Thoroughbred retirement | Horse Racing Free Tips

R.A.C.E. Fundraiser Begins May 7

The TAA-accredited R.A.C.E. Fund begins its 2021 fund drive with an online auction hosted on eBay beginning May 7 at 8 p.m. ET and ending May 14 to help raise funds for racehorse retirement and rescue.

Among the items available are halters of California Chrome, Funny Cide, Mohaymen, Serena's Song, Havre de Grace, Union Rags, Frosted and Littleprincessemma, the dam of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Other items up for auction is a farm tour donated by Three Chimneys and horseshoes from Afleet Alex and First Samurai.

“We have some very exciting auction items again this year,” said Marlene Murray, president of the R.A.C.E. Fund. “We would like to especially thank volunteer Roxanne Campbell for her tireless efforts as well as Claiborne, Darley-Godolphin, Denali Stud, Gainesway, Kentucky Horse Park, Lane's End, Shadwell, Summer Wind Farm, Three Chimneys and Timber Town Stables for their generous support by donating such valuable items of racing champions to help us raise funds.”

All proceeds raised will be used to help Thoroughbred racehorses in need of retirement and rescue from slaughter. For more information on the R.A.C.E. Fund, click here.

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Hats Off To The Horses: Birdstone Chapeau Benefits Old Friends

For the 12th consecutive year, Maggie Mae Designs® and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement have teamed up for an unparalleled online shopping experience: “Hats off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby”.

This unique fundraiser features one-of-a-kind couture hats created by Maggie Mae Designs®, the sale of which benefits Old Friends.

The last hat up for bid in our 2021 auction series honors Birdstone, winner of the 2004 Belmont Stakes and the 2004 Travers Stakes.

Bidding in this online auction will be available through April 11, 8:00 pm (EST). To bid, CLICK HERE

The son of Grindstone out of the Storm Bird mare Dear Birdie, Birdstone was donated to the non-profit organization by Gainesway Farm.

A homebred for owner Marylou Whitney and trained by Nick Zito, Birdstone captured the G1 Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old in 2003. Birdstone ran up the track in the Kentucky Derby and sat out the Preakness, before surprising most of the sell-out crowd when he got up in the final yards in the Belmont Stakes to ruin Smarty Jones' try for the Triple Crown. That summer, at Saratoga Race Course, Birdstone proved that the Belmont was no fluke when he added a victory in the Travers Stakes to his impressive resume.

A very special chapeau was needed to honor this accomplished athlete. An extra wide hat foundation was created using an iridescent blue taffeta with chocolate thread to reflect the Whitney Stable's Eton blue racing silk colors.

To celebrate Birdstone's amazing charge to defeat favorite Smarty Jones in his Triple Crown bid, three delicate Marguerites were created out of chocolate satin rose curl centers and greenish-blue organza petals top stitched with chocolate embroidery strands. Two large Marguerite flowers adorn the front of the hat and one slightly smaller Marguerite adorns the back.

A chocolate taffeta sash lined with black silk organza encircles the crown of the hat and swirling layers of chocolate brown tulle encircle the crown.

As a physical remembrance of Birdstone, several strands of his tail hair were braided and woven into the trim of the hat, creating a unique, one-of-a-kind Derby chapeau that captures Birdstone not only in spirit but in substance as well.

Maggie Mae Designs® Custom Millinery offers magnificent hats for all occasions – from glamorous racing events such as the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot to stunning bridal wear and handsome cocktail fashions. Every hat is carefully handcrafted by milliner Sally Faith Steinmann from her home base in South Harwich, MA. Salons of her fashions can been seen on her website at www.maggiemaedesigns.com

Bidding is open now. To bid CLICK HERE

The post Hats Off To The Horses: Birdstone Chapeau Benefits Old Friends appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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480 Trainers Accepted to 2021 TB Makeover Class

Edited Press Release

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) has welcomed 484 accepted applications, representing 480 unique trainers and teams, to the 2021 class of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. The Thoroughbred Makeover is the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for ex-racehorses, and the 2021 class combined with 322 trainers from the postponed 2020 competition year will make this the biggest Makeover yet.

“After the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover, it was important to us to preserve the opportunity for our 2020 class to compete, and thanks to so many loyal sponsors and donors from the racing, breeding and sport horse worlds, we are going to be putting on the largest retraining competition in history,” said RRP executive director Jen Roytz.

The application process for the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover required trainers to demonstrate their skills and expertise through competition results, videos and references, as well as a letter from a vet stating that that the applicant has the necessary skills and knowledge to appropriately care for a horse transitioning off the track. The RRP's selection committee took into consideration both candidates' ability to effectively retrain an off-track Thoroughbred and candidates' commitment to the RRP's mission of promoting off-track Thoroughbreds in second careers.

Accepted trainers are encouraged to register their horses at TBMakeover.org as soon as they acquire them. Horse registration closes July 31, but registration upon acquisition allows the RRP to better gather data on horses undergoing the Makeover process.

Accepted trainers for 2021 include Becky Huestis, assistant rider and manager for John Madden Sales; Darby Mazzarisi, champion hunter trainer; and Natalie (Voss) Nevills, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer for the Paulick Report. They join a diverse class of trainers hailing from 46 states and four Canadian provinces. Trainers range in age from 11 (will be 12 at the time of the Makeover as per rules) to 74.

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TAA Accreditation Application Available

Edited Press Release

The 2021 application for accreditation by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is now available on OpenWater and can be accessed through ThoroughbredAftercare.org/Accreditation.

Thoroughbred aftercare nonprofits interested in applying must complete the application by Apr. 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Since TAA accreditation is only granted for a specific period of time, organizations with accreditation status ending in 2021 that want to remain accredited need to re-apply.

Accreditation status is determined after a complete review of five areas of an aftercare organization: operations, education, horse health care management, facility standards and services, and adoption policies and protocols. Organizations passing the application review will be subject to site inspections of all facilities housing Thoroughbreds.

Organizations that receive accreditation are eligible to receive financial grants from the TAA, but prior grants awarded are no indication of potential future awards. In 2020 the TAA awarded $3.5 million to accredited organizations as grants earmarked specifically for equine care, totaling more than $20.7 million awarded since 2012.

For more information on the TAA accreditation process, please visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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