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TRF Expands Second Chances Program To Additional Correctional Facility In New York

In collaboration with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS), the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's successful Second Chances program will expand in New York with a new farm located at Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has a rich history in New York and launched the flagship Second Chances program at Wallkill Correctional Facility in 1984, a program that continues to operate today.

“The TRF is eager to launch the new Second Chances Program in western New York so that we can provide this important vocational opportunity to more incarcerated individuals, who will also care for up to 25 Thoroughbreds needing a safe haven after their racing careers are over,” said Pat Stickney, TRF's Executive Director. “We are grateful to the NYSDOCCS for their continued support in this collaborative effort which serves these two important missions.”

The TRF Second Chances Program is a unique and pioneering program where incarcerated individuals build life skills while participating in a vocational training program as they provide supervised care to retired racehorses. The program has successfully expanded to seven states, where incarcerated individuals have the opportunity to participate in a rigorous training program where they learn horse anatomy, how to care for injuries, equine nutrition, and other aspects of horse care. Graduates of the program receive a certification based on the level of expertise they have mastered. After their release from prison, graduates of the TRF Second Chances Program have gone on to careers as grooms, farriers, vet assistants, and caretakers.

The TRF Second Chances Program at Wyoming Correctional Facility will operate within one of the former dairy barns, converted for the purposes of housing horses just as it was at the TRF's flagship facility at Wallkill Correctional. The program will utilize approximately 50 acres of land near the barn, which will be reseeded and fenced to maintain the equine teachers who will live there.

The work on the property is slated to begin in the spring of 2022 to prepare the facility for the arrival of horses. To start, the program will welcome ten retired racehorses to the facility and as the program grows and strengthens, additional fencing will be added to accommodate up to a maximum capacity of 25 retired racehorses at the facility.

“The Department is elated to welcome the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Second Chances program to another one of our facilities,” said DOCCS Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci. “TRF's mission is not only humane in offering sanctuary to retired Thoroughbreds, but in the humanity it brings to its participants. This program has been lifechanging to countless incarcerated individuals over the years, and we are proud to expand this opportunity for a new lease on life to both incarcerated individuals and equines alike.

Currently, Wyoming Correctional has a strong offering of vocational services for incarcerated individuals including small engine repair, horticulture, welding, and HVAC. The addition of the TRF Second Chances program for equine vocational instruction will add another layer of unique and necessary skills available for the men to learn while they are serving their sentence as well as a much-needed place of sanctuary to the horses who will come to call Wyoming Correctional home.

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Prominent NY Horsewoman O’Cain Passes Away

Suzie O'Cain, one of the most well-known and unique personalities in the Thoroughbred industry in New York and who managed the late Carl Lizza's Highcliff Farm in Delanson for 23 years alongside her husband Dr. C. Lynwood 'Doc' O'Cain, passed away Jan. 4 in Saratoga Springs following a battle with breast cancer.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin and raised in Mississippi, Suzie O'Cain attended the state university in Oxford and later graduated with a Bachelor's degree in education from The Ohio State University.

“We met in Louisiana and were married in Louisiana,” Doc O'Cain said. “She showed Quarter Horses in Louisiana and knew nothing about Thoroughbreds at all. I did some Thoroughbred veterinary work in Louisiana and when we moved up here she got involved in Thoroughbreds.”

The O'Cains relocated to the Northeast in 1985 when Doc O'Cain went to work at Everett and Gustave Schoenborn Sr.'s Schoenborn Brothers Farm in Coxsackie, which at the time stood leading New York sires Cormorant and Talc. Doc O'Cain also worked at Gus Schoenborn, Jr.'s Contemporary Stallions, where the roster included Ends Well, Double Negative and others.

The O'Cains' association with Highcliff began in 1989 and during their time with Lizza, the couple made important contributions that were key to the success of the Flying Zee Stable racing and breeding programs. The O'Cains maintained their involvement in the New York breeding and stallion programs following Lizza's passing in 2011 and managed and marketed stallions under the Saratoga Stallions banner.

“When we were at Highcliff she basically co-managed everything with me,” Doc O'Cain said. “She did all office work, all the advertising, all the stallion promotion, the booking of stallions. She was a big part of the operation and its success.”

Suzie O'Cain served the industry in a variety of capacities, including as a member of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Board of Directors from 2003 until this past August. She was also the co-chairwoman of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders' Political Action Committee and chairwoman of the NYTB's Media Committee.

