retired racehorses

A recent article in the TDN, "He Thought His Horse Had Been Retired, So Why Did It Show Up at Chippewa Downs?" has attracted a lot of attention. It should. It's an unfortunate situation: an older Thoroughbred, sold for breeding purposes and believed by its owner to have been retired from racing ultimately returns to racing under new connections, raising understandable concerns about welfare and accountability. Scenarios like this are preventable and can be addressed through an existing protocol. Transferred as Retired from Racing (TRR)--a process available to all owners--should...

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has a launched a generous $10,000 matching challenge from the Lavin Family Foundation in support of the organization's 2026 Annual Appeal, the non-profit said via a press release on Thursday. Through June 30, every donation made to the Annual Appeal will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000, effectively doubling the impact of each gift and helping provide dignified lifetime care for retired Thoroughbred racehorses. The matching challenge comes at a critical time as the TRF continues its mission of caring for retired racehorses while operating...

The sixth annual calendar photo contest for inclusion in the 2027 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance calendar is now open for submissions, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) announced Monday morning. Submissions should showcase Thoroughbreds, and must be relevant to the mission of the TAA as well as adhere to the criteria specified in the official contest rules. Photos will be judged on clarity, artistry, and photographic quality. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will select twelve winners, with one photo featured for each month. Each winner will receive Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded merchandise and a...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, and New York Racing Association (NYRA) have partnered with the TAKE2 Program to donate $20,000 in prize money for two Thoroughbred Classics. The first $10,000 TAKE2 Thoroughbred Hunter Classic will be held on the morning of Friday, July 10, at the Saratoga Women in Business Spectacular, and the second on the morning of Friday, August 14, at the Saratoga Summer Horse Show. In addition to the prize money, the winners of the two Classics each will...

Applications to compete in the 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium are now being accepted through Jan. 23, announced the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP). The Thoroughbred Makeover is the largest and most lucrative retraining competition in North America for recently-retired Thoroughbreds and former broodmares. It takes place Oct. 7-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. The makeover is the banner event of the RRP and is meant to showcase the athleticism, trainability, and versatility of the recently-retired racehorse. The event awards $139,000 in prize money and is expected...

A newly created $25,000 Thoroughbred Hunter Derby will make its debut at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Virginia in early June and replace the recent Upperville Thoroughbred Hunter Classic, the planners of the event said via a press release on their website Dec. 31. The Derby will take place Tuesday, June 2 and reflects a growing, industry-wide effort to expand opportunities for Thoroughbreds at recognized horse shows. In recent years, trainers, owners and Thoroughbred advocates have worked to elevate the visibility and competitiveness of the breed in hunter...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will award $4.7 million in grants to 86 accredited Thoroughbred aftercare organizations in 2025, the organization announced Tuesday. The financial support is designed to assist organizations in delivering exceptional care and rehabilitation services for retired racehorses. Of the $4.7 million in grants awarded this year, $250,000 was provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is being delivered directly to accredited aftercare facilities in Kentucky. "Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is proud to continue supporting our 86 accredited organizations through this year's grant awards," said Janice Towles, Director of...

Every year, about 17,000 Thoroughbreds are born in North America. Let's assume half of them are colts: 8,500 male horses bred with ambition in their blood. Of those, maybe 50--if we're being generous--will ever make it to stud. The fillies often retain value as broodmares, but even then the industry quietly accumulates thousands of horses every single year whose careers end without a clear path forward. And for far too many of them, that path ends at the slaughterhouse. We talk about racing fatalities in terms of breakdowns on the...

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has launched its annual TRF online charity auction on eBay, which runs through Thursday, Nov. 13 and features nearly 50 racing-related items, the non-profit said in a release Wednesday. The auction directly benefits the TRF's mission to provide dignified lifetime care to retired Thoroughbred racehorses, and also benefits its 'Second Chances Program' for incarcerated individuals. This year's auction includes: Thorpedo Anna shadowboxed halter with certificate of authenticity; Autographed memorabilia from industry connections; Artwork, photography, and handcrafted items; Frank Mirahmadi race call experience at the Spa....

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) has named 49 aftercare organizations who have been awarded accreditation for 2025, the non-profit said in a Friday release. The 49 organizations include 40 organizations who are continuing their accreditation and nine earned accreditation for the first time. Applications will open again in January of 2026. Click here for a complete list of accredited organizations.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) is rolling out a special fundraising raffle giving racing fans an opportunity to own a shadowboxed halter worn by MGISW Journalism (Curlin) during his 2024-2025 campaign, according to a press release from the non-profit on Friday. Each ticket--priced at $100--offers a direct way to support TRF's mission of dignified lifetime care for nearly 400 retired Thoroughbreds across the country. The raffle, which is limited to 100 tickets, will close Oct. 31. "Every ticket helps us continue our mission of providing dignified lifetime care for the...

Chanel Minnifield is not typically one for tempered expectations. She moved to Los Angeles from Kentucky with actorly aspirations, and last year appeared in the Oscar-nominated movie, "Rustin." Minnifield started riding when she was a child and now, as a professional showjumper, has her sights set on competing at the 2028 Olympic Games. She has a book coming out; produces a podcast. But when earlier this year Minnifield applied to the California Retirement Management Account's (CARMA) Messineo Makeover Scholarship, she hoped it would help pay for a trip to the...