The ninth annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas June 24 to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) set a record of over $400,000, the organization said in a release Thursday.
The previous record was $340,000 last year at Churchill Downs. To-date, the total raised by the group is $3.1 million, including the $110,000 accepted during the 2022 stallion season sale.
“It is impossible to sufficiently thank all the staff who at the beginning promised to 'Vegas-Size' the event,” said Jockeys and Jeans President Barry Pearl. “They absolutely did. It was professionally choreographed and staged. From the lighting to the sound effects to the special guests and our speaker, it represented the apex of our development.”
With over 300 in attendance, 11 jockeys who suffered career ending injuries and 13 Hall of Fame riders were present. An anonymous donor left a check for $50,000 and Caesars Entertainment presented a check for $30,000. The Indiana HPBA, led by Director Brian Elmore, contributed $25,000 and Canterbury Park's CEO Randy Sampson accounted for $17,500 in donations.
PDJF donor Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale accepted the Person of the Year Award and spoke of “horse racing's stars,” calling for nationwide Workers Compensation Insurance and for horse owners to finance better injury insurance, retirement benefits and funds for severely injured riders.
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