Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund to hold telethon on TVG

The Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund, a non-profit that provides monthly benefits to disabled riders, will hold its first-ever telethon on April 8, with jockeys appearing live on TVG throughout the afternoon and evening to raise money for the charity, the organization announced on Friday.

Current and former jockeys will take calls from viewers from 1 p.m. Eastern until 8 p.m. Eastern on April 8, a Sunday. The riders who have committed to the telethon include current jockeys Mike Smith, John Velazquez, and Javier Castellano, along with retired riders Pat Day, Chris McCarron, and Ramon Dominguez, according to the PDJF.

The PDJF is entirely reliant on donations to fund its endowment, which has distributed $9 million since 2006 to jockeys who have suffered injuries that have left them unable to ride. The fund is independent of the Jockeys’ Guild, an organization that represents riders, but the two groups work together on fund-raising.

The telethon was announced one week after Jose Flores, a 57-year-old rider, was removed from life support after suffering catastrophic injuries in a fall at Parx racetrack in Philadelphia on March 19.

“We are excited to be working with the Jockeys’ Guild to raise money and awareness for this important cause,” said Kip Levin, the chief executive of TVG. “The recent death of Jose Flores is a tragic reminder of the risks jockeys take every time someone gives them a leg up. We hope that our telethon will help the PDJF continue its critical mission to provide care and resources for injured riders.”