More Than 75 Participate in Canter for the Cause at Gulfstream

More than 75 equine enthusiasts, many with retired Thoroughbreds, walked, trotted, or cantered their horse across legendary Gulfstream Park Monday morning as part of the second annual Canter for the Cause. The event attracted riders from throughout Florida, as well as several retired Thoroughbreds with the Davie Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit and the City of Coral Gables mounted unit. The event, which ran Monday morning and afternoon for all equine enthusiasts, benefited the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding, and Florida Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care (TRAC), an accredited TAA facility. Canter for the Cause was sponsored by Gulfstream Park, the Florida Horsemen’s Protective and Benevolent Association (FHBPA), Seminole Feed and Purina. “This is a fun day for us at Gulfstream Park. I guess it’s the equivalent of playing softball at Yankee Stadium,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Racing. “It gives us a chance to not only showcase what we do on the track here but showcase what horses do for aftercare. A lot of people don’t know this but Thoroughbreds, while born and bred to race, are awesome at all kinds of other disciplines. We have some police horses here, we have a bunch of polo ponies, dressage and show jumpers, and other cool disciplines that racehorses excel at. And with the benefit of Florida TRAC and the TAA, which are the beneficiaries of this charity event, we hope to do even more.” Katie Schmit, farm manager and trainer at Florida (TRAC), said: “I think it’s awesome to do things like this and encourage people to see off the track thoroughbreds. We just need to keep raising awareness of aftercare. We need our focus on what horses are going to do after their racing careers and raising awareness at the track, and involving the horsemen is really special.” “We can’t thank Gulfstream Park enough for their continued support of accredited Thoroughbred aftercare and including the TAA in this fun event,” said Alexandra Kokka, Marketing and Communications Manager at TAA. “For some attendees, it was a dream come true to get to ride their horse at this hallowed racetrack and seeing their exhilarated faces was priceless. We are excited to continue working with Gulfstream Park to find new ways to support our beloved Thoroughbreds.” Some of the retired Thoroughbreds returning to the track were Shadow Boxer, who is training for eventing, mounted police horses Tizrobertcharles and Guidoinaspeedo, Sweet Karen Sue, who became a hunter, and Cicerone, who went on to be a jumper. Photos: Coglianese Photo
TAA to be Included in 2021 IFAR Virtual Conference

The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) announced today its lineup of topics and speakers for its fifth conference, which will be held as a series of four virtual sessions on April 6, 13, 20, and 27.
Canter for the Cause Returns to Gulfstream

Walk, Trot or Canter Your Horse on Gulfstream’s Legendary Track March 15. Ride Across the Same Track at Cigar, Holy Bull, Gun Runner & Spectacular Bid. Proceeds to Benefit Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Daily Racing Form Publishes 6th Annual TAA Magazine

Daily Racing Form, part of the Sports Information Group and a national, multi-platform media and e-commerce company providing premium data and authoritative editorial coverage to horse racing and sports enthusiasts in North America, announced that the sixth annual Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance magazine, which DRF publishes, is now available. Printed copies of the magazine will be available at various race meets, sales, and equestrian events across the country and through TAA-accredited organizations. “On behalf of TAA, I would like to thank DRF for producing this magazine, which is an extremely valuable marketing tool for the organization,” said Janice Towles, TAA accreditation and grants manager. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase all of the TAA-accredited organizations as well as our accomplishments during the past year and we are grateful to have this platform to highlight the growing aftercare movement and diversity in TAA-accredited programs.” This year’s edition features 108 color pages and profiles of all 81 TAA-accredited organizations. The magazine also includes in-depth articles on expanded sustainable funding for aftercare, the networking initiatives undertaken by aftercare organizations to help each other operate more effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the accreditation process aftercare organizations must complete to be certified. In addition, the 2021 issue features a message from outgoing TAA President John Phillips, a map of TAA-accredited organizations, and a list of TAA’s industry stakeholders. “It’s an honor to publish this year’s edition of TAA magazine and help the TAA address issues that are crucial to all industry stakeholders,” said Itay Fisher, Daily Racing Form’s Chief Executive Officer. “We applaud those involved with TAA-accredited organizations, and DRF will continue to support the TAA’s mission to showcase the vast array of opportunities for thoroughbreds following their racing days.” View the Magazine
2021 Pegasus World Cup Recognizes TAA as Charitable Partner

As part of 1/ST’s mission to prioritize the care and safety of Thoroughbred racehorses before, during, and after their careers, the 2021 Pegasus World Cup will recognize the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance as a charitable partner with a $50,000 donation.
Centennial Farms To Sponsor TAA Best Turned Out Horse Awards at Pegasus World Cup

Centennial Farms will sponsor the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Best Turned Out Horse Awards during the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Card Jan. 23, 2021 at Gulfstream Park.
TAA Presentation
Click here to download the TAA presentation.
2021 TAA Accreditation Application Now Available

The 2021 TAA application for accreditation is now available on OpenWater and can be accessed through ThoroughbredAftercare.org/Accreditation. Application closes April 1 at 6pm ET.
Proceeds from Donna Barton Brothers’ ‘Inside Track’ Benefit TAA

The proceeds from the third edition of Donna Barton Brothers’ “Inside Track: Insider’s Guide to Horse Racing” will benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
TAA Elects James G. Bell as President, New Board Members

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance board of directors elected James G. Bell as its president for the 2021 term and elected new board members at its meeting Dec. 14.