NEWS
Jockey Club retirement funding program slow to gain support
Posted: Monday, March 21, 2011 11:12 AM
by Teresa Genaro
Not too many topics in Thoroughbred racing elicit widespread agreement, but the welfare of retired racehorses is one of them—a view brought to the fore by allegations in the New York Times that the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is not meeting its financial obligations.
Fans, trainers, breeders, owners, and management all support both institutional and individual ways to make sure that horses whose racing days are over have a place to go to live out their days safely and comfortably.
Each of those elements of the industry contributes to Thoroughbred retirement—some as individuals and some through programs established by the industry. The Jockey Club established one of these programs in 2009 and earlier this year announced the renewal of its check-off program, which allows breeders and owners to contribute to Thoroughbred retirement by donating a specified amount on a horse’s registration papers. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Thoroughbred Charities of America split evenly the money donated.
The program offers an easy, financially manageable, and potentially lucrative option for breeders to contribute regularly to Thoroughbred retirement; if each of the foals registered in 2010 had been accompanied by a $25 donation—the minimum amount suggested on the check off form—the total amount raised, including the Jockey Club’s $200,000 contribution, would have been nearly $1-million.
Instead, the fund received approximately $243,000, the bulk of that donated by the Jockey Club itself.
In 2009, approximately $52,000 was donated by breeders registering 32,606 horses. In 2010, approximately $43,000 was donated by breeders when 30,669 horses were registered. In each of those years, the Jockey Club donated $200,000 from its four commercial subsidiaries: Information Systems Inc.; The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc.; InCompass Solutions Inc.; and The Jockey Club Racing Services Inc.
So what, given the ease of donating and the general support for the cause, keeps more breeders from participating?
Thoroughbred retirement is an emotionally charged issue, and more than one breeder declined to comment when contacted to ask about the program. But the breeders who did respond offered a variety of reasons for their participation, or lack of it, suggesting that the matter may not be as simple as it appears.
One issue raised by breeders is the lack of a tax deduction. Money donated through the check-off program is not tax-deductible, and that is one reason, according to Mary Miller, equine operations secretary of Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington that the farm’s clients do not participate in the program.
“They donate directly to retirement organizations, so that they can take the write-off,” she explained. “We do have one client who donates for every foal at the end of the foaling season. They have about 20 foals with us, and we donate $100 per foal when we register them. But many owners prefer to donate on their own.”
Bernie Sams of Claiborne Farm indicated that Claiborne, too, prefers to donate directly to an organization, which is why the Hancock family’s farm does not participate in the check-off program.
“We donate to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation on our own, and we donate a stallion season to the TCA dinner,” Sams said.
Dell Hancock succinctly expressed another philosophy espoused by more than one breeder contacted: Take care of your own.
“When you buy a horse,” she said, “that horse is your responsibility; you take care of him until you sell him, he dies, or he’s euthanized. It’s the humane thing to do. But when you sell a horse, he’s not your responsibility anymore.”
Stacie Clark, Thoroughbred retirement program manager at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs, expressed similar sentiments.
“As a rule, we don’t use the Jockey Club program,” she said. “We have our own in-house retirement program, in which our horses are rehabilitated, re-schooled, and re-sold for new careers.”
Like Claiborne, Adena believes that horses are an owner’s responsibility, but recognizes the need to fund retirement programs, so Adena donates directly to several. She describes Adena as “big supporters” of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and Long Run, a Toronto-based Thoroughbred after-care program.
The Clay family's Three Chimneys takes a hybrid approach toward Thoroughbred after care, participating in the Jockey Club's check off program while also donating to myriad charities using both the farm's own finances as well as money raised from visitors to the farm. The farm also frequently uses its own resources to care for horses with which it has had connections.
"When a horse owned by Three Chimneys comes to the end of his or her racing career and is not a suitable breeding prospect, the horse is kept on the farm until we find it a new home as a riding or companion horse," said Jen Roytz. "If a horse bred by Three Chimneys is ever found in an at-risk situation or in a 'kill pen,' we take financial responsibility of the animal immediately and find it a suitable home. We also assist our clients in finding their retired racehorses suitable second careers whenever the need arises."
