Program Spotlight: One Last Race

American Pharoah and Beholder's connections both signed on to One Last Race. (Photos by One Last Race)
When the last racehorse Jennifer Wirth owned was claimed, she was left with a dilemma. She could either find another horse to race or point her money and efforts in another direction.
Thankfully for Thoroughbred aftercare, she decided to focus on that part of the racing industry.
“As an owner, it always proved to be a difficult task to find a safe home for my racehorses at the end of their career on the track. I decided to take the money that I used to spend racing them and use it to help former racehorses at the end of their racing career,” said Wirth. “As part of this goal, I was visiting a local rescue to sponsor a former racehorse that was terminally ill and could not be adopted with her condition. The rescue needed funding to be able to take in more horses. I realized the issue was bigger than one donor and I couldn’t make a large impact on my own.”
Brainstorming with her husband one night, he suggested that she host a 5k race with the proceeds going to aftercare organizations. With that idea, One Last Race was born, earning its 501(c)(3) status on Nov. 28, 2015.
“One Last Race believes that a former racehorse does not need to run one more race when they are ready for retirement. We run it for them,” Wirth said.
The first 5k race was scheduled by the charity quickly after it was created, with the first 5k run/walk planned for June 18, 2016 in Wheaton, Ill., starting at a historic racetrack in a DuPage County Forest Preserve.
While planning the charity, the One Last Race logo was created by accident when Wirth was spending time with her daughter and from there the charity took off.
“One day, I was coloring with my daughter and came up with the idea for our sign. I drew the words, ‘We Joined the One Last Race’ and took the sign to Arlington Park. We asked trainers and jockeys if they would join our efforts to help horses at the end of their racing career. Our earlier photos of supporters are holding my hand-drawn sign, which was just colored at the table with my daughter,” she said.
JENNIFER WITH THE ONE LAST RACE SIGN

After planning the 5k, aftercare organizations were asked to submit grant applications to receive proceeds from the run with After the Finish Line and CANTER Illinois as the two charities chosen. After the Finish Line, which funded over 250 horses in 17 states last year, helped lay down the final piece of the puzzle for the race.
“When we signed on After the Finish Line (ATFL) as a benefitting charity, I realized that the funds we raised could impact former racehorses all throughout the country,” Wirth said. “Through the efforts of Dawn Mellen, president of ATFL, and myself, we were able to get many trainers and farms on board through asking them to ‘Join the Race.’ I emailed several people, including Bob and Jill Baffert, to ask them for their support.”
“One day, I was sitting at my desk and I received an email from Jill Baffert. When I opened it, she had sent a photo of American Pharoah with our sign, standing with Bob Baffert and herself, as well as a donation. I nearly fell out of my chair. I couldn’t believe our sign had traveled so far in such a short amount of time. I owe a lot of gratitude to the American Pharoah team, including Coolmore at Ashford Stud, for their support.”
The Bafferts' support led Wirth to the realization that people around the country were willing to support aftercare and that her local charity had now become a national one. Soon the connections of previous Horse of the Year winners Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta and Havre de Grace, in addition to an impressive list of graded stakes winners and horse racing personalities, joined in.
Their support not only helped inside the racing industry but also brought in outside sponsors who jumped aboard when they saw the connections supporting the charity. Just a few of the non-horse racing sponsors who signed on to help One Last Race are Dick Pond Athletics and Mike Anderson Auto Group.
“The support of the industry has a symbolic value that goes beyond fundraising. It sends a message. When you see a person holding our sign, they are saying that they stand by the racehorses at the end of their racing career,” she said. “We showcase horses at the top of their game, such as American Pharoah and Beholder, symbolically racing to help former racehorses who don’t have one last race to give. It amplifies the message that strongest members of racing are willing to step in to help a former racehorse that needs their support.”
JOCKEY CHRIS EMIGH

In addition to racing connections, One Last Race is also encouraging those outside the racing industry to “Join the Race,” especially those with off-the-track Thoroughbreds. All supporters will be posted on the One Last Race website.
“We also encourage people to ‘Join the Race’ who have adopted an Off-Track Thoroughbred. We want to recognize their contribution toward caring for a horse after their racing career has ended. Individuals can download the ‘We Joined the Race’ sign on our website in the ‘Supporters’ section and showcase themselves with their former racehorse in a photo. Pictures can be emailed to us at onelastrace@hotmail.com.”
Due to liabilities and the cost to hold the race, there are no plans to hold a One Last Race 5k in any other part of the country but the charity hopes to be able to do so in the future as more sponsors join the program. For those who can’t make it to Illinois for the race, they can donate to the program by clicking here with all the money going toward aftercare efforts.
Those who want to register to walk or run in the 5k can do so on www.onelastrace.com. Pre-registration closes on June 1, 2015 but same-day registrants are welcome, however those who register the day of the event are not guaranteed a T-shirt.