Anna Ford

New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford will never forget the excitement she felt watching the 2009 GI Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic as 16-1 shot Mushka (Empire Maker) kept passing one horse afer another in the stretch to close for second. As a horse taking part in the first ever New Vocations Breeders' Cup Pledge program, Mushka's performance meant a $36,000 donation from owner Betty Moran. It was a lifeline for a growing charity dedicated to finding second homes for the sport's retirees. "I'll never forget how excited we were,"...

Edited Press Release New Vocations has launched its 12th annual Breeders' Cup Pledge, in which connections of Breeders' Cup contenders pledge a percentage of their Championship earnings to support the charity's mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses. To date, the pledge has raised over $800,000 to support the nation's oldest and largest racehorse adoption program. "This event has become one of our most important annual fundraisers," said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. "Providing proper aftercare for these amazing athletes is a must, and we have been...

Over 50 connections of horses running in Friday and Saturday's Breeders' Cup races have pledged a portion of their runners' earnings to New Vocations, the largest racehorse adoption program in the country. Now in its 11th year, the annual pledge has raised over $650,000, with 100 percent of funds raised supporting the program's rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming efforts. "We pledged for two reasons: We love the New Vocations model of repurposing these magnificent Thoroughbreds for a new life, and it's the right thing to do," said owner B. Wayne Hughes...

New Vocations, the largest racehorse adoption charity in the country, has kicked off its 11th annual Breeders' Cup Pledge in support of Thoroughbred aftercare. The program, which has raised over $650,000 for aftercare, is seeking owners and trainers of Breeders' Cup contenders to pledge a percentage of their Breeders' Cup earnings to New Vocations for the rehabilitating, retraining, and rehoming of retired racehorses. "The need for our services continues to grow each year," said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. "This year, in particular, has been very challenging due...

New Vocations Racehorse has canceled its 2020 All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show, a dressage and combined test event, slated to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Oct. 3. The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) followed suit and canceled its dressage and combined test championships, originally slated for Oct. 4. "It was a difficult decision to cancel the October show, but we feel that the safety of our show team and exhibitors is the most important," says Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program director. "It has been...

With the help of fifth-generation Hagyard Equine Medical Institute veterinarian Dr. Luke Fallon, Hagyard Pharmacy donated 13 half-gallons of Reflex HA to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program's Kentucky facility. This is enough product to keep 13 retired Thoroughbred racehorses comfortable for 60 days. In an effort to assist even more horses, Hagyard Pharmacy has launched the Buy-1, Donate-1 program, which allows anyone who purchases a bottle of Reflex HA to contribute to the health of retired racehorses. For every bottle of Reflex HA sold from now through May 31, Hagyard...

Connections of 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown), the morning-line favorite in the first division of Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, will donate 10% of their net earnings to support New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. The participating owners include SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Frederick Hertrich III, John D. Fielding and Golconda Stables. "Along with our partners, we are delighted to be able to contribute additional funding to New Vocations, especially during these testing times," said Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock. "New Vocations provides essential support for our equine...

Though April 2020 was a month of social distancing and working from home, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program withstood the trend of solitude and sent 60 retired Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses into new and loving homes. This is the largest number of April adoptions the program has ever accomplished since its inception in 1992. The program also received 225 applications from potential adopters, which is a 100% increase from months prior. "I'm very proud of our entire team for pulling together to ensure our mission is moving forward during the...

   "We are the silver lining in any and every dark cloud we could ever find. There is no need to go looking for the light when you bring it with you." -Tyler Knott Gregson    TDN Intern Katie Ritz polled a series of industry members to see if they had found anything good that has come out of the current crisis. Their responses will appear every day in the TDN. To submit your own, email suefinley@thetdn.com ANNA FORD New Vocations is doing its best to continue operating as much...

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program has become the 40th organization to join Visit Horse Country, formed in 2014 to promote Kentucky's rich Horse Country heritage. New Vocations will begin offering tours of its Mereworth Farm facility in April. Tour dates and times can be found here. "The program at New Vocations has long done great work with retraining and adoption; we're excited to partner with them in sharing that work with guests-seeing an off-track Thoroughbred being trained for a second career is inspiring," said Anne Sabatino Hardy, executive director of...

Trying to come to terms with the death of a family member or loved one is one of the hardest parts of the human experience. The illness and passing of the TDN News and Features Editor Ben's Massam left us all bereft, and as we struggled to make sense of a senseless loss, we looked to find an appropriate way to remember him and allow his memory to help those who needed help in the industry he loved. (Read his story here.) We settled on the New Vocations Sponsor-A-Stall program,...

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced today that leading owner SF Bloodstock has donated $100,000 to co-sponsor the aftercare facility's indoor arena. In doing so, they join co-sponsor Stonestreet Stables, who were the first to pledge their support, and Fasig-Tipton, who are co-sponsoring the ring in honor of the late Bill Graves. The indoor arena is used to retrain off-the-track horses as they work towards new lives as riding horses. "There's nothing's more important than life beyond the racetrack for our equine athletes," said Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock. "SF...