Thoroughbred charities to present Thoroughbred Marketplace at Pimlico

Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) and the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) have created the TCA Thoroughbred Marketplace to help transition retired racehorses into second careers.

The event will be part of the RRP’s second annual Thoroughbred Makeover symposium on Oct. 4-5 at Pimlico Race Course, which is a national gathering of the farms, organizations, and individuals who work in the aftercare field.

“The bridges to second careers for these horses include nonprofit placement organizations, professional trainers, amateur trainers, and direct sales from racing owners and breeders,” RRP founder Steuart Pittman said. “This marketplace invites participation from all of these and will attract a large pool of horse shoppers. If it succeeds we have created a model worth replicating.”

Each horse included in the Thoroughbred Marketplace will be listed online and in a printed catalog with video links and photographs. Upon arrival at Pimlico, they will be observed by a veterinarian whose notes will be posted online for potential buyers and adopters to consider. Blemishes, body condition score, and lameness will be noted, and educational materials will be available to help buyers understand the relevance of those considerations.

Each horse will appear on Saturday in the main arena on the track to demonstrate his or her skills or potential. None of the horses will be auctioned, and neither the TCA, RRP, nor Maryland Jockey Club will be a party to any transactions that take place privately during or after the event.

“Effective marketing of these horses must include some transparency about their condition,” said TCA President Dan Rosenberg. “The more information we provide up front, the more shoppers and adopters we will attract. We believe that it is a good thing to reward racing owners financially for retiring their horses sound. The market value of a sound Thoroughbred ex-racehorse has declined, but by increasing demand and raising that value we offer owners an alternative to running at the lowest claiming prices.”

Interested sellers or buyers can find more information on the Retired Racehorse Project’s website.