When I saw the headline in the New York Times last Thursday night – “Ex-Racehorses Starve as Charity Fails in Mission to Care for Them” – I was, unsurprisingly, dismayed. I clicked on the link, expecting to read another story about a well-meaning, small, grassroots-type rescue that had been beset by financial difficulties, or corruption,…
Brother Backstretch is a big fan of the last race. He stays to the end of most days, but particularly on Belmont day, when he’s got an uncanny record of success. He likes the last race because, he says, “You can’t give back your winnings.” He should know, I guess. On Belmont Day 2006, Michael…
Akindale Farm gained national attention in 2008, when it became home to fan favorite Evening Attire. The folks at Akindale had long been committed to Thoroughbred aftercare; Akindale founder John Hettinger established Blue Horse Charities in 2001 to help fund Thoroughbred retirement, and the rescue part of the farm was founded in 2006. But until…
Last Tuesday morning, I bundled up against 19 degree cold, scraped the snow and ice off my car, and headed north to Pawling, New York, to visit Akindale Farm. I’d been there once before, last summer, to visit Evening Attire and talk to Erin Pfister, who runs the farm’s rescue division, for a story for…
The disparate elements of the racing world are often accused of not playing nicely with each other. Tracks compete with each other for dates and gambling dollars; what’s good for horsemen isn’t always good for gamblers; what makes fans happy doesn’t always jibe with the decisions made on the backstretch; charitable organizations fight for donation…
When I visited Old Friends at Cabin Creek last November, only one horse—a weanling—was on the grounds, living in the only paddock. Mark Pepper, who manages the farm with his wife JoAnn, was on his tractor, clearing land. It was cold and deserted. It was a place of promise, but promise only. Arriving yesterday for…
Moderated by Mike Ziegler, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, this panel offered several retirement organizations the opportunity to share the details of their work and inform the audience about the various models of Thoroughbred retirement currently available. Kim Smith, executive direction of the Louisville-based Second Stride, said that her organization is…
Brooklyn Backstretch 