TAA’s Inaugural ‘Off to the Races’ Auction Success Attributed to Donors
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance closed its inaugural Off to the Races online auction Thursday, Feb. 10 in conjunction with the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards. Due to the generosity of their donors, the TAA raised $35,125 from the 12 offered VIP experience packages. From Jan. 28 to Feb. 10 the public had the opportunity to bid on experience packages on 12 major race days in 2022 and 2023. Each experience package offered a unique itinerary of horse racing-related bucket list activities and tickets to the specified race day(s). In total, 24 donors contributed to the 12 experience packages offered in the TAA’s Off to the Races auction: 1/ST, America’s Best Racing, Anne’s Washington Inn, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Christine A. Moore Millinery, Christine Lee’s Restaurant, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fran Taylor and Tom Cheek, Frank & Dino’s Restaurant, Hilton Aventura Miami Hotel, Keeneland Association, LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, Monmouth Park, Mt. Washington Tavern, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, New York Racing Association, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, Old Friends, Pamplemousse Grille, Second Stride, The Honorable Earle I. Mack, Win Place Home, Woodbine Entertainment. “Thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual Off to the Races online auction and a huge thank you to our racetrack and industry sponsors who made this event possible,” said TAA president Jeff Bloom. “These VIP experiences are truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity for racing fans– with the added bonus of all funds raised going to support the thousands of Thoroughbreds in the care of TAA-accredited organizations. We look forward to growing the event in the years to come.” Businesses or individuals seeking to donate to the 2nd Annual Off to the Races auction can contact TAA Funding and Events Manager Emily (Dresen) Scandore at 859-224-2851. Photo: Courtesy of 1/ST
Kid Blast
Upon retirement from racing, “Kid”, as he is affectionately known, became a track pony at NYRA, his friendly and easy-going personality making him a good candidate for assisting racehorses on the track.
TAA to be Featured Throughout Whitney Weekend
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced a series of events to highlight the work of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8 at Saratoga Race Course. The TAA is the nonprofit organization that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Based in Lexington, KY, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, the TAA has granted more than $20.7 million to accredited aftercare organizations, assisting 12,900 Thoroughbreds. Currently 81 aftercare organizations supporting approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation. On Saturday, August 7, the TAA will be featured at the NYRA Community Booth, where fans will be able to learn about the organization’s mission from TAA representatives, and to make a donation in exchange for a Remi Bellocq cartoon t-shirt and a variety of racing items like saddle towels and goggles. Racing fans can also show their support by opting to make a donation to the TAA throughout the Saratoga meet when cashing a winning ticket on an AmTote International self-service betting terminal. All donations are tax deductible. On Sunday, August 8 horses will don NYRA-donated TAA saddle towels for a race named in honor of the TAA. In the winner’s circle after the race, the TAA will present awards to the best turned-out horse and to the winning groom and connections. “Many consider the Whitney Stakes as the marque race for older horses at Saratoga,” said TAA President Jimmy Bell. “What better stage for the TAA to be present and share in the excitement of the day and the commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare.” “Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Weekend is a golden opportunity to share the kind of productive careers that Thoroughbreds can enjoy after they leave the track,” said Stacie Clark-Rogers of the TAA. “In many cases, these are talented and highly trainable horses who demonstrate an ability to flourish in new careers like show jumping and dressage. Training and owning these horses can be also an important and rewarding experience.” The New York Thoroughbred industry is a leader in aftercare, donating more than $1.28 million toward racehorse retirement every year. In addition to the contributions made by NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA), the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB), the NYRA jockey colony, and individual owners and trainers, there have been two ground-breaking programs implemented at the NYRA tracks. Owners pay a per-start fee for every horse that races, and they pay a surcharge on every horse claimed out of a NYRA race. Those two programs alone raise about $500,000 every year. Photo: Suzie Picou-Oldham
From Dusk to Dawn to ‘Dusky’
A shared love for horses between a father and daughter would bloom again years later when Heather Rio adopted Dusk to Dawn—a former competitor on the NYRA circuit—through TAA-accredited Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in the summer of 2018.
NYRA Teams with TAA to Support Thoroughbred Aftercare
Horseplayers cashing winning tickets at New York Racing Association tracks can now share their good fortune with retired Thoroughbreds by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at self-service AmTote betting terminals.