According to the National Weather Service, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located eight miles west of Richmond, Kentucky, moving in an eastward direction at 55 mph. The area is also under a severe thunderstorm warning until 10 a.m. ET and a severe thunderstorm watch through 1 p.m., according to NWS.

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Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm, the partnership that campaigned Gun Runner, offered the 2022 breeding season to benefit tornado recovery efforts. It was auctioned as Tuesday night's last offering, with Keeneland forgoing its customary sales commission. The winning bidder was owner-breeder Bill Layni, who was not at Keeneland and was represented by an agent.

In addition, Three Chimneys and The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs in Franklin are contributing an additional $50,000 apiece toward tornado recovery in the region. Ron Winchell, Kentucky Downs' co-owner and co-managing partner with Marc Falcone, and Three Chimneys vice chair Doug Cauthen said they would like to distribute the funds among multiple entities in Bowling Green and elsewhere in the region after identifying areas and urgent needs that might otherwise get neglected.

The Mint Gaming Hall opened a satellite historical horse racing facility in Bowling Green in late December at 2475 Scottsville Road. While The Mint Bowling Green sustained little damage, other areas in Warren County were decimated by the historic weather system that ripped a 200-mile swath of destruction through the state. Seventeen of at least 77 storm-related deaths in Kentucky were in Bowling Green.

“Our hearts ache for the thousands of people impacted by the most violent tornados in Kentucky's history and their horrific losses,” Winchell said. “We were blessed to have Gun Runner, a champion on the racetrack and now also in the breeding shed. Three Chimneys and I wanted our good fortune to help assist those whose worlds have been up-ended.

“Having a lot of team members in the Bowling Green area, we've heard a lot of first-hand stories about people who have lost loved ones or houses. It really hits home, the devastation and what people have lost, not only lives but their personal effects. It's changed a lot of people in that immediate area. There are so many unfathomable needs right now. ”

Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys in Midway, Ky., with a $125,000 stud fee for 2022, payable if the mating produces a live foal that stands and nurses. The auctioned breeding did not include that guarantee, making the $130,000 price even more impressive.

With the North American breeding season starting in mid-February, Gun Runner already is completely booked. So Tuesday's auctioned breeding provided an opportunity to breed a mare this year to the wildly popular stallion.

Cauthen praised Keeneland for making the charity auction happen and promoting it on short notice.

“Everyone in Kentucky, at every level, wanted to do the right thing for folks that were hit by the disaster,” Cauthen said. “This, and another $50,000 from Kentucky Downs and $50,000 from Three Chimneys, will at least be a step in the right direction. The whole horse community has done a great job. The Torrealba family (Three Chimneys' owners) and Ron Winchell just wanted to do their part, and it was a good way to do it with the sale being here and with no more Gun Runner seasons around. That was a great price and it will go to a great cause.”

Gun Runner's 2-year-olds last year set a record for first-crop progeny earnings of $4,279,402; his six stakes-winning horses including Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Echo Zulu and Saratoga's Grade 1 Hopeful winner Gunite, Del Mar's Grade 2 Best Pal winner Pappacap and Saratoga's Grade 2 Adirondack winner Wicked Halo.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Gun Runner raced three seasons from 2015-2017, adding victory in the 2018 Pegasus World Cup (G1) then worth $16 million, before retiring to Three Chimneys. The horse won 12 of 19 races for earnings of $15,988,500, including the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in 2017. He finished third in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, but only improved throughout the rest of his career.

Tony Lacy, Keeneland's vice president for sales, called Gun Runner “an amazing stallion,” with bidders showing a lot of enthusiasm for the cause.

“I thought it was a wonderful gesture by Ron Winchell and Three Chimneys, going to an amazing cause,” Lacy said. “It's great for the industry to be able to give back to this endeavor. One hundred percent is going to the victims. We were just happy to facilitate the process.”

