Bill Kraatz

The nomination period for the 2025 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award is now open, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced Monday afternoon. Named in the memory of chief steward Bill Kraatz, the award recognizes a Makeover graduate horse who has gone on to serve as ambassador for the athleticism and trainability of retired racehorses beyond their racing careers. Eligible horses include any Thoroughbred Makeover graduate who was registered for the retraining competition--even if he or she ultimately did not compete--regardless of who now owns said horse. Nominations, which will...

Nominations for the reimagined Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award for 2024 are now open, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) said Monday. Any Thoroughbred Makeover graduate, regardless of whether the registered horse actually competed, is eligible for the award, regardless of its current owner. Nominations will be submitted via an online form at TheRRP.org, which includes fields to describe the horse's post-Makeover competitive career, achievements and general updates. "The RRP has identified tracking and recognizing the accomplishments of Thoroughbred sport horses in a comprehensive way as being crucial to furthering our mission...