O'Cain was also the founder of the Find A Cure Sable to campaign horses to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She was the host of a show called 'Suzie's Corner' that aired on the New York City and Capital OTB networks. O'Cain interviewed prominent women in the Thoroughbred industry and was honored in 2003 at the Governor's mansion in Albany during a Women's History Month reception to recognize Pioneering Women of the Capital Region.

“Suzie was a very unique person, a very smart person,” Doc O'Cain said. “And she had the personality to go with it. She could walk into a room and take it over.”

Plans for a memorial service and/or celebration of life, most likely in August at Saratoga Race Course, are pending. Donations can be made in Suzie's name to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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Breast Cancer Claims Pioneering New York Horsewoman Suzie O’Cain

Suzie O'Cain, one of the most recognizable faces and unique personalities in the New York Thoroughbred industry, passed away Jan. 4 in Saratoga Springs after a battle with breast cancer.

A former member of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.'s Board of Directors for more than two decades and one of three Directors Emeriti at the time of her passing, O'Cain and her husband of 40 years, Dr. C. Lynwood “Doc” O'Cain, managed Highcliff Farm in Delanson for 23 years.

Born in Madison, Wis., and raised in Mississippi, Suzie O'Cain attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford and later graduated from Ohio State University in Columbus with a bachelor's degree in education.

The O'Cains moved to the Northeast in 1985 when Doc O'Cain went to work at Everett and Gustave Schoenborn Sr.'s Schoenborn Brothers Farm in Coxsackie, which stood leading New York stallions Cormorant and Talc. He also worked at Gus Schoenborn Jr.'s Contemporary Stallions, which stood Ends Well, Double Negative and others.

The association with Highcliff started in 1989 and during their time with leading New York owner and breeder Carl Lizza, the O'Cains were heavily involved in his successful Flying Zee Stable breeding and racing programs. The couple continued their involvement in the Empire State's breeding and stallion programs after Lizza's death in July 2011 and managed and marketed stallions under the Saratoga Stallions banner.

Suzie O'Cain served the industry in many capacities, including as a member of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's board of directors from 2003 until this past August. She also served as co-chairwoman of the NYTB's Political Action Committee and chairwoman of the NYTB's Media Committee.

O'Cain also founded Find A Cure Stable to campaign horses to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She also hosted a show called “Suzie's Corner” that aired on the New York City OTB and Capital OTB networks where she interviewed prominent women in the Thoroughbred industry and was honored in 2003 at the governor's mansion in Albany during a Women's History Month reception to recognize Pioneering Women of the Capital Region.

“Suzie was a very unique person, a very smart person,” Doc O'Cain said. “And she had the personality to go with it. She could walk into a room and take it over.”

Plans for a memorial service and/or celebration of life, most likely in August at Saratoga Race Course, are pending. Donations can be made in Suzie's name to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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Stephanie Brennan Elected To Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Board

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is pleased to announce the election of Stephanie Brennan to the organization's Board of Directors. The TRF board provides leadership for carrying out the Foundation's mission to provide sanctuary for retired racehorses no longer able to compete on the racetrack and to save them from possible neglect, abuse and slaughter.

“Once again the TRF has hit a home run by adding Stephanie to the Board,” said Patrick Mackay, President and Chairman of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “We welcome and look forward with great enthusiasm to her sharing her firsthand knowledge and expertise in Thoroughbred aftercare for the betterment of our herd.”

Stephanie Brennan is based out of Ocala, Fla. and is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Niall Brennan Stables and in 2009 founded Final Furlong, LLC, a Thoroughbred retirement initiative solely for graduates of Niall Brennan Stables and through that organization has rehomed nearly 200 off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

“I am excited to be a part of the TRF,” said Brennan. “As a strong supporter of aftercare, I am particularly interested in the liaison between the TRF and the correctional systems. It creates a world of opportunities for both equines and inmates to have hope for a better future.”

About TRF: Founded in 1983, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is a national organization devoted to saving Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete at the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse, and slaughter. As the oldest Thoroughbred rescue in the country, the TRF provides lifelong sanctuary to retired Thoroughbreds throughout their lifetime.

Best known for its pioneering TRF Second Chances program, the organization provides incarcerated individuals with life-changing vocational training through its accredited equine care and stable management program. At eight correctional facilities across the US, including one juvenile justice facility, this program offers second careers to its horses and a second chance at life for program graduates upon release from prison. The TRF Second Chances Program at the Wallkill Correctional Facility provides a home for 40 retired Thoroughbred racehorses and has been changing the lives of returning citizens for nearly forty years.

For more information visit: http://www.trfinc.org/

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