A total of 19 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-accredited organizations are represented with entrants at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The TAA is sponsoring the TAA High Point Award, which will be awarded to the highest placing horse adopted from or representing a TAA-accredited organization. A cash prize and prize pack will go to the rider of the horse and the corresponding organization will receive a bonus on their 2020 grant from the TAA.
Among the entries are a few notable horses to keep an eye on during the competition:
One of the highest earners entered in this year’s Makeover is multiple graded stakes winner Tower of Texas (Street Sense), from Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center. The gelding earned more than $936,000 through six seasons. Read more on Tower of Texas in the BloodHorse Daily.
Also from the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center is War Of Ideas (War Front), who was a $470,000 yearling.
Worthy of Wings (Evansville Slew), from Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare, holds the highest number of starts among entrants. The mare raced 138 times, mostly in the claiming ranks at Puerto Rico’s Hipódromo Camarero.
Adopted from New Vocations is Virtual Machine (Drosselmeyer), who was runner up in the 2017 Westchester Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park.
Second Stride‘s Special Ops (Big Brown) is a listed stakes winner of more than $383,000.
Arch Daddy (Arch), from Final Furlong, is a half brother to multiple grade 1 winner and stallion Lord Nelson.
From Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds, Reap (Arch) is a half brother to grade 1 winner Dublino.
Makeamericagreat (Street Cry) is a full brother to grade 1 winner and stallion Here Comes Ben. He was adopted from the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center.
Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue‘s Art of Listening (Atie Schiller) is a half brother to grade 2 winner Linda. The gelding was retired through TAA aftercare partner Beyond the Wire. Read more about their grads at the Makeover here.
Looking slightly further back in pedigrees, Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center’s Call to Arms’ (Into Mischief) extended female family contains multiple graded stakes winner Regal Ransom.
War horse fans should keep an eye on Peppermint Prince (Wildcat Heir) who made 97 starts and earned more than $200,000 before retiring to New Vocations, and MidAtlantic Horse Rescue‘s Reggie D (Stonesider) who made 83 starts and earned $200,000.
Local connections have a rooting interest in Don’t Tell Brandi (Daaher), who was bred and sold by the University of Kentucky before being adopted from the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center.
TAA-accredited organizations represented:
After the Races
Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue
CANTER Kentucky
CANTER Michigan
Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare
Equine Rescue of Aiken
Final Furlong
Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program
Florida TRAC
Galloping Out
Hidden Acres Rescue for Thoroughbreds
LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society
Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center
MidAtlantic Horse Rescue
New Vocations
ReRun
Second Chance Thoroughbreds
Second Stride
Thoroughbred Athletes
Photo: Suzie Picou Oldham
