Shelley Mann

Shelley Mann will be stepping down from her role as Executive Director of the Lexington-based Secretariat Center effective Dec. 29, the non-profit said in a release late Wednesday. Mann joined the organization in 2020 and has played a pivotal role in advancing the organization's mission to prepare off-track Thoroughbreds for successful post-track careers. During Mann's tenure, the organization experienced growth in both reach and impact. Outgoing president of the board Dr. Holly Schmitt said, "We are immensely grateful for the tremendous impact Shelley has had on The Secretariat Center. Her...

The Secretariat calendar series, now in its seventh year, will honor Secretariat's daughter Secrettame for the 2024 edition. The series started in 2018 with the Living Legends theme honoring the last living Secretariat sons and daughters, then transitioned to descendants of Secretariat's important broodmares in 2022. Proceeds from the 2024 calendar will benefit The Secretariat Center and Old Friends. The series has already raised more than $33,000 for equine charities through six editions. This will be the first one with The Secretariat Center as the primary beneficiary. "I've always wanted...

The Secretariat Center will hold its annual fundraising event, "Bluegrass Brunch and Bubbles" at Godolphin's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET, the organization said in a release Wednesday. Bidding on everything from vacation packages and experience tickets to artwork, halters, saddles, sports memorabilia and more, will go live Oct. 1 and will close at Noon on the day of the event. All proceeds go toward supporting the Secretariat Center's mission of preparing off-track Thoroughbreds for post-track careers through rehabilitation and retraining. "Support...

For the first time since opening their doors in 2004, the Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park will keep its reschooling operation up and running throughout the winter months. Shelley Mann, who stepped on as the program's executive director this September, spoke on their plans for the upcoming season. "Typically in the past, we have fostered horses out or decreased our numbers for two or three months out of the winter," she said. "This is the first year that we really want to stay open. We have an entirely...

Shelley Mann, the former director of marketing and communications for the United States Pony Clubs, Inc., has been named the new executive director of Central Kentucky's Secretariat Center. Founded in 2004 on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park, the Secretariat Center provides a highly visible location for off-track Thoroughbreds to be retrained and adopted. "I am thrilled to be joining the Secretariat Center team," said Mann. "The care and placement of retired racehorses and providing these equine athletes a second career is something I am deeply passionate about." Added...