The Maryland Jockey Club and Adena Springs will host the
Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show on the Pimlico Race Course infield on Saturday,
July 14. Admission is free. Proceeds from the event will benefit three local
Thoroughbred aftercare programs.
“It is the first-ever horse show that is Thoroughbreds only
and the first at a race track,” said Maryland Jockey Club racing secretary
Georganne Hale. “The idea of having this
was to make people aware that Thoroughbreds can have other occupations after
the racetrack.”
The Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show is the brainchild of
Hale and Stacie Clark-Rogers, manager of the Adena Springs Retirement program
in Canada. Each horse will show under its Jockey Club name. The traditional
show horse has his name changed often when it changes owners or circuits.
“It is really important to see how Thoroughbreds can be
utilized outside of racing,” Clark-Rogers said. “Mr. and Mrs. Stronach (owners
of Adena Springs and the Maryland Jockey Club) support this effort and want
owners to be held responsible for finding an aftercare solution because
Thoroughbreds are capable of doing all kinds of disciplines. We have programs
at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita and hope to change people’s awareness by
letting them know there are options to complete the circle.”
Some of the familiar names already entered are 19-time
winner Outcashem and six-time stakes winner P Day, who earned nearly $700,000
during his 57-race career, including a victory in the 2003 Baltimore Breeders’
Cup Handicap (G3) at Pimlico.
“He was such a cool horse who was bred and trained by
Charlie Hadry. He won races going long and short, on the main track and on the
turf. He has had a great career as a show horse after retiring in 2005 and it
will be fun to see him again,” added Hale. “We also have many horses who were
trained by Scott Lake, Hugh McMahon, Ann Merryman and Linda Gaudet. It will be
interesting to see how many horses recognize the track.”
Oregon Ridge never competed at Pimlico but was purchased by
Jeanne Vance of Taylor Purchase Farm in northern Baltimore County for $800,000
as a yearling and ran twice as a 4-year-old in 2002. The son of A.P. Indy was
retired to the farm after an injury and was gelded. When Vance passed away in
2003, Oregon Ridge was given to show jumping trainer Betty McCue, wife of
Maryland Jockey Club photographer Jim McCue.
“He is the champion show jumper of Baltimore County,” Jim
McCue said. “He is nothing but class.”
There will be eight different classes during the day, with
six ribbons awarded for each class and more than $4,000 in prize money.
Class 1-“Old
Hilltop” Lead Line (children 6 & under), $50
Class 2-“MJC”
Walk (children 10 & under), $75
Class 3-“MHBA”
Walk/Trot (All ages), $100
Class 4-“The
Jockey Club” Walk/Trot/Canter (All ages), $300
Class 5-“HRTV”
Trot Over Fences (All Ages, Fence height is 1 foot), $500
Class 6-“MTHA”
Trot Over Fences (All Ages, Fence height is 2 feet), $750
Class 7-“Adena
Springs” Trot Over Fences (All Ages, Fence height is 3 feet), $1,000
Class 8-“Pimlico
Perpetual” Trophy (1st & 2nd place horses from classes 5, 6 & 7),
$1,500
“Having the event at the track is a venue where we can show
where the current show horses got started,” Clark-Rogers added. “I’d like to
see every racetrack in North America hold a horse show during its off-season.
Most horsemen and horsewomen love the horse and we are doing this for the horse
and letting the public know what happens to them when they finish racing.”
Prize money will be paid to the owners of the first three finishers
in each class (60%-winner; 30%-second place; 10%-third).
“The money that we make through entries will go to horse
rescue charities that have helped us find homes for horses that raced in
Maryland: Kim Clark’s Thoroughbred Placement Resources, Mid-Atlantic and Angel
Acres,” Hale said.
Just Plain Jumps will hold a 50/50 raffle with 50% of the
proceeds going to the three horse rescue charities.
The judges will be Rodney Jenkins and Steuart Pittman.
Jenkins, one of Maryland’s top trainers since 2000,
dominated the American show ring in the 1960s, '70s and most of the '80s, and
retired as the sports winningest rider. The 67-year-old was inducted into the
Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1999. He won more than 70 grand prix classes, rode
on ten winning Nations Cup teams from 1973 to 1987 and earned two silver medals
in the 1987 Pan American Games as a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team.
The Totally Thoroughbred Horse Show will begin at 10 a.m.
Eastern. The rain date is Sunday, July 15.
HRTV.com will streamline live from Pimlico with reporter
Carolyn Conley on-site.
