New York horsemen to donate starter fee to aftercare group

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association has agreed to assess a $5 fee on each starter at New York Racing Association tracks beginning with the start of the Belmont Park meet Thursday as a donation to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the organizations announced Wednesday.

Donations to the TAA are used to award grants to accredited facilities that care for and retrain retired racehorses. NYTHA said the fees will total about $100,000 annually to the TAA, which was launched three years ago and made its first distribution of $1 million to 23 accredited facilities at the end of 2013.

“Five dollars per start is a small price to pay to ensure that our racehorses are well cared for when they retire from the track,” NYTHA president Rick Violette said in a statement.