberg. “The funny thing is that with modern technology, there are a lack of parameters, and I'll get a call about a horse at 7 p.m. or 4 a.m. I tend to do a lot of my aftercare work before training – that's between 3:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. when I'm headed to the barn. A lot of the answers to my questions come back in 'now time,' so I have them by the time training is finished. Things can move along pretty quickly.”

Schosberg added that the commitment to aftercare from owners, NYTHA, NYRA and other parts of the industry in New York, combined with the best racing in the country, make New York “better than any other jurisdiction” when it comes to aftercare.

“Because New York has the best racing, it should have the best aftercare facilities – and it does.” he said. “It's why they [aftercare organizations] want to be here and there are several great ones from ReRun to Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue and others.”

There are success stories just about everywhere you look. In 2021, ReRun in East Greenbush, N.Y. arranged the adoption of between 90 and 110 retired thoroughbreds, all but about 10 of which are former NYRA horses, according to its executive director Lisa Molloy.

“We work primarily with NYRA because hands down, they're the best racehorses,” said Molloy. “That makes us about as 'New York' as it gets.”

Among the recent adoptees at ReRun was the New York-bred Ragnar Lothbrok. Trained by Gary Gullo, the dark bay ran at all three NYRA tracks, but was retired after five races due to injury. Adopted in January 2020 by the Fuller family of Poultney, Vermont, the dark bay now competes in eventing and dressage with Tayah Fuller, a 15-year-old freshman at Poultney High School.

In October, Ragnar Lothbrok who the family now calls Zyn, and Fuller came in third for show jumping and eventing at the Retired Racehorse Project in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Fullers also have two other horses on their farm. In November, the family adopted another NYRA veteran, the Kentucky-bred Recidivist who was trained by Kelly Breen. It's Tayah's responsibility to care for all of them.

“We couldn't possibly have received a better match than Zyn,” said Rommy Fuller-Young, Tayah's mother. “He's athletic, intelligent and has the best temperament. He's really the perfect fit.”

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