HORSE POWER

Inmate learns new skills, life lessons from horses in Second Chances rehabilitation program at Wateree River facility

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CLAIRE WALLING, 15, DESIGNS WINNING TRF BROCHURE

            It seems poetic that, in designing a brochure for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Claire Walling of Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, N.Y., relied on two traits seen so often in the retired thoroughbred...

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Ludt Joins TRF Board
Tom Ludt believes it's important to give back. That's why the general manager of Vinery LTD., has joined the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
 
"I do believe if you're involved with the industry, you should give back," Ludt said. "I believe in this organization."..

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The Donald, Jorge Perez Step Up For TRF

Donald Trump and Jorge Perez played host to a cocktail reception Jan. 25 at Trump Hollywood that helped raise nearly $10,000 for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF).
            ..

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Texas A & M, TRF Team Up on Equine Research

More than 100 horses currently being cared for by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will take part in a study at Texas A&M University that will attempt to identify genes in horses predisposed to fractures and catastrophic breakdowns. ..

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Blackburn Inmates Giving Back to TRF

Inmates at the Blackburn Correctional Complex are giving back this holiday season to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF). 
 
The 18 inmates who care for approximately 71 retired Thoroughbreds at the Lexington, Ky., farm recently held the first of two cookouts to raise money to build running sheds on the 100-acre property. ..

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Diplomat's Horsemen's Golf Tournament to Benefit TRF
The Diplomat Golf Resort & Spa in Hallandale, Fl., has announced proceeds from its inaugural Horsemen's Golf Tournament will benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. 
 
The Diplomat, recognized as one of Florida's most beautiful golf courses having been fully redesigned by noted architect John Lee, will   hold its event on Feb. 19 with a "shotgun start" at 12:30 p.m...

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Barclay Tagg Visits TRF Wateree Farm

Trainer Barclay Tagg made a surprise visit to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Second Chances program at the Wateree River Correctional Facility in Rembert, South Carolina Nov. 29, and spent an hour touring the facility and visiting with the inmates who care for the program's 34 equine retirees. The trainer of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, Tagg toured the facility, admired the condition of the horses, listened to a description of the course material from corrections officer Tim Amerson, and watched Dr. Reid McClellan, the program's chief instructor, give a round-pen lesson. ..

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Top Owner Maggi Moss Elected to TRF Board

Maggi Moss is genuine and to the point.

Whether she was a trial lawyer in her hometown of Des Moines, Ia., helping to shut down puppy mills in the Midwest, or as someone currently running one of the North America's most successful thoroughbred racing stables, Moss has always been straightforward and unplugged...

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Giving Back: The Mona Kincaid Story

As Mona Kincaid sees it, horses are as American as a Fourth of July barbeque. So it disturbs her that many racehorses are not guaranteed dignified and safe retirements. Kincaid decided to do something about it. She recently wrote out a check for $50,000 to the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center, a TRF facility...

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Painting For a Good Cause; Virginia Art Auction Benefits TRF

The first annual "Art at the Barn" art auction and sale, a sale of equine art and other works to benefit the TRF, was a big hit, raising $11,000 for the organization. The art auction was held Oct. 7 at the TRF farm at Montpelier in Virginia, the former home of James and Dolly Madison...

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Former Festival of the Sun Winner, King Rex Returns to Calder for Retired Thoroughbred Ceremony
Miami Gardens, Fla. --

(Calder Press Release)

Calder Race Course is proud to once again present the Retired Thoroughbred Ceremony during the Festival of the Sun, this year on October 13.  Each year, the track recognizes a former racehorse that now enjoys life away from the races. ..

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The Horse Who Loves Donuts

An appeal from Leslie Priggen

Jan Kees is 17 years old. He arrived here at my place at 9:00 on a blustery December night last year. He had raced until he was nine and was then made into a pony horse at Suffolk Downs. His owner, Felipe, was a well-known figure at the track. He had been ponying and exercising horses there for nearly 40 years. Felipe was 72 now and had finally admitted he was too old to continue. Although he spoke very little English, his plea to the TRF to keep his old caballo safe was eloquent. He knew about slaughter. He knew about the dangers that lay ahead. And he knew that this horse, with his big knees and big ankles, who had never been out of his stall for the last 15 years unless racing or working, was not likely to find a new home. Before he left, he told us that Jan Kees liked donuts - plain ones...

