Eight Reasons to Attend the Thoroughbreds for All Event

Belmont Stakes runner Dave In Dixie wants YOU to attend the Thoroughbreds for All event on April 25 (Photo by Melissa Bauer-Herzog).

You may be wondering why you should attend the Thoroughbreds for All event held in Lexington, Ky. the weekend before the Kentucky Derby. Well look no farther, all the reasons you need are right here.

1) The Thoroughbreds get a chance to show off – Sure, you can watch Thoroughbreds race when you spend an awesome day at the track, but don’t you wonder what happens after they retire from the starting gate? Thoroughbreds For All lets you see how these guys are enjoying their new careers.

2) It’s a mini clinic for everyone – Where else will you find professionals from three different disciplines together? Even if you don’t ride, Thoroughbreds for All will let you get an inside look at the “behind the scenes” life of our favorite breed.

3) Rosie Napravnik will be there – Kentucky Oaks winning jockey Rosie Napravnik will be there with her horse Old Ironsides. So not only do you get to hear Rosie talk about her love of off-the-track Thoroughbreds but you also get to see her ride in more than just race gear. How many racing fans can say that?

4) There will be a Kitten – All race fans love the “Kittens” and just like the track, the Kittens will be represented in the arena. Ken’s Kitten will be there to show off his new dressage moves and I have to tell you … they are pretty fancy! 

5) There will be a gold medalist there – Donner, who raced under the name Smart Gorkey, helped the United States win the gold medal in eventing at the 2011 Pan American games. He is skipping the Rolex Three-Day event this year but will be attending Thoroughbreds for All with owner Lynn Symansky. If that isn’t enough eventing star power for you, 2012 Olympian Boyd Martin is also going to be an extremely entertaining speaker.

6) The 2012 "Sport of the Summer" is represented - If you're a fan of Stephen Colbert, this is the perfect place for you. Linda Zang, a dressage rider at the 1980 Alternate Olympics, is going to spend time talking about Thoroughbreds and the “Dancing Horse” discipline Stephen Colbert made his “Sport of the Summer” in 2012. I mean, if Stephen Colbert is interested in dressage, everyone should be.

7) It’s only 25 minutes from Keeneland Racecourse – The event is held the evening of Keeneland’s closing day so you can go watch Thoroughbreds race in the afternoon then head over to New Vocations’ Lexington farm to see where those horses go after they retire. Plus, if the dinner they are serving is anything like last year, you won’t want to miss it! 

8) The money goes to a good cause – Tickets are $35 for adults and the money goes to New Vocations and the Retired Racehorse Training Project, the two hosts of the evening. Both programs are devoted to promoting and rehoming retired racehorses, which is an important part of racing.