Turfway Park will host the first ever International Catch a
Riding Star challenge race for apprentice jockeys on March 23 as part of
the Florence, Kentucky, track’s premier afternoon of racing, Spiral
Stakes Day.
A team of licensed apprentice jockeys who have trained at
racing schools overseas will be invited to compete in the race against riders
from the Americas, including several from the North American Racing Academy
(NARA), based at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) in Lexington,
Kentucky. Awards will be given to both the winning rider and the team that earns the
most points based on finishing positions.
“We have partnered with NARA before to showcase their graduates in exhibition
races and have been impressed with the professionalism of the students and the
comprehensive nature of the program,” Turfway Park
general manager Chip Bach remarked.
“The Academy is an asset to Kentucky and the
Commonwealth’s world-renowned horse industry, and we’re proud to be part of a
unique event that not only brings the school to the attention of the
international racing community but also supports racehorses in new careers.”
Each year, NARA maintains a string of 15 to 20
off-the-track racehorses who serve as “equine mentors” for
students enrolled in the school’s equine industry workforce programs. Unlike
previous races involving NARA at Turfway, the International Catch a Riding Star
challenge race will be a wagering event, and both Turfway Park and the Kentucky
Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (KYHBPA) have agreed to donate
their shares of the pari-mutuel commissions on the race, known as takeout, to
support NARA’s horses in their second careers.
In 2006 NARA became the first accredited professional
jockey school in the United States. Since then, NARA has expanded its role and
now serves as an overall workforce provider to the racing and breeding
industries. NARA provides classroom and online courses that result in either a
two-year associate degree or one-year certificates that focus on the riding,
care and training of the racehorse.
NARA was the vision of Hall of Fame jockey
Chris McCarron, the program’s lead instructor with a focus on the Jockey
Pathway.
“The college is excited to be working with Turfway Park and Kentucky HBPA to
showcase apprentice riders and benefit the horses that are an integral part of
the program’s instructional resources,” BCTC president and CEO Augusta A. Julian
said. “Our students will continue to be successful due to the great partnerships
that have been created.”
“This will
be a fun event that racing fans will enjoy while also supporting two good
causes: education and equine aftercare,” BCTC-NARA executive director Remi Bellocq
added. “Chris and I greatly rely on these
wonderful horses to help us teach our students how to properly groom, ride,
feed, bed and care for racehorses in a training barn or breeding farm
environment.”
The International Catch a Riding Star challenge race will
be part of a 12-race card that includes the Grade 3 Spiral and Grade 3 Bourbonette
Oaks — respectively designated points races on the road to the Kentucky
Derby and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks — as well as the Rushaway.
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