Edited Press Release
After the Races, the organization that provided Jersey Fresh with the groundwork he needed to go from the racetrack to success as a show jumper, and CANTER USA, where owner Dr. Kate Carruthers found her TAKE2 Hunter Finals champion Red Magic, have been announced as the 2025 TAKE2 Jet Run Award winners.
Created in 2017, the Jet Run Awards put the spotlight on the aftercare organizations that are essential in transitioning Thoroughbreds to second careers.
“Racehorses still have so much to give when they leave the track and, being Thoroughbreds, they are still very eager to show what they can do,” said TAKE2 Executive Director Andy Belfiore. “But they need to learn the fundamentals of their new careers, and to find the right person to guide them. The hard work and dedication of our partners in aftercare are vital to that process.”
Launched by Bonnie McRae in 2011 and accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance since 2016, After the Races is located in Elkton, Maryland, near the Fair Hill training center.
“We're very close to adopting out our 1,000th horse!” McRae said. “Our mission is to rehabilitate and rehome retiring Thoroughbred racehorses into suitable, long-term homes while promoting the versatility and usefulness of the breed beyond racing.”
CANTER USA operates through a national network of local affiliates that work directly with trainers and owners at the racetrack.
“This is big deal,” treasurer Robbie Timmons said. “It is such a big honor for CANTER USA and for all of our Thoroughbreds. It shows that although some Thoroughbreds may not be competitive on the racetrack, they can excel in new careers. That's what CANTER is all about. We're trying to promote the Thoroughbred as just the most terrific breed.”
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