thoroughbred aftercare | Horse Racing Free Tips

Churchill Downs Pledges $150K to 20 Aftercare Organizations in Conjunction with Ky Derby

The Churchill Downs Foundation has partnered with 20 Thoroughbred aftercare organizations for the upcoming 150th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve by pledging a $150,000 donation to support the organizations.

On Monday, Apr. 29, an aftercare post position draw will be held on the Churchill Downs backstretch where each horse in the Kentucky Derby field will be paired with an aftercare organization. Each organization is guaranteed at least a $5,000 donation from the Churchill Downs Foundation with the organization paired with the winner of the Kentucky Derby receiving a $25,000 donation. The runner-up will be awarded $20,000, the third-place finisher will receive $15,000 and fourth place will garner $10,000.

“We're thrilled to embark on this meaningful partnership with 20 of the best aftercare organizations in North America,” said Cathy Shircliff, Director of Equine Industry Relations for Churchill Downs Incorporated. “The Kentucky Derby is the pinnacle of Thoroughbred racing and it is all of our responsibilities to ensure every horse receives the care and support they deserve after their career on the racetrack.”

The organizations chosen this year are: After the Races, Friends of Ferdinand, Galloping Out, Horse and Hound Rescue, James River Horse Foundation, Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, New Vocations, Old Friends, Racing For Home, Remember Me Rescue, ReRun, Inc., Second Stride, Secretariat Center, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Thoroughbred Retirement Network of Louisiana, TRRAC, United Pegasus Foundation, Virginia Thoroughbred Project and Win Place Home.

To make a donation for each of the Kentucky Derby contenders, visit www.kentuckyderby.com/derbygives.

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Old Friends Homecoming Event May 5

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, will host its 19th annual Homecoming event May 5 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The day will include a barbecue buffet lunch provided by Proud Mary, farm tours, live Bluegrass music, book signings, and live and silent auctions of racing memorabilia, collectible stallion halters, artwork, jewelry, books, and much more.

Homecoming tickets are $50 for the general public and $25 for Old Friends 2024 Clubhouse members (children 12 and under are free). Click here for more ticket information.

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Second Stride Kicks Off ’24 Fundraising With Oaks/Derby Box Raffle

Second Stride, which rehabs, retrains and rehomes retired Thoroughbred racehorses, will open its 2024 fundraising efforts with twin raffles for third-floor boxes for six people, one box each for Kentucky Derby and Oaks Day donated by Churchill Downs. In the spirit of May 3-4 being the 150th runnings of America's favorite race and its filly counterpart, only 150 tickets will be sold at $150 apiece for the Derby and for $125 apiece for the Oaks. Buy raffle tickets for the all-inclusive boxes (including food and alcoholic beverage) here.

The drawings will be Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET and streamed via Facebook Live.

Second Stride, which was founded in 2005, rehomed 169 horses in 2023 and directly assisted a total of 197, up from the 124 adoptions in 2022, when the facilities expanded to include Chorleywood Farm in Prospect, according to a release from the organization. The former racehorses, as well as broodmares and unable-to-race bloodstock, came from 49 tracks, training centers and farms and went to new homes in 26 states and Canada this past year. The average stay at Second Stride for horses being rehabbed and/or retrained before adoption was 57 days, covering more than 2,500 training sessions.

“We spent 2022 working on expansion so we could take care of and find second careers and forever homes for more retired racehorses,” said Second Stride founder and executive director Kim Smith. “Aftercare for horses coming off the track is a race without a finish line. So now we look to build on 2023, which across the board was our most successful in terms of horses served, rehabbed and adopted as well as financial growth including fundraising and grants and volunteer hours. And just to put the 197 horses we assisted last year in perspective, that number is slightly more than the 1% of North America's 2023 foal crop.

“We can't thank Churchill Downs enough for donating a prime box to these historic runnings of the Derby and Oaks. Every dollar raised will go toward the horses. This will get our fundraising off to a great start and hopefully make more people aware of Second Stride, how the horse donation process works and how our staff and volunteers prepare each donated horse individually for a second career, whether that be eventing, in the show ring, trail riding or as a wonderful, loving companion.”

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Retired Racehorse Project to Host Aftercare Industry Month Teleconference

Registration for February's Aftercare Industry Month (AIM) virtual conference is open and all with a professional interest in Thoroughbred aftercare are invited to partake, announced officials at the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) via press release Friday.

Presented by the Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF), the teleconference will offer four webinars providing an interactive experience for participants to explore a variety of topics pertaining to non-profits and business entities. Options to register for the entire conference or individual sessions a la carte will be offered on the sign-up page. An all-access conference pass is $10 while individual passes will be $5 per session.

“We're grateful to TERF for supporting our vision of building on the original Aftercare Summit concept, allowing us to tackle topics in greater depth and deliver sessions in a way that increases accessibility for anyone wanting to participate,” said Kirsten Green, RRP executive director.

“The aftercare industry in North America has grown into a diverse community of entities that contribute to a Thoroughbred's transition in a variety of ways. The RRP is unique in that we interface with everyone within that community, and we're striving to foster collaboration and networking which will only increase the impact of the community as a whole.”

A full description of all seminars is available on the RRP website.

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