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The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association organized a GoFundMe page on Dec. 11, which has raised $318,199 since inception. Further donations came in, including a season to Triple Crown winning stallion Justify donated by Ashford Stud/Coolmore America and private sources, raising the total quickly. All told, the donations came from 315 Thoroughbred breeders, racehorse owners including Spendthrift Farm, trainers, jockeys, industry stalwarts like The Jockey Club and Breeders' Cup, Ltd., out-of-state entities We Are NY Racing and the Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance, and members of racing media.

By Tuesday, Dec. 14, response funds were directed immediately to farmers, livestock, and agricultural producers in Mayfield (Graves County), Oak Grove (Christian County), Dawson Springs (Hopkins and Caldwell Counties), and Princeton (Caldwell County) via a distribution channel set up by Don Campbell, a Thoroughbred Owner/Breeder in Princeton, and his neighbors Bradley & Rachel Boyd, who run an American Quarter Horse operation.

In addition to experiencing major damage to their homes, survivors also had catastrophic loss of livestock, feed, fencing and equipment. In addition to multiple trailers of feed and equipment paid for by KTA, substantial amounts of food, pet food, toiletries, water, clothing and feed were made by James “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.

Funding has been made available for short-term housing needs and will be made available for long-term housing recovery needs for those experiencing a gap in Federal and State disaster relief. Efforts will be coordinated via the Community Foundation for West Kentucky, located in Paducah. The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky in Hazard will function as the custodian for the funds raised, and each donation will receive a tax letter.

Contributions can be made via check to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, 420 Main St, Hazard, KY 41701 USA, and noting “WKY Thoroughbred Relief” in the check memo. Please contact Chauncey Morris at +1 859 447 5688 if you prefer wiring instructions or are considering donation of securities.

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“It is unimaginable the damage and suffering wreaked upon so many of the communities and good people of Western Kentucky,” said Three Chimneys chairman Gonçalo Torrealba. “Three Chimneys, our partner Ron Winchell, and the entire Thoroughbred horse industry share the grief of those whose lives have been impacted and this is a way we felt we could directly help.”

The resulting price of the nomination is expected to exceed $100,000. In addition, Three Chimneys and Kentucky Downs will collectively add another $100,000 to the donation, for a total donation of $200,000 or more.

Ron Winchell added: “With Kentucky Downs and Three Chimneys additional donations it shows the commitment the racing industry has to those affected by the devastation in Western Kentucky.”

One hundred percent of the funds raised will go directly to local community charities in the affected counties. The donated nomination will be auctioned at the conclusion of the first session of the Keeneland January sale, on Monday, Jan. 10. We also wish to thank Keeneland for the sales company's assistance in this effort.

Any inquiries prior to the sale can be directed to the Three Chimneys' farm office at 859.873.7053, or to Keeneland's sales department, particularly for assistance with phone or online bidding of the live auction of the Gun Runner nomination.

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As of Friday, 77 Kentuckians have lost their lives due to a storm that is expected to have affected an estimated 227 miles, according to WLKY News.

Bradley Boyd, a professional Quarter Horse trainer based in Princeton, Kentucky, sent his children to the basement Friday evening when he heard news of the approaching tornado.

“The tornado passed about a mile behind our place,” the horseman recounted. “I watched it pass at 10:21 that evening; I'll always remember the time. By 10:40, I'd had a phone call from one of my best friends. It had killed three of his horses and his place was just gone.”

As Americans awoke the next morning to news of the devastation, Boyd drove to what was left of his friend's farm.

“By the time I got there, they had caught their horses so we just went digging stuff out of their house,” he said. “It's heartbreaking to see people who build and build and have it all taken at one time. It's heartbreaking. But to watch the horse community come together since this has happened, it has been incredible. It's one of my favorite things about the horse community is that when it comes to these horses, everyone steps up.”

It didn't take long for the Thoroughbred community to jump into action. On Sunday, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association launched a GoFundMe page to aid in the relief efforts, kicking the fund off with a $7,500 contribution.

“It's something that the Thoroughbred industry has done in the past, most recently this February when there was some major flooding in Southeast Kentucky, ” said KTA Executive Director Chauncey Morris.  “We have a bit of experience not only in raising funds, but in figuring out what exactly to do with them when emergency strikes.”