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TRF Mourns Loss of Martha Gerry

Martha Gerry, best known for being the breeder and owner of Forego, died Sept. 17 in New York City at the age of 88. A kind-hearted philanthropist who gave to several charities, Gerry was a long-time supporter of the TRF and the driving force behind the Forego Fund,a fundraising effort in which all monies donated went directly to the care of the some 1,300 horses living on TRF farms and satellite facilities...

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Illinois Breeders and Owners Group Steps Up for TRF

The Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association will donate 10 percent of the net income from its annual stallion season auction to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, ITBOF President Gary Moore has announced.

“The interaction between these organizations will show commitment for the well-being of thoroughbreds from conception to retirement,” Moore said...

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TRF Loses a Friend: Banker’s Jet Euthanized at Age 25

By Ray Roy

Editor's Note: Banker's Jet, the winner of the 1987 A Phenomenon Stakes at Saratoga and 27 other races, was rescued by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation after being discovered near death on the grounds of a riding stable in upstate New York. His will to live and his subsequent recovery touched thousands. He spent his final years being pampered on the Connecticut farm of TRF Treasurer Ray Roy...

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Johnson, Williams Join TRF Board
Dave Johnson, among the most well-known announcers in the history of horse racing, and Robin Traywick Williams, the former commissioner of the Virginia Racing Commission, have been unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. ..

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Record Breaking Day For the TRF

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation raised over $650,000 at its annual fundraiser at Saratoga Sunday evening in a record-breaking gala for the foundation.

Five-hundred and twenty-five people attended the gala, which featured the food of celebrity chef Bobby Flay in an evening that included dining, dancing and an auction of unique experiences and stallion season options. The auction was topped by an option to breed to Coolmore Stud's Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat) in 2008 at a reduced fee of $150,000. Peter Bradley secured the option for $75,000. ..

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Funny Cide Retirement Party to Benefit TRF

Proceeds from the Aug. 10 retirement party being thrown at Saratoga to honor 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide will be donated to the TRF. Following that day's races, a two-hour retirement party will be thrown for Funny Cide and the TRF will receive the proceeds from the sale of ice cream, beer (donated by Budweiser), autographs and the sale of raffle tickets to win a Rolex watch. The raffle tickets will cost just $5...

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Exceller Open House A Big Hit

Treated to an appearance by the Hermann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions, more than 1,000 people attended the annual open house at Exceller Farm on  June 30, a day farm manager Michele Oren declared a "huge success."

"What a fantastic day was had by all," Oren said. "It was pure entertainment for the whole family, equestrian and non-equestrian alike. The sun was out, the horses were handsome, and the food, catered by Tom Brennan, my little brother, was fantastic.  It was truly a successful event.  Mark your calendars for next June because the Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions will be returning...

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Hoosier Couple Step Up, Are Indiana's 1st Donors

Jim and Deb Hartman didn't have to think twice.
 
"We just looked at each other and said 'where's our checkbook?,"  Deb Hartman said.

The couple was in the banquet room at Indiana Downs for a scheduled ITOBA board meeting and had no idea speakers from TRF Indiana's new farm would be there to talk.  Barb Holcomb, Putnamville's new equine manager, delivered news that moved the caring duo to write a check that very night.  It would be Indiana's first donation...

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NY Bred Star Certifiably Crazy Retires To TRF

(New York Racing Association Press Release)

Certifiably Crazy, champion New York-bred turf horse the last two seasons, has been retired because of a torn stifle ligament, said trainer Rick Schosberg.  A seven-year-old gelding by Fit to Fight, Certifiably Crazy retires with a record of 8-12-3 from 30 starts and earnings of $605,655.  Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of his career occurred last season, when he won three of his last four races in the Draw Shot, West Point and Mohawk handicaps.  ..

