New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America

Last week, I attended the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA) national conference at the Falls Creek Conference Center in Davis, Oklahoma. There were more than 100 participants including track chaplains, local council leaders, national board and staff. I am here to share a good news story about a group that is serving God, serving people and making a difference in horse racing. At its core, our sport showcases the Thoroughbred, one of the greatest creatures on this earth, and the dedicated group of people who love and work with...

Andy Serling, the longtime New York Racing Association television analyst and handicapper, was honored at a Wednesday morning brunch by the New York Race Track Chaplaincy for his ongoing support of the backstretch community at the organization's 15th annual fund-raising brunch at Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, New York. "Anyone who has been around our sport knows that the backstretch community is the lifeblood of our sport," he said. "I greatly admire all those people who dedicate their lives to the care of Thoroughbreds and I'm immensely grateful...

Nominations are now being accepted for the Race Track Chaplaincy of America's White Horse Award, which honors individuals who have done something heroic on behalf of human or horse in the past year. This year's White Horse Award winner will be honored by a special video presentation at the Race Track Chaplaincy's Nov. 2 event in the Silks Lawn Chalet at Keeneland. To submit a nomination for the White Horse Award, visit http://www.rtcanational.org/events for a complete list of rules and selection criteria, as well as nomination forms. The deadline for...

Feature courtesy of the New York Racing Association From the desk of his cramped office at the New York division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) on Belmont Park's backstretch, Chaplain Humberto Chavez can gaze out the window at what he calls, "something we've been planning for and dreaming of for years." Directly north of the NYRTCA's current office, a team of New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) carpenters, electricians and plumbers are at work constructing the Chaplaincy's new 3,500-square-foot building, which will double the Chaplaincy's current space...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy announced the 2021 renewal of its Champions Talk fundraiser will feature five retired champion jockeys--Ángel Cordero Jr., Chris McCarron, Richard Migliore, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jorge Velasquez. The quintet won over 34,000 races. The fundraiser will premiere on the organization's YouTube Channel and Facebook page Aug. 11, 2021. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., a three-time Eclipse award winner, will also be honored in recognition of his dedication and support of the backstretch community in New York. Durkin, the former New York Racing Association announcer, will...

Nominations are now open for The Race Track Chaplaincy of America White Horse Awards, which will be held Breeders' Cup week, Thursday, Nov. 5 via Facebook Live. The White Horse Award is given to individual(s) who have done something heroic on behalf of human or horse. The Community Service Award is given to individual (s) who have made significant contributions to the welfare of racetrack chaplaincy ministries. To nominate for The White Horse Award, click here. To nominate for The Community Service Award, click here. For more information, visit https://www.rtcanational.org/events.

With its two annual fundraising events in Saratoga Springs, NY cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy will instead host "Champions Talk", an event featuring five prominent personalities from the world of sports and horse racing, which will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The five individuals are Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero Jr. and Ramon Dominguez, GI Kentucky Derby-winning owner Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, Churchill Downs's all-time leading trainer Dale Romans and Pro Football Hall of Fame and two-time...

When the New York Racing Association announced Mar. 25 that racing would be suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps no lives were affected as much as those of the New York backstretch workers. The New York Race Track Chaplaincy, which has been dedicated to supporting and ministering to the needs of this community for over 30 years, jumped into action. They began a campaign to help the 3,500 people who were suddenly without their normal wage deal with the challenges that resulted from the pandemic, asking for help in...

The sale of new t-shirts with the slogans "Belmont Tough" and "Saratoga Tough" will be used to raise funds for the New York Racing Association backstretch community during the COVID-19 pandemic. NYRA will donate all net proceeds from t-shirt sales in equal allotments to three non-profit organizations which serve the Belmont Park backstretch community: the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA); the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (B.E.S.T.); and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA). "The backstretch workers are the unsung heroes of our sport," said...

Editor's note: Last week, the TDN ran a video urging people to donate to the New York Race Track Chaplaincy food pantry, which helps to provide food for the roughly 3,500 people who work with racehorses in New York. It has been viewed over 10,000 times, and the response has been heartwarming. Chaplain Humberto Chavez asked for the opportunity to say thank you. He recorded this podcast with the TDN's Patty Wolfe. Excerpts appear below. Click the play button to hear this as a podcast.  [audio mp3="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Humberto-Chavez-Thoroughbred-People-v1.mp3"][/audio] PW: This has...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) is asking for support to provide woman living and working on the Belmont Park backstretch and the surrounding community with 'Baskets of Blessings' this coming Mother's Day. A donation of $100 will fund a special basket which will be lovingly prepared and include an assortment of food, toiletries, and special gifts. Each basket will be hand-delivered by the NYRTCA ahead of Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10. "The mothers of our backstretch community have perhaps been most impacted by the current crisis,...

"There's still a lot of anxiety," says Chaplain Humberto Chavez, whose ministry helps thousands of backstretch workers every day. "But in the midst of that, I get to see men and women that love their jobs, and come in every day to take care of these beautiful horses."