As funds started to pour in, Morris got in touch with Don Campbell, a Thoroughbred trainer from Princeton and the next-door neighbor to Bradley Boyd, to find out what the immediate needs were for horse owners and farms in the area.

“Our farm didn't really have any damage,” said Campbell. “You can't even count it compared to what other people have. Most of the people who got hit lost everything–houses, barns, fencing, all their supplies, trailers, cars. It wasn't a typical Kentucky tornado where something gets torn up and something else gets left behind. It was more like if you were in the path of it, you just got wiped out. You can see the pictures, but it's nothing like it is in person. It's like a war zone. ”

Chauncey, Campbell and Boyd arranged to open up Boyd Performance Horses as a supply distribution center.

“Chauncey had told us to be ready because  they were going to send a bunch our way,” Boyd said. “I told them to bring it on and that we would make it happen one way or another.”

Since Tuesday, the KTA has organized shipments of hay, grain, water hoses, dog food, fencing and various supplies, working with agricultural centers in the area to help distribute incoming supplies to surrounding communities.

A church in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky

“The ag centers are sending people here to come pick things up and everyone is just overwhelmed with how much support we're getting,” Campbell said. “But still, we're getting more calls than we have stuff. I had 40 buckets sitting in a barn that I had kept over the years. I took them over to the distribution center and they were gone after an hour.”

“Just today alone, we've probably sent out almost 20,000 pounds of feed between hay and grain,” Boyd said on Thursday. “We're glad to be able to help in any way we can, but without Donn and the KTA, we wouldn't be able to do any of this right now.”

“We just heard that a semi-load of treated fence posts will be here on Monday,” Campbell said. “Chauncey has been ringing my phone off the wall to see what our needs are. I'm not talking about them sending a few pickup loads. Everything they're wanting to do is with semis. The way the Thoroughbred industry has stepped up has been unbelievable. That's the best way for me to put it and I'm proud to be a part of it.”

While the KTA will continue to provide necessary supplies for farms in western Kentucky, they are also beginning to look towards the future to determine how to best allocate their growing funds as the rebuilding process begins.

“We're taking care of immediate needs now, but for the medium and long term, we know that historically, federal disaster relief doesn't always pay for everything and some people fall through the cracks,” Morris said. “FEMA and SBA programs do not generally pay for people who are renting their apartments, homes or trailers. So that's where hopefully we can come in and help.”

Morris explained that the custodian for the funds raised through their GoFundMe will be the Foundation for Appalachia Kentucky. The Hazard-based organization is the same group the KTA worked with when they raised money for flood relief earlier this year and the program has already partnered with another organization in Paducah called the Community Foundation of West Kentucky.

“The scale of this disaster is so big and our industry generally has a very big heart,” Morris said. “Here in Kentucky, it's not lost on anyone just how good things are in the Thoroughbred business since the HHR bill was passed. We have a lot to be grateful for and this is our way of being good citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

The KTA's GoFundMe has received major donations from outlets including The Jockey Club,  Juddmonte Farms, Stonestreet Farm, Godolphin and Lane's End. Spendthrift Farm gave what is currently the largest contribution with a $100,000 donation.

“This is a terrible tragedy and our donation represents our entire farm and our dedication to our brothers and sisters in need,” said the farm's owner Eric Gustavson. “We so appreciate the KTA, UK and every other organization that has stepped up to serve.”

Claiborne Farm also contributed to the relief fund.

“It's awesome to see the Thoroughbred business come together and raise so much money for those whose lives have been turned upside down,” Claiborne President Walker Hancock said. “In times of need, we are quick to lend a hand, which makes me so proud to be a part of this wonderful business.”

Hancock was featured on a local news outlet this week after discovering a family photo in one of the farm's paddocks on Saturday morning and suspecting that it might have come from an area affected by the tornado.

“I saw some mares sniffing it, I thought it might be a piece of trash I didn't want them to ingest so I jumped the fence and grabbed it and sure enough it happened to be this picture,” Hancock told WKYT on Wednesday.

