LEXINGTON, KY — Tickets are now available for the 10TH annual America’s Best Racing (ABR) Pre-Preakness Party. In celebration of the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes, the ABR Pre-Preakness Party is set to be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Mt. Washington Tavern in Baltimore, Maryland. Proceeds from the ABR Pre-Preakness Party will benefit Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation. Registration is also open for the correlating silent auction that benefits Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and occurs during the live event. The event will also strive to raise awareness for a continued event partner, the Ed Brown Society, which celebrates the rich history of African Americans in the equine industry and creates opportunities for young people of color to gain industry exposure. New to the Pre-Preakness Party this year will be a meet and greet with jockeys in support of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Presented by title sponsor Maryland Jockey Club and supporting sponsor Ambassador Earle Mack, the Pre-Preakness Party is one of the most anticipated events of Preakness week. The party is fully open to the public and provides an opportunity to mingle with racing personalities, which over the years have included Preakness trainers, owners, and jockeys. “We are thrilled to support this great event as it marks a 10-year milestone and sets the stage for the historic running of the 150th Preakness Stakes,” said Bill Knauf, president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “In addition to the party, which is accessible to all fans of racing, this is an opportunity to recognize and support the vital work of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, as well as The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, Ed Brown Society, and PDJF.” Tickets for the event are available online for $35 per person and will be available at the door for $50 per person. The ticket price includes: One (1) complimentary drink ticket Buffet of Tavern food favorites Access to well-known horse racing personalities and handicapping experts Networking opportunity among racing enthusiasts To purchase tickets online visit: bit.ly/ABRPartyTickets In addition to an evening of networking, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvre – which all begins when doors open at 6 p.m. ET – the silent auction will again be one of the main attractions of the Pre-Preakness Party. The auction items will be on display at the party location but bidding can be done either in-person or remotely. Registration for the auction is open, and items will continue to be added. The auction will open on Monday, May 12, at 10 a.m. ET, and will close just before the conclusion of the party on Wednesday, May 14, at 8:30 p.m. ET. To register for the auction and for bidding, visit: thoroughbredaftercare.org/abr-pre-preakness-party “We always get excited this time of year as Triple Crown season approaches and for me, personally, this is the one event I look forward to more than any this time of year,” said Dan Tordjman, ABR’s vice president. “When we initially launched this event, we just wanted to bring people together in a space that was fun and accessible to everyone. As I look back, I couldn’t be prouder of the fact that this is now an event that everyone looks forward to annually and that it continues to raise awareness for causes that are essential to the work we do all year around in marketing the sport.”

The 2025 International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) will take place April 24-26 in Lexington, Kentucky, and it will focus on aftercare organizations. The three-day event will be comprised of a traditional conference at Spy Coast Farm’s Equine Education Center as well a multitude of on-site visits, which will take place at accredited aftercare facilities in the area, and a social gathering. Aftercare professional Jen Roytz will serve as moderator for its upcoming conference. Speakers from organizations including the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH), Down the Stretch Ranch, Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), Japan Racing Association (JRA), The Jockey Club (US), New Vocations, Old Friends, Queensland Off-The-Track Program (QOTT), RRP, Stable Recovery, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA), Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), Treo Eile, and the United States Polo Association are scheduled to take part. Further details will be released soon. All of the featured aftercare facilities are accredited by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), which accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Since 2012, it has granted more than $31.9 million to accredited aftercare organizations, and 16,500 Thoroughbreds have been retrained, rehomed, or retired by accredited organizations. In addition to the traditional conference and on-site visits, a social gathering will be held during the cross country portion of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, one of the world’s premier equestrian 5* events. Although the numbers change year to year, Thoroughbreds routinely feature in the competition. The JRA, which has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement to support the activities of IFAR, is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 IFAR Conference. The Jockey Club (US) and the NTA have signed on to be lunch sponsors, while Godolphin is the transportation sponsor. Remaining sponsorship opportunities include tailgate sponsor, welcome bag sponsor, dinner sponsor, session sponsors, and supporting sponsors. Full details can be found HERE. To see the planned schedule of events or to register for the 2025 IFAR Conference, please click HERE. Tickets cost $100 each, plus fees and taxes, and cover outlined transportation and meals along with access to the various venues. A cancellation policy is available. Additionally, registered IFAR attendees have the opportunity to book rooms with an IFAR group rate at two official hotels in the area. Space is limited.