Thistledown awards funds to CANTER-Ohio

Thistledown Racino near Cleveland, Ohio, recently awarded $17,255 in funds to the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) Ohio branch, which is based out of Mentor, Ohio.

The funds will enable the aftercare program to take in a greater number of horses from the track this year and transition them into new careers.

CANTER-Ohio volunteers regularly visit Thistledown, Beulah Park, and River Downs to meet with trainers and owners of horses that are ready to retire from racing but are capable of beginning a second career. Since it was established in 2001, CANTER-Ohio has taken in over 700 retiring racehorses, as funding allowed, and successfully rehabilitated, retrained and placed them into caring homes. The program is currently managing the care of nine horses.

“We have worked very closely with the management of Thistledown Racetrack over the years and we are very excited to now be working with Thistledown Racino," CANTER-Ohio Executive Director Pam Cleverly said. "We are very grateful that they chose CANTER-Ohio as a recipient of these funds to help ex-racehorses move onto new careers."

More than $51,000 in gaming proceeds were raised at the racino's Controlled Demonstration on April 2, with funds being split between three charity organizations. The event was a requirement of the Ohio Lottery Commission to demonstrate that the racino was prepared to publicly open.

“We wanted to give back to the Northeast Ohio community, who has supported Thistledown for 89 years,” racino general manager Rick Skinner said. “These charities serve people directly in our neighborhood, as well as the horses who have given us so much joy over the years.”

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