Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saratoga: Inaugural New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day Planned For July 21

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) will host the inaugural New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday, July 21.

The featured race will be the Rick Violette Stakes, named for the late NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program, and was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

The timing of the event is no coincidence, explained trainer Rick Schosberg, who succeeded Violette as President of TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD in 2018.

“We're proud to carry on Rick Violette's work in promoting and protecting our equine athletes,” Schosberg said. “The horses give us so much – the excitement of the race, the pleasure of their company, our appreciation of their power and beauty. We owe our very livelihoods to them. It is our duty to make sure they have safe haven when their racing careers are over.”

New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day will begin with former racehorses showcasing the skills learned in their second careers. More than 800 racehorses have been retired through TAKE THE LEAD from the NYRA racetracks.

The majority of the horses go on to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, which has a facility in Gansevoort, NY, and ReRun, based just outside of Albany in East Greenbush, for retraining and rehoming. The two organizations will bring former racehorses out to the track for live demonstrations before the first race on July 21.

ReRun will be represented by two New York-bred stalwarts – former claimer Golden Giant, and former stakes horse Uncle Sigh. Both retired through TAKE THE LEAD in early 2020, and have found success in second careers in the show ring. Golden Giant, a winner at every horse show he has attended to date, will compete in the Hunter Division of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover in Kentucky in October.

New Vocations will be represented by a trio of horses. Inventor's Gate, who made 31 starts before retiring in 2019, will be put through his paces in ranch riding; Remembering Bobbie will demonstrate his dressage moves; and Soaring Star will show off his show jumping ability.

“It's amazing how versatile and adaptable retired racehorses can be,” NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum said. “Most have put their racing careers behind them by the time they are five or six years old, but horses can live well into their 20s. That's why New York's horsemen are staunch supporters not only of Thoroughbred aftercare, but also in promoting second career opportunities that will create a market for our horses long after they leave the track.”

The New York Thoroughbred industry is a leader in aftercare, donating more than $1.28 million toward racehorse retirement every year.

In addition to the contributions made by NYRA, NYTHA, NYTB, the NYRA jockey colony, and individual owners and trainers, there have been two ground-breaking programs implemented at the NYRA tracks. Owners pay a per-start fee for every horse that races, and they pay a surcharge on every horse claimed out of a NYRA race. Those two programs alone raise about $500,000 every year.

“New York State is the national leader when it comes to responsibly protecting our retired racehorses,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “NYRA is pleased to partner with NYTHA and the NYTB to create a day at Saratoga to honor the hard work of so many involved in thoroughbred aftercare. We look forward to cementing this day as a Saratoga tradition for many years to come.”

Racing fans can show their support by texting AFTERCARE2021 to 44321 and donating to TAKE THE LEAD, or by opting to make a donation to the TAA when cashing a winning ticket on an AmTote International self-service betting terminal. All donations are tax deductible.

Fans in attendance at Saratoga on New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day also will have the opportunity to learn more about the many aftercare initiatives in New York, with video presentations on TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD, and guests on NYRA's in-house broadcast, as well as Saratoga Live, discussing everything from the process of retiring a horse from the track to finding the perfect adopter to the many second careers that are suitable for Thoroughbreds.

In addition to New Vocations, ReRun, TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD, the Community Booth behind the jockeys' quarters will offer information on six additional TAA-accredited aftercare organizations that support efforts to provide happy and healthy retirement for New York's racehorses: ACTT Naturally, Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, Lucky Orphans, Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Second Chance Thoroughbreds and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

The culmination of the day will be the post parade for the Rick Violette Stakes, which will be led by New York-bred millionaire Zivo. The winner of the 2014 Suburban Handicap, Zivo is now retired and enjoying life as the stable pony for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

“As breeders of our equine athletes, the majority of our members foal, raise, break and train the Thoroughbreds that compete in New York and across the country,” said NYTB President Thomas J. Gallo III. “We like to know that when a horse leaves our care to have a career on the racetrack, then once retired continues to have a prosperous and meaningful life. Each of the organizations participating today agree it is important and necessary to bring awareness of the widespread aftercare efforts in New York directly to our fans at Saratoga.”

About TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program

The TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created in 2012 with the goal of making it easier to find new homes for retired racehorses. TAKE2 sponsors prize money in Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper classes, high-score year-end awards and the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter & Jumper Finals. The program partners with more than 370 horse shows nationwide.

TAKE THE LEAD works with owners and trainers to find placements for the horses retiring from the NYRA tracks with TAA-accredited aftercare organizations. Co-funded by members of the Thoroughbred industry around the country: New York Thoroughbred Breeders; New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund; Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations in Maryland (through Beyond the Wire) and Pennsylvania (through Turning for Home); Ocala Breeders' Sales Company; and members of the racing and horse show communities across the country, TAKE2 is a 2020 TCA grantee. For more information on TAKE2 and TAKE THE LEAD, go to www.take2tbreds.com.

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Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare, Breeder Step Up To Get Horse Home From Puerto Rico

Ex-Marine Joe Pike is a featured private eye character in suspense novels by Los Angeles-based writer Robert Crais, but he is also a 10-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse who retired in Puerto Rico and has come home, thanks to his original breeder Joanna Reisler and the Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare (CTA) program. The CTA is trying to raise $3,000 to offset the costs of bringing the beloved Joe Pike back to the States.

For more than a decade, the Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare team has worked diligently to provide a responsible process for Thoroughbreds who have been shipped to the islands for racing to be returned off the racetracks in healthy condition and ready for new careers and homecomings. CTA has received an Eclipse Award of Merit for their work after hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico several years ago and has been accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

Reisler sees a little bit of the private eye character in the horse that shares his namesake, Joe Pike, a name he got shortly after selling as a yearling at the OBS sale in 2012. She noted the horse has a personality was one to remember.

From 2013 to 2018, Joe Pike started 36 times winning 14 times, second seven times and third six times. He earned $132,747, which is a significant amount on the island based on the modest purses. His success led him to being named the champion 3-year-old imported horse in Puerto Rico.

After racing his last race on April 13, 2018, his owner proposed keeping him in Puerto Rico as a breeding stallion. Joe Pike's sire, Benny the Bull, was a multiple graded stakes winner and Eclipse Award-winning sprinter in 2008, beating Midnight Lute 107 votes to 86.

Before Joe Pike could make his way to the breeding shed, Reisler noticed the horse was no longer racing and called CTA for information on where he was. Reisler offered him a home, if CTA could get him back to Florida.

Through dedicated time and collective efforts, CTA acquired Joe Pike and have brought him stateside. However, the costs associated with getting him home include quarantine, shipping by plane to Miami, and a van ride to Ocala. The total cost is $3,094. This does not include the nonprofit's cost for gelding, current shots, and board.

Hundreds of Thoroughbreds arrive in Puerto Rico and surrounding islands each year. The challenges of transitioning each back to the States are many, and one of the biggest hurdles is the cost for horses to return to the mainland. The CTA has had to dip into its emergency fund to fund Joe Pike's trip back and is now calling on the racing community to help restore their reserves.

The CTA Flight Fund helps with the expenses and is funded by donations.

For information on the CTA program or to make a donation go to https://pages.donately.com/cta/campaign/cta-flight-fund and designate a specific horse or generally for horses CTA is helping.

The Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare can also be reached at P.O. Box 43001, PMB 372 , Rio Grande, Puerto Rico 00745 or by contacting the CTA team at caribbeanottb@gmail.com.

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TAA Check Presentation From Tampa Bay Downs

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) supporter Tampa Bay Downs will promote aftercare awareness on the undercard of the final day of the Oldsmar, Florida-based race meet. Taking place Sunday, May 2, Race 6 will benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Following the running of the race, a check presentation will be made to the TAA and a TAA blanket and swag bag will go to the winning connections.

In Tampa Bay Downs' Race 6 presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, 10 maiden 3-year-olds are set to go 5 furlongs on the turf at 3:08 PM.

“Tampa Bay Downs is pleased to extend its support of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and its ongoing efforts to find new homes and second careers for retired racehorses,” said Margo Flynn, the track's Vice President of Marketing & Publicity.

