Ark at JFK Eases Burdens of Shipping Overseas

In his attempt to become the first American-based horse to win in South Korea, the Linda Rice-trained Papa Shot (Distorted Humor) finished third in the Sept. 10 Keeneland Korea Cup, but he still became a footnote in racing history. On Sept. 14, he walked off a plane at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and in the process became the first racehorse to enter the U.S. through the Ark at JFK facility. He will not be the last.

Ark at JFK, a privately run venture that deals with animals of all shapes, sizes and breeds, has opened in various stages and was not allowed to act as a receiving center for horses until Sept. 1. Now that its equine program is fully operational, shipping companies, trainers and owners can look forward to a much simpler process when it comes to shipping horses into and out of the U.S.

Prior to the Ark's opening, horses returning to the U.S. through JFK had to ship to a United States Department of Agriculture Facility in Newburgh, New York. The van ride from JFK to that facility can be in excess of two hours and once they clear quarantine, there's another long van ride back to Belmont, Saratoga or Aqueduct. In addition, it's little more than a holding facility and little is available in the way of hands-on veterinary care or any special amenities for racehorses that can be worth millions.

“The horses going back and forth from overseas are competing at the highest level,” said John J. Cuticelli, Jr. the CEO and founder of the ARK at JFK. “When you think about it, a sports team, football, basketball, baseball, they all fly around on private jets. These horses are top athletes as well and need to be cared for as extreme athletes.”

Cuticelli, who also operates the Cornell Ruffian Equine Hospital just outside the Belmont Park stable gates, became aware that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was interested in having a private firm build a facility at JFK to handle animals arriving on planes. He said he first spent a year touring similar facilities throughout the world to gather ideas.

“I soon realized that the need for and the desire for this was far greater than that which the Port Authority envisioned,” he said.

Wanting to do it right, he built a 178,000 square-foot facility that costs $65 million.

“We adopted the mantra that we are in the business of promoting the safe and humane transportation of animals by air,” he said. “The truth is, once the animal is in the airplane there is very little that can be done, but it is the pre- and post-flight care that is critical to he animal. How is it hydrated? How it is fed? How is it exercised? Those are meaningful and critical elements. So after studying this and getting together with some of the greatest animal experts in the world, we designed the Ark and made it a reality.”

It's not just for horses. Dogs, cats, pigs, sheep, rodents and racing pigeons are among the animals that have made their way through the Ark.

But it's doubtful that any of them are as valuable as the Thoroughbreds who will be using the Ark in the future. Because it is a privately run, for-profit company, there are charges involved, but it is estimated that using the Ark will cost only about $300 more than shipping a horse to Newburgh to spend its quarantine time.

Racehorses can only enter the U.S. at airports in Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, though none of those airports have anything that compares to the Ark when it comes to a state-of-the-art facility.

Dr. Scarlette Gotwals, the operations manager for Horse America, a subsidiary of Brook Ledge that specializes in international transport, said she believed the Ark has made shipping overseas easier and better for the horse. Horse America shipped the first horses of any kind to arrive at the Ark in early September.

“Horses headed to the Ark deplane, are jet-stall transported to the quarantine entrance door and horses enter directly from the tarmac into quarantine,” she said. “Horses are in their stalls before the other horses even leave the airport. The two-hour van trip to Newburgh is eliminated.

“Since it is a private facility, extra amenities and extra services are available. For example, if you have a horse that needs special medication or special feed, it can all be pre-arranged and be waiting by the stall when the horses arrive. Additionally the Ark's proximity to Belmont results in a 15-minutes trip to the track

versus two hours after quarantine release as well.”

Gotwals said that Cuticelli's veterinary connections also make the Ark handy in the event of a problem.

“The Ruffian Equine Hospital sports medicine team, experienced with evaluating and treating racehorses, provides coverage should any health problem arise during quarantine,” said Gotwals. “Racehorses have very specific needs so it's comforting to have vets with racehorse experience only six miles away.”

Bill Nichols, of the Alex Nichols Agency, which shipped Papa Shot, said he agreed.

“We think we will utilize this facility more and more.,” he said. “There's less handling of the horse when the horse arrives and you're able to get to through quarantine quicker because they don't have to be loaded on and off the truck and shipped back and forth to Newburgh. With that horse (Papa Shot) it worked out really well. It was good for the horse and good for everyone involved.”

Horses coming and going to and from the U.S. is a big part of racing, whether it's horses going to compete or horses bought at sales and sent to Europe to train. Thanks to the Ark at JFK, Cuticelli believes there will be even more horses traveling from country to country.

“I am sure this sounds self-serving, but, of course I believe this will lead to a lot more horses shipping to the U.S. or shipping to race in other countries,” Cuticell said.. “It's all about how the horses are cared for. When a horse comes through here, that horse is ready to run. That's our goal. So we believe it is a foregone conclusion that we will help make it easier for horses to ship around the world.”