Fierceness piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez galloping to victory in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) at Santa Anita. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has Successful Weekend at Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was a great weekend for Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance as the Official Aftercare Partner of the 40th running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The Breeders’ Cup continues to strengthen its partnership with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance through many activations, including named races on both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, The FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) was won by Fierceness. Fierceness was ridden by John Velazquez, trained by Todd Pletcher, with owner/breeder Repole Stable.
On Saturday, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) was wone by SALESMAN (IRE). SALESMAN was ridden by Flavien Prat, trained by Richard Mandella, with owner/breeder Wertheimer et Frere.
In addition to the two named races, some other additional highlights on site included a booth that was set up both days on-site alongside California Retirement Management Account (CARMA). Fans and participants were able to meet a retrained Thoroughbred, Red King, who was on-site over the weekend. NBC host, Donna Brothers, even stopped by to do a special feature on Red King which was highlighted on-air over the weekend. Fans were able to stop by the booth and answer questions about second careers, and it was a great opportunity to highlight accredited aftercare.
VIP guests from the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance “Off to the Races” campaign joined the weekend, and even were able to do the call to post for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance race and join in the winner’s circle presentations for both named races.
Another highlight included support from FanDuel. FanDuel honored Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance with a check presentation with a $100,000 donation on Thursday, prior to The FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).
All of the charities from Breeders’ Cup 40 Days of Giving were also honored in the winner’s circle on Sunday with a check presentation for the generous campaign conducted by Breeders’ Cup.
“We express our gratitude to Breeders’ Cup, Santa Anita, and FanDuel for once again shining a spotlight on Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Our participation in this event underscores showcases our commitment to accredited Thoroughbred aftercare and the racing community. It was wonderful to have the presence of a former Breeders’ Cup contender, Red King, as a representative for all retired racehorses. It is important to show the public that racehorses can achieve great success in alternative careers once their racing careers come to an end. We look forward to continuing to celebrate all Thoroughbreds and our relationship with Breeders’ Cup and FanDuel in the future,” said Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Operations Consultant, Stacie Clark.
Overall, it was an excellent weekend of racing to be involved in, and a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of accredited aftercare following the racing career of these incredible athletes.
