Belmont fete raises $235K for research

The Belmont Celebration, a June 4 charity event hosted by the New York Racing Association and The Jockey Club, raised $235,000 for the Grayson-Jockey Cub Research Foundation.

The research foundation, established in 1983, funds equine projects and has provided more than $11 million in grants to 189 projects at 31 universities. This year, the foundation announced it would distribute more than $850,000 to underwrite 20 projects revolving around a variety of equine health issues. Research currently funded by Grayson-Jockey Club includes studies on the West Nile virus, laminitis, vaccine development for rhodococcal pneumonia, cartilage repair, the effects of early exercise on bones and joints, pain management, and sesamoid fractures, among many others.

The 2004 Belmont Celebration honored the retired Daily Racing Form executive columnist Joe Hirsch.