Several breeders responded with uncertainty when asked about the program, asking for clarification and explanation before responding to questions. A lack of awareness of the option to donate appears to be one reason that breeders are not donating through the program, and one of Pikulski’s goals is to raise the profile of the program through marketing.
“I’m hoping that this year, we can do a better job of making people want to donate,” she said. “We need to market the program so that breeders feel inclined to use it and so that we can catch more breeders who aren’t giving in some other way. We also need to market it to the general public so that they can see that the industry is taking some responsibility.”
Erin Crady, executive director of Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), concurs. “Part of my job,” she explained, “is to raise more funds for TCA, to do what I can to increase grants to retirement organizations.”
Crady focused on the positive elements of the program, on the money that has been donated rather than on the money that hasn’t. “We’re grateful,” Crady said, “for the donations from breeders who have stepped up to care for retired Thoroughbreds.”
Teresa Genaro is a Brooklyn-based correspondent of Thoroughbred Times; she blogs at BrooklynBackstretch.com
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Dave, baltimore, MD on March 22, 2011 at 08:05 PM
Who ever owns the horse needs to take care of the horse. It's not someone elses problem.You bought it your responsible for it!
If someone wants the horse fine! All this talk about money from this and that.It's so simple.
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Posted by: Jeanne, Ormond Beach, FL on March 22, 2011 at 11:53 AM
In reference to: "...But when you sell a horse, he’s not your responsibility anymore.”
The exception is the breeder who instituted the mating, perhaps not same as the breeder of record. Someone thought that the mating was a good idea at the time it occurred, whether initiated for the prospect of a good horse or monetary gain. Build a mandatory fee of $25.00 into each mating. If no one wants to be individually responsible for the horses produced, cumulative fees would go a long way toward their support.
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Posted by: Patricia, Phoenix, AZ on March 22, 2011 at 09:11 AM
TRF failure to take care of retired horses. It is long overdue that a perpetual funding program be put in place , a percentage of purse money at ALL racetracks for the retirement, rehabilitaion and re homing of Thoroughbred race horses. The voluntary programs do not work to provide what needs to be provided and then only a few carrry the saddle. So a percentage of purse money deducted at every track, every race , every day is the only way. Everybody contributes. These horses are not used cars to send to the junk yard, they are senitent beings and must be cared for. Why is it the responsibilty of the fans to raise money to pay for owners, trainers, breeders horses when they are the ones who make the money off of the horses? This industry needs to take care of it's own , once and for all. These programs like the safeyt accrediaiton of NTRA are toothless, they give accrediaiton with a stipulaiton for racehorse retirement and they have NO program for it . Go figure. The only answer it give the horses who run a percentage of the purse money for on going perpetual fundng to retire the athletes who make it all happen.
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Posted by: David, Keedysville, MD on March 22, 2011 at 05:36 AM
This is another problem that's a result of not having a national structure for this business.
We should figure out how much money is needed per yr. to take care of our retired (TB) racehorses. Those funds should be generated from a mandated fee to register the horse, and from a small % takeout on all wagers.
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Posted by: Kim, Madrid, IA on March 21, 2011 at 05:04 PM
There are too many horses to support. I sold my last weanling at our breeders sale for $800. I had invested over $4000 OUT OF POCKET plus my time to care for and train him. Where am I supposed to come up with more contributions? i Would have to see the budget (payroll especially) before I would donate more money. What I did do was give away 2 mares that week, and euthanized 2 more mares that fall. I am out of the breeding business, so I am not the problem.
We have people who breed with no regard to soundness or longevity in competition. Anyone who breeds a horse is responsible,. Selling it does not remove that responsibility. If you brought the horse in the world, you have toe right to say whether it should go to slaughter. If you choose not to send it to slaughter, YOU should go get it, pay the last owner or slaughter company their expenses! You should not be breeding horses and then walk away saying dont kill it, but its not my problem any more. That includes dumping non-performers into ever cheaper claiming races so you dump your horse on someone else!!
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