CARMA

After watching the races just across the street from their home in Del Mar, Joe and Debby McCloskey decided to take the plunge into racehorse ownership with the purchase of a filly by Congrats at the 2014 Keeneland September sale. Now, nearly a decade later, Johannes (Nyquist)--the first foal out of that first filly--has become the couple's first stakes winner and the 3-year-old gave promise of more firsts to come in the near-future with an authoritative second stakes victory in the Pasadena S. at Santa Anita last Sunday. Johannes began...

Santa Anita Park's Senior Vice President Amy Zimmerman and multiple Eclipse Award-winning journalist Jay Privman have been elected to the board of directors for the the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA). The horse racing veterans fill vacancies left by the resignation of Candace Coder-Chew and the untimely passing of Howard Zucker late last year. "We are thrilled to welcome Amy and Jay to the CARMA Board of Directors," Billy Koch, President of CARMA, said. "Their vast knowledge and experience in the horse racing industry will be invaluable to our organization...

Last week, industry organizations announced the launch of the California Horse Power Coalition, a collaborative endeavor sold as something of a unified foghorn to extol the good word of the sport's economic and cultural impacts. The list of Coalition members reads like a who's who of California racing industry mainstays, including Del Mar, Santa Anita, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) and others. To discuss this new venture--along with a suite of other timely industry talking points--the TDN spoke with newly minted...

Santa Anita Park, in conjunction with Golden Gate Fields, will host an online auction this holiday season to benefit the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA),an organization whose mission is to rehabilitate, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbred racehorses who have raced in California. The auction, which will run from 5 p.m. Nov. 25 through 5 p.m. Dec. 9, offers a wide array of items and experiences to suit every age and personal interest including signed memorabilia, signed photos, and a handicapping lesson from handicapping analyst and on-air personality, Anthony Stabile. Other items...

Veteran trainer Howard Zucker, a well-respected Southern California horseman, passed away Thursday at USC Keck Hospital in Los Angeles at age 74. Based in New York prior to coming to Southern California in 1980, Zucker trained for a brief time for NBA Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Born May 20, 1948, Zucker saddled his last winner July 24, as his 3-year-old filly Gracelund Gray (Goldencents) won at Del Mar. Affable and a dedicated Yankees fan, Zucker was also a staunch advocate for the horse, evidenced by his multiple leadership roles with...

The California Retirement Management Account's summer fundraiser CARMAthon raised over $300,000 at Del Mar Saturday. The non-profit, which is dedicated to Thoroughbred aftercare in the state, joined with TVG, whose on-air commentators promoted the event throughout the day and played videos showcasing Thoroughbreds who retired through CARMA's Placement Program in their second careers as sport horses. The fundraiser was on pace to meet its goal of $150,000 when an anonymous donor put forth a dollar-for-dollar matching fund up to $150,000. This was met by the end of the day, bringing...

California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) is revamping its summer online fundraiser which will be live on TVG Saturday, Aug. 20--sharing the GI Del Mar Oaks Day coverage. Heartwarming and uplifting stories of Thoroughbred aftercare will be shared on CARMA's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts throughout the month of August and all-day Aug. 20. "CARMAthon has been a huge win for us, especially given the circumstances surrounding the pandemic," said Billy Koch, CARMA President and Founder and Managing Partner of Little Red Feather Racing. "The racing industry has really stepped up...

Billy Koch was unanimously elected board president of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), a non-profit organization that provides funding for retirement of California-raced Thoroughbred horses. Koch is founder and managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing. "Retirement of our horses is an absolute priority," said Koch. "These amazing animals are the sole reason any of us are in this game and they deserve every ounce of our support once their racing careers are over. This responsibility falls on owners, trainers, jockeys, players, ADW providers, and our racetrack partners. Organizations...

The summer fundraiser for California Retirement Management Account raised more than $125,000 to help fund its retirement and aftercare programs. CARMAthon was promoted throughout Saturday's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card at Del Mar by TVG, which created and played videos showcasing Thoroughbreds who retired through CARMA's Placement Program in their second careers as sport horses and whose on-air commentators highlighted the importance of aftercare for the sport. "The success of CARMAthon means so much to us and the horses," said Billy Koch, CARMA's Treasurer and Little Red Feather Racing...

Last year when facing a massive budget shortfall, the umbrella organization overseeing the fate of California's retired racehorses dodged a metaphorical projectile. "We were just so overwhelmed by the support we got for CARMAthon by the racing community," Lucinda Lovitt, executive director of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), said of a fundraising event held last year at Del Mar on Pacific Classic day. "Everybody on the board--especially those on the event committee--was blown away." Due to the fact that CARMA is primarily funded from purse contributions by owners, trainers...

Beginning with opening day of Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meeting Friday, Sept. 25 and running through the final day Oct. 25, fans can have their personalized cut out images appear in Santa Anita's Runhappy Winner's Circle for a donation of $200, with 100% of proceeds going to support the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) and the Permanently Disable Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Santa Anita will submit individual pictures within 48 hours of receipt. For more information on CARMA visit https://www.carma4horses.org/  and for additional information on the PDJF, visit https://pdjf.org/ For more...

Beginning Friday, Sept. 25, with a donation of $200, fans can have their cut-out images appear in Santa Anita's Runhappy winner's circle. Friday is opening day of Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meeting. The personalized cut outs will be displayed throughout the meet, which concludes Oct. 25. The donation will support California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), which provides funding for the rehabilitation, retraining, and retirement of California-based runners, and the Permanently Disable Jockeys Fund (PDJF), which provides financial assistance to jockeys who have been injured on the racetrack, with 100% of...