Some of horse racing’s biggest stars are stepping up to the plate to support
New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program by pledging a percentage of their purse
earnings from the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
For the fourth consecutive year, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program is
working with trainers and owners of Breeders’ Cup contenders to pledge a
percentage of their earnings to support the program’s mission to rehab, retrain
and rehome retired race horses. In the past three years the Pledge has raised
more than $150,000.
So far, 39 Championship contenders have owners and or trainers supporting
this year’s pledge. Trainers that have committed to pledge include Chad Brown,
Kiaran McLaughlin, Doug O’Neill, Todd Pletcher and Eddie Plesa.
Owners that have pledged include Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners who will send
out In Lingerie, Tara From the Cape and Capo Bastone; Donegal Racing with
Dullahan; Padua Stables and Richard Santulli with Dust and Diamonds; Off the
Hook with Turbo Compressor; Starlight Racing with Shanghai Bobby; Zayat Stables
with Justin Phillip, Jaycito and Fast Bullet; Sisters in Racing with Romp; James
Covello with Oscar Party; West Point Thoroughbreds with Belle of the Hall; and
Bradley Thoroughbreds with Watsdachances.
“We’re happy to be supporting New Vocations at this year’s World
Championships,” said Pletcher, a longtime Thoroughbred retirement advocate and
supporter of New Vocations. “It’s important, as trainers and owners that we make
sure that our equine athletes are taken care of and looked out for beyond their
racing careers.”
New Vocations will continue to seek pledges from additional owners and
trainers leading up to the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s the responsibility of everyone who has a stake in the game to support
the organizations that take care of the horses in their years beyond racing,”
said Jack Wolf, managing partner of Starlight Racing. “New Vocations’ program to
rehab, retrain and rehome former race horses is one of the best in the industry
and we are happy to support them at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.”
In 1992 New Vocations first opened their barn doors to retired race horses
looking for new careers. Starting with a single farm in Dayton, Ohio, the
program has grown to six facilities in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and
Pennsylvania. Serving more than 40 racetracks, New Vocations works
directly with owners and trainers in need of an aftercare program for horses
leaving the track.
Currently, the program leads the nation in race horse adoptions, placing more
than 400 horses into new homes each year. The program has a sound adoption
system in place that is proven to move a large number of horses in a rather
short period of time. Their focus is on adoption verses retirement, believing
that each horse deserves to have an individual home and a purpose.
“We feel very blessed to receive so much support from the owners and trainers
participating in this year’s campaign,” New Vocations Program Director Anna Ford
said.
“Like last year we are on track to adopt over 400 retired racehorses into
homes by the end of December. The number of horses needing our services is huge
and the funds raised from the pledges will help us continue to grow. It is
fairly simple: the more money we raise, the more horses we can take.”
For more information on New Vocations, and how to support the program, visit
http://www.horseadoption.com.
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