“The TAA is thrilled to be represented during the finale of Tampa Bay Down's race meet,” said TAA Marketing and Communications Manager Alexandra Kokka. “We're so grateful to have the support of Tampa Bay Downs and only wish we could be there in person to thank them for their donation.”

Out of the TAA's 81 accredited organizations, 14 facilities comprised of 10 organizations are located throughout Florida and work to assist Florida's horsemen. Tampa Bay Downs is committed to financially supporting OTTBs and the TAA.

‘People Don’t Know What’s Out There’: Marketing Key To Aftercare Success

The third session of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses' (IFAR) virtual conference series concluded Tuesday following speeches on the various paths for Thoroughbreds in different countries at the conclusion of their racing careers. This session was the third in a series of four webinars that compose the 2021 IFAR Conference.

The webinar, “Global Insights on Aftercare (Aftercare Providers, Equine Charities),” was moderated by Donna Brothers, who is part of the horse racing coverage team for NBC Sports in the United States. The list of speakers consisted of Stacie Clark, operations consultant, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (U.S.); Lisa Coffey, founder and director, Racing Hearts (AUS); John Osborne, director of Equine Welfare and Bloodstock, Horse Racing Ireland; Dr. Ignacio Pavlovsky, veterinarian, owner, and breeder (ARG); and Kristin Werner, senior counsel, The Jockey Club, and administrator, Thoroughbred Incentive Program (U.S.).

Clark and Werner described the path from the racetrack to placement into accredited aftercare programs. They emphasized the importance of these organizations' promoting themselves and communicating to the Thoroughbred industry that they exist so that horse owners are aware of the retirement options for their former racehorses.

“The biggest disconnect that we have is that people don't know what's out there,” Clark said.

According to Werner, “Part of any aftercare program should be the permanent retirement of the horse's racing eligibility. This is accomplished through The Jockey Club's Transferred as Retired from Racing process. This ensures a horse will no longer be eligible to race, while maintaining eligibility for breeding and second careers.”

Coffey's Racing Hearts retrains off-the-track Thoroughbreds for use in equine-assisted therapy and other careers. It is the first charity of its kind in Australia and currently has a waiting list of about 50 clients. Coffey stated that Thoroughbreds are especially suited to therapy due to their willingness to please.

“Horses and other animals offer a genuinely non-judgmental relationship. They have no other agenda other than actually wanting to be with us,” she said.

Osborne indicated that aftercare has become a priority for the Irish Thoroughbred industry relatively recently, as perspectives have shifted from viewing horses as commodities to viewing them as individual, sentient beings. Last year, Treo Eile was founded in Ireland to assist racehorse trainers and owners who wish to rehome and retrain horses once their racetrack careers are complete.

“Ultimately, our catchphrase is that ownership comes with the responsibility to the animal, not just on the glory days but in the dog days, too, where things are not so promising, where the dreams are behind those horses, but the responsibility still remains to look after that horse properly and do what's best for that horse at all times,” Osborne said.

In Argentina, Pavlovsky indicated that Thoroughbreds are in high demand due to their versatility to be retrained in disciplines such as polo, jumping, and pulling carriages. Compared to other jurisdictions, it is much easier to place racehorses in homes following their retirement from racing.

“Today, the welfare of horses is something that we have to be extremely dedicated to and think about,” Pavlovsky said. “Horses are more than our business. They are our way of living.”

The 2021 IFAR Conference concludes 27 April with a final panel, “Aftercare for Racing Industry Participants: Owners, Breeders, and Trainers.” It will begin at 12 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. in the U.K.) and be moderated by Francesca Cumani, horse racing presenter in the U.K. and Australia. Speaking will be Mark Fisher, Kotare Bioethics Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand; Dr. Eliot Forbes, chief executive officer, AniMark Ltd. (AUS), and member, IFAR Steering Committee; Tom Reilly, chief executive officer, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse; and Dr. Christopher Riggs, director, Equine Welfare Research Foundation, and chief advisor, Veterinary Science, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The full schedule of webinars, including speakers, moderators, presentation topics, bios, and the link to register can be found here. All sessions are free, but registration is required. Those who attend each session live will be able to ask questions to presenters. A recording of the first three sessions is available here.

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