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Paulick Joins TRF Board

Ray Paulick, the editor-in-chief of the Blood-Horse Magazine and one of the most respected racing journalists in the nation, has been elected to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Board of Directors.

"We are very pleased that someone of Ray Paulick's stature sought to join the TRF Board," said TRF Founder and Chairwoman Monique Koehler. "As editor of The Blood-Horse and as a well-recognized authority on equine-related subjects and issues, his knowledge and understanding will be exceptionally valuable. Deeply concerned about the welfare of Thoroughbreds at the end of their racing careers, Ray has long been a TRF supporter and we are grateful that he is able to join our 'front ranks' at this important juncture in our more than 25 year mission...

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John Murrell Receives TRF Champion Award

He'd be the last one to tell you, but when it comes to helping out horses in need, John Murrell has a heart the size of his native Texas. The 52-year-old Dallas businessman, who runs a small oil and gas company, has been a lifelong fan of horses, and has been recognized for his efforts to help put an end to horse slaughter with the TRF Champion Award. ..

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TRF NJ Trail Ride Challenge a Success!

Over 41 riders and their horses braved the 80 degree
temperatures to support the TRF's recent fundraiser at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area.

The event, was sponsored and produced by MonmouthCounty Horse and Rider magazine. Pat Jasin, publisher, praised the volunteers and supporters who helped make the event a success. ..

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New Initiatives and New Manager Will Mean Improved, More Versatile, More Productive TRF Maker's Mark Secretariat Center

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is forging new ground at the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Kathryn Kincannon Irwin has been named the MMSC's general manager, and she will incorporate the natural horsemanship for which she and her husband, Chris Irwin, are well known into programs for retraing retirees for second careers. While the MMSC will continue to be a showcase for adoptable retired Thoroughbred racehorses, Irwin's duties will also include developing the center into a teaching facility that will promote advanced horsemanship skills for retraining retired racehorses. ..

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TRF's Putnamville Farm is Up and Running

A TRF farm at the Putnamville Correctional Facility in Greencastle, Indiana opened earlier this month, welcoming six horses. With this latest addition to its roster, the TRF has farms at correctional facilities in six states. There is also a farm at the Tulsa Boys' Home in Oklahoma, which is a facility for troubled youths...

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TRF-Based Movie Set to Debut

Homestretch, a documentary that features the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and its work with retired horses and prison inmates, will debut April 13 at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival in California.

It was directed and produced by Sheri Bylander. Bylander edited the award-winning documentay Rising Low and was the associate producer of the feature-length documentary and Cable Ace Award winner Wonderland. She has worked with such luminaries as Woody Allen, John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson. Bylander began work on the project in 2004...

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Shake You Down Retired, Donated to TRF

Shake You Down, the third-place finisher in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint who wound up running in $14,000 claiming races earlier this year, has been retired by owner Robert Cole and donated to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Cole also made a generous donation to the organization to help care for the 9-year-old gelding. He has asked that the amount of the donation not be revealed...

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New York Trainers "Pony-Up" To Help TRF

Kiaran McLaughlin, Gary Contessa and John Kimmel, three of New York racing’s top trainers, are the latest horsemen to sign up for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Pony-Up Program. The three will each donate a set amount to the foundation each time one of the horses they train wins a race...

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Grade II Winner Champion Lodge Rescued; Needs Your Help

By any definition, Champion Lodge was a terrific racehorse. He won the 2003 San Luis Rey (gr. II) at Santa Anita and finished third five weeks later in the San Juan Capistrano (gr. I). He performed well on the racetrack and made a lot of money for those who owned him. That should have guaranteed him a safe and humane retirement. It did not...

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Readers Agree With Mandella: Claiming System Can Be Improved

A recent story that appeared in the TRF's eNews newsletter concerning Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella's suggestions to improve the claiming game drew an outpouring of positive responses from readers. In order to cut down on the number of unsound horses who might be suspectable to injury in claiming races, Mandella believes that a new system should be put in place in which horses are, essentially, claimed after the race. That way, he believes trainers will be less inclined to drop infirm horses down in class in the hopes that a rival trainer will take them off their hands. Mandella also advocates that claims be voided if a horse fails to finish a race...

