TAA

In 2011, I attended the meeting at Belmont Park that launched the creation of the TAA. I'll never forget how passionate Mike Repole was in that meeting as he paced back and forth leading the conversation that no one wanted to lead. One thing everyone agreed upon was that something needed to be done to fund and monitor aftercare. That was a huge accomplishment and pointed the industry in the right direction for both funding and accreditation. However, the goal was for both funding and infrastructure to grow over time,...

The recent Thoroughbred Daily News piece by Mike Repole and The Jockey Club's response were both timely and important. Regardless of where one stands on the broader debate, Mr. Repole is plainly correct on this point: the Thoroughbred industry still does not do enough to fund aftercare. For decades we relied on good will, volunteerism, and heroic nonprofit work to clean up the back end of an industry that generates enormous revenue at the front end. That model was not sustainable nor was it morally defensible. In 2011, Jack Wolf...

Racing has a legacy to rectify before it can look to the future. The "Racing in 2036" series struck me for its lack of perspective from the aftercare segment of the industry. Post-racetrack life for our equine athletes was mentioned a few times, but only in a cursory manner. And certainly without any accountability. Thoroughbred aftercare is chronically underfunded despite the creation of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) in 2012. Aftercare organizations founded before the TAA was created have been underfunded for decades. Programs that predominantly follow the sanctuary model...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) has named 49 aftercare organizations who have been awarded accreditation for 2025, the non-profit said in a Friday release. The 49 organizations include 40 organizations who are continuing their accreditation and nine earned accreditation for the first time. Applications will open again in January of 2026. Click here for a complete list of accredited organizations.

Before we can solve the Thoroughbred aftercare problem, we must first define it--and understand its full scope. For this discussion, aftercare refers to the rehoming, retraining, and retiring of Thoroughbreds who: never make it to the racetrack; are not fast enough to race; have finished their racing careers and lost commercial value; can no longer perform as sport horses; or no longer serve useful breeding purposes. When I first began asking industry insiders what it would truly cost to provide lifetime care for all Thoroughbreds that need it, I could...

Twelve winning photos of Thoroughbreds were selected by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to be featured in the fifth annual TAA calendar. All photos feature a registered Thoroughbred that is either in residence at or has been rehomed by a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization. Each winner will receive Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded merchandise and a copy of the calendar. Out of the twelve winners, the grand prize winner, Sara Ruggerone, was selected to be featured on the cover of the calendar and will receive a Tipperary helmet of their choice,...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Day on Saturday, honoring organizations and individuals dedicated to retired racehorses, will be staged at Churchill Downs Saturday, Sept. 27, according to a Churchill Downs release. Nine aftercare organizations will be on-site, including Friends of Ferdinand Inc., Kentucky Equine Adoption Center, New Vocations, Old Friends, Second Stride, The Secretariat Center, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Thoroughbred Charities of America and Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Each organization has shared a special Thoroughbred Aftercare Day ticket link on their social media channels. A portion of each ticket purchased through those links will be...

Kentucky's HBPA teamed with Kentucky Downs to present $100,000 checks to three industry non-profit organizations during Saturday's card at the turf track in Franklin, Kentucky, the horsemen's outfit said via a Saturday press release. The assistance will provide funding to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Stable Recovery and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund. The local HBPA chapter and the track donated $50,000 each.

Thoroughbreds are the very fiber and backbone of the industry and there is no racing or breeding program without them. Horse racing in the United States had a $36.4-billion impact on the national economy in 2023 and supported nearly 500,000 jobs. Racing and breeding alone contributed an estimated $16 billion in direct value to the economy. Thoroughbreds are bred deliberately, intentionally, and with careful planning. They are "created" with the goal of winning, with the goal of earning, with the goal of making money. Why are so many Thoroughbreds ending...

Last week, Kentucky news outlet LEX18 reported the death of Kayseri, a University of Kentucky-bred mare who was shipped to Puerto Rico and ultimately euthanised after prolonged suffering. Her story is devastating - but sadly, not unusual. Kayseri stood in a shipping container for three days at sea, then raced far beyond the point of soundness. No one stepped in to retire her. In January, she was put down due to degenerative joint disease. The treatment of horses in Puerto Rico, throughout and after their racing careers, has been raised...

Submissions for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's Calendar Photo Contest will be accepted through July 28 and the winners will be announced October 2025. Winner receives a Tipperary Helmet of Choice and a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance swag bag. Additionally, 12 winners receive a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance swag bag. All winners will receive a free calendar. The Calender photo contest prizes are sponsored by Tipperary Equestrian. For officials rules of the contest, click here. To submit an entry, click here.

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be onsite at Saratoga Race Course for Belmont Stakes weekend, according to a press release from the non-profit on Thursday. To highlight accredited aftercare, the New York Racing Association, Inc (NYRA) will honor the TAA with a named race on the undercard on Friday, June 6, and a presentation will be made to the winning connections, which includes a gift bag. TAA representatives will be present to host the winners of the VIP experience donated by NYRA that was auctioned off earlier in the year...