Relatives of the two children in the photograph saw the story run on WKYT and notified the family, who lives over 100 miles away from Claiborne in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Thanks to those that retweeted/shared the picture found on the farm. Relatives recognized the picture and notified the family. They live in Campbellsville, KY which is 101 miles away from us! @WKYT ran a story and helped us find the family @ChadHedrickWKYT https://t.co/6ypX1rbXHz

— Claiborne Farm (@claibornefarm) December 16, 2021

Another high-profile stud farm in Lexington has helped raise awareness for the KTA relief fund as Coolmore's Ashford Stud auctioned off a 2022 season to Triple Crown winner Justify with the proceeds benefitting the fund. The bidding was announced on Monday and closed on Friday, with a winning bid of $95,000 from Craig Bernick. Additional bidders included Ken Donworth, Dennis Drazin and Bobby Rankin.

Coolmore will be making an additional donation along with the proceeds raised from the Justify season.

“One of the greatest things about this business is that even though we are competitors in certain aspects, when times are tough and the need is there, the horse business shows great solidarity,” said Coolmore's Adrian Wallace. “It's great to see farms, veterinary practices, breeders and trainers come together to help out. Western Kentucky has been very good to the horse business and it's time that we show our appreciation and help out where we can. Even though it won't bring these lives back, hopefully it will help ease the suffering that a lot of these people are going through.”

Other racing organization have also stepped up in the past week. Breeders' Cup donated $50,000 to disaster relief efforts, splitting the donation evenly between the KTA fund and the University of Kentucky's “Kentucky United for Tornado Relief” telethon, and the Kentucky HBPA donated $25,000 to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund organized by Governor Andy Beshear's office.

Several fundraising events have been organized by Lexington's equine community and will be happening in the coming weeks.

Multiple equine-related groups including the Kentucky Horse Council have joined forces to organize a supply drive for equine-specific needs. Donations including buckets, winter blankets, halters, lead ropes, wheelbarrows and water hoses can be dropped off at the Kentucky Horse Park's Alltech Arena from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 18 – 20. Donated goods will be delivered on Tuesday by Brook Ledge Horse Transportation. Learn more here.

On Sunday, Jan. 2, Frank & Dino's restaurant in downtown Lexington will serve complimentary food and drinks from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the families in Mayfield, Kentucky affected by the tornado. Owner/breeder/trainer and Frank & Dino's managing partner Carlo Vaccarezza spoke with the TDN on Thursday regarding the event.

As of Saturday afternoon, the KTA's GoFundMe had surpassed $308,000 in funds raised with over 290 donations made. Click here to view.

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The fund is assisting those impacted by the devastating tornadoes that ripped through eight southwestern Kentucky counties Dec. 11-12, killing at least 77 people and demolishing entire towns.

“Our mission since inception has been helping those in need,” said Rick Hiles, President of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association. “Our motto is 'horsemen helping horsemen,' but we're also Kentuckians helping Kentuckians. It's just hard to fathom the extent of the needs facing the tens of thousands of people whose world has been upended.”

KHBPA Vice President Frank L. Jones Jr. said that while there are numerous worthy fund-raising campaigns and programs doing great work, the HBPA board felt the organization's contribution would reach the farthest through the state's fund.

“The Governor and First Lady's initiatives give everybody an avenue to go forward with contributions that will be put to the best use throughout the region, with 100 percent of donations going to assist our fellow Kentuckians,” Jones said. “That includes the many affected children and teenagers, who have a real champion in First Lady Britainy Beshear, including her overwhelmingly successful toy drive.

“Our Kentucky HBPA members are proud to be even a small part of the relief and recovery efforts.”

HBPA members are encouraged to donate or volunteer for the overall relief effort. Donations to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund can be made at https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief.

Kentucky HBPA board member Buff Bradley spent Wednesday in Bremen in Muhlenberg County helping a cattle farmer cut trees off the damaged fencing so it could be replaced and clearing the considerable debris from hay fields. Bremen (2020 census population 172) suffered 11 deaths, including a 5-month-old baby.