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TRF Movie Accepted at Film Festival

Homestretch, a documentary about the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation produced by Sheri Bylander, has been accepted at the Sonoma Film Festival. For more information about the movie, log on to www.homestretchthemovie.com. For more information on the Sonoma Film Festival, log on to www.sonomafilmfest.org. The movie artfully describes the potential plight of unwanted race horses and how the TRF is among the few safety nets these retired thoroughbreds have. It also chronicles the unique relationship between the retirees and the prisoners at the TRF's farms at correctional institutions. Bylander is an accomplished director and producer who has been involved with projects that have included such notables as John Travolta, Scarlet Johansson and Woody Allen, and she has edited documentary-style shows appearing on Court TV, A & E, TLC and Discovery...

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TRF Gets Another 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator

For the second straight year, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's premier charity evaluator. Only 12 percent of the charities rated by the service have received the ratings two years in a row. According to Charity Navigator, the elite category "differentiates Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust." Four stars is the highest rating given...

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To Barbaro: Thanks For All You Did

Barbaro's death has deeply saddened not only those of us at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, but, it seems, everyone. The support the public has shown this horse throughout his heroic battle has been a central part of the Barbaro story. People have cheered on the days when the news was good and wept on the days when the news was bad. Grief was everywhere Jan. 29, the day he was euthanized...

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TRF Mission Extends Its Reach to Female Inmates

Having helped hundreds of male inmates over the years go on to lead better, more productive lives, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has taken the next logical step. Last October, female inmates at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida began working with TRF horses. The Lowell program marks the first time the TRF has been involved with a women's prison...

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The Bittersweet Tale of My Request

My Request, a tough old guy who made $519,007 on the racetrack, raced for eight years and is stakes placed, is alive today only because there are people out there who care.

Starving and near death when taken in by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation after a nightmarish couple of months in which he was held in purgatory by a bank, his rescue was both very heartwarming and very complicated. But it happened and it happened because there are a number of volunteers and staffers who work for the TRF who can't stand to see horses suffer, and there are plenty of good people out there who donate to our organization. It is those donations that make these rescues possible. ..

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Peb Mural Unveiling Benefits TRF

A 21-foot by 7-foot mural done by Daily Racing Form cartoonist Pierre (Peb) Bellocq was unveiled Nov. 13 at a benefit at Gallagher's Steak House. The proceeds from the event were donated to the TRF by Marlene Brody, a prominent New York breeder and owner who has long supported the organization...

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Champion Bowl Game Dead at 32

Bowl Game, the champion turf male of 1979 who was believed to be the oldest living Eclipse Award winner, was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age Nov. 10 at the age of 32. Under the care of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation since 1998, he had been living at the Paeonian Springs, Virginia farm of TRF President Johnathan Miller. ..

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TRF NJ Hunter Pace a Big Success
Allentown, NJ --

The second annual TRF NJ Hunter Pace, sponsored by Monmouth County Horse and Rider magazine, was held at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area.  High
wind gusts did not deter the 73 riders and their horses, who came out to support the TRF's goals. All riders had a great time and said the trail route was great scenic riding and was challenging...

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If Woodbine Did It, Why Can’t Every Track?
LongRun received some very welcome news in September when Woodbine Entertainment announced that one-quarter of one percent of the total purse fund would go to the Ontario-based horse retirement organization. That tiny percentage of the purse fund will do immeasurable good for retired thoroughbreds in Ontario. Thanks to LongRun and Woodbine, hundreds of horses will be guaranteed a safe and humane retirement who might have otherwise been in danger...

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Rescued Thoroughbreds Available For Adoption To Be Featured In TRF-Saratoga Event

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will have an open house Oct. 21 at the Saratoga Farms Equine Center in Saratoga Springs to showcase recently rescued ex-racehorses who are available for adoption.

The event will take place from 12 to 3 to p.m...

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1995 Eclipse Sprint Champion Not Surprising Returns to Calder
Miami Gardens, Fla. --

(courtesy Calder Race Course)