All five entities in the ownership of Triple Crown hopeful Justify along with trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith have pledged to donate a percentage of any earnings from Saturday's Belmont Stakes to the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.
“The China Horse Club, and all of our partners, take great pride in the care and welfare of our horses," China Horse Club's racing and bloodstock manager Michael Wallace said in a release. That group, along with co-owners WinStar Farm, Starlight Racing, SF Bloodstock, and Head of Plains have supported New Vocations initiatives such as the annual Breeders' Cup earnings pledge.
"New Vocations exemplifies all we believe in and support, in the aftercare of not just ours, but all horses,” Wallace continued. "As a group, we are proud to support New Vocations and its belief. We see a Triple Crown bid as an ideal platform to acknowledge the importance of aftercare."
New Vocations, which was founded in 1992, rehabilitates, retains, and rehomes Thoroughbred and Standardbred ex-racehorses out of six facilities in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The charity has placed more than 6,400 individuals, with nearly 500 horses served by the program each year.
“We are thrilled to see the success this ownership group has had together as they are all longtime supporters of our efforts,” New Vocations program director Anna Ford said. “Every member of this group truly cares about their horse’s wellbeing beyond the track; we are extremely grateful for their generosity as we rely heavily on donations to continue to serve hundreds of racehorses retiring each year.”