“You get there and everything is so devastating and so sad,” said Bradley, who joined the work team assembled by his longtime friend, Franklin County extension agent Keenan Bishop. “Every time you drive a few feet farther, you think, 'How did anybody live there?' It was so touching and sad. But it kind of restored my faith in humanity. My buddy counted 11 vehicles that came by to offer us food and drinks; they were just driving up and down these rural roads. The sheriff stopped by. It was Democrats and Republicans; everybody came together. Two different guys stopped and said, 'Can we help?' They started sawing and helping us drag that stuff off the fence. They didn't even know who they were helping.

“The farmer probably was in his mid 30s or 40. He just had his head down — his whole livelihood was out there. When we left, he had his head a little higher. Pictures don't do it justice, and you're thankful you could help. You'd see a family out in front of their house, and they have a wagon with all their belongings in it. When you see how much everybody is doing, it's pretty cool: some good out of all the bad that happened. My buddy and I were in tears reflecting about it on the drive home.”

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WLKY reported Thursday that 16 people, down from a high of 122, are still missing and that the death toll has risen to 76 Kentuckians. More than 1,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed and there are approximately still 3,000 power outages. Surveyors with the National Weather Service have reported that the twister had wind speeds up to 190 miles per hour.

“Every time there's an issue or something happens, we try to do something for the community,” said owner/breeder/trainer and Frank & Dino's managing partner Carlo Vaccarezza.

“I'm closing the restaurant from noon to 8 p.m. and there will be free food and free alcohol. When people come, hopefully they donate. We have people that are very committed that are going to come over and really support the cause. [Kentucky Congressman] Andy Barr–I've spoken to him a couple of times–and the governor's office are really behind this cause. All the money that we collect, we'll write a check and it will help families that were devastated by this horrible situation.”

Vaccarezza, whose two sons Mike and Nick survived a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018, raised approximately $180,000 for the families of the victims during a fundraiser also held at his family restaurant.

Donations can also be sent to Frank & Dino's, 271 W. Short Street, Lexington, Ky., 40507.

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Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) employees and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment extension agents have been working diligently to create county-specific lists of items that are needed immediately. Though cleanup efforts will be ongoing, the most-needed equine items requested include buckets, winter blankets, halters, lead ropes, wheelbarrows, plastic totes, grooming supplies, water hoses, hay bags, wheelbarrows, muck tubs, pitchforks, shovels and first-aid supplies. A complete list of needs can be found here.

“We are honored to be a part of this relief effort,” said Nicole Rivera, Interim Deputy Executive Director. “Our location right off I-75 will hopefully make drop off of materials and items easy. As a park designed to celebrate the human-horse bond, we are thankful to be able to assist horse owners – and their horses – in their time of need.”

“The KDA has created an incredible system to identify needs by county,” said Sarah Coleman, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council. “The Horse Council is thankful for the opportunity to partner with our brothers and sisters in ag to coordinate deliveries of supplies from Central Kentucky to those hardest hit by the storms.”

Delivery of all donated goods will be provided by Brook Ledge Horse Transportation.

“The ability to give back to the horse industry that is so good to us is very important to the entire staff of Brook Ledge Inc.,” said Ashley VanMeter of Brook Ledge Inc. “We are humbled by the outpouring of support for the equine community and look forward to being able to assist them in any way we can.”

Donations will be accepted in the North Exhibit Hall of the Alltech Arena: Kentucky Horse Park 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Follow signs for Kentucky Horse Council. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Donations will begin being delivered to specific counties on Tuesday.

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The donation was made through a Go Fund Me site established by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (https://www.gofundme.com/f/relief-for-western-kentucky?qid=7d0f09ff33c007abc965aea444af5411).

In addition, The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, which provides financial relief and assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families, is prepared to help those in the racing community personally affected by the storms. Please visit tjcfoundation.org or call Shannon Kelly at (212) 521-5327 to inquire about eligibility.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It founded America's Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

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