SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Thursday July 19, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) hosted an “Open Barn” where visitors met retired racehorses and explored the barn. The horses at the TRF Summer Farm @Saratoga are representatives of the Thoroughbred horses to whom the TRF provides lifelong sanctuary through their network of 19 farms. These farms are located in 12 states and include eight Second Chances programs at Correctional Facilities. These five horses are from the TRF’s original Second Chances Farm at the Wallkill Correctional Facility and will be here for the summer to meet TRF friends and fans. Who are the horses? Cogs My Man is an 18-yearold, Kentucky bred gelding with 5 career starts.
His sire, Louis Quatorze, won the Jim Dandy Stakes here at Saratoga in 1996. Son of a Gun is a sweet, smart 12-year-old bay gelding, who would definitely like a human to call his own. Blown Save is a 10-year-old bay gelding, who raced 12 times. His sire is the great Smart Strike. He is the big man of the herd standing at 17 hands. Dusk to Dawn is an impressive looking 7-year-old, bay, NY bred gelding. His sire is Malibu Moon. “Dusky” had 8 career starts. He is a big horse and quite the character. He last raced in 2015 and still remembers the call to the post song when played! Bold Mon is a 15-year-old grey gelding who had a successful racing career with lifetime earnings of $170,000. His last race was at Saratoga and he is happy to be back for a visit. The farm will be open Tuesdays during racing season from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment with the TRF. The retired racehorses will be staying at the Heading for Home farm located just east of Saratoga Springs. Heading for Home is a racehorse rescue and retraining facility for both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses.
This partnership formed as a result of a collaboration with Racehorse Aftercare Charitable Endeavors of Saratoga (R.A.C.E.). This group of racehorse aftercare organizations was launched in 2015 and promotes education and awareness on racehorse aftercare in the Saratoga area. “We are thrilled to introduce our retired horses to the Saratoga community and to have the opportunity to elevate the conversation regarding racehorse aftercare” said TRF Director of Development and Communications Jennifer Stevens. “TRF’s national headquarters is based in Saratoga Springs, yet we rarely have a chance to have our supporters meet our herd in person. Each horse has a unique personality and a story to tell. We hope the community will visit the farm to meet them and come to appreciate and love them as we do,” Stevens continued. For more information, or to schedule a visit, please call the TRF at 518-226-0028. Because the farm is a private venue, unscheduled visits are prohibited without prior permission.
