Retrained Racehorses To Compete In Thoroughbred Makeover Contest

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — There is a move afoot to help keep retired racehorses alive by retraining them to do more than just run in circles.

Mike Schuh reports the horse industry has turned this idea into a contest.

Once the cheering stops, only the most successful horses get a nice retirement.

For the rest, the ones that never earned what owners and trainers invested, it's a different story.

Trainer Christy Claggett was given a horse others gave up on. The beautiful eight-year-old is getting a new career. Saba Rock is learning to chase foxes at Larkin's Hill Farm south of Annapolis.

Horse and trainer are one of 10 entered in a national contest to retrain race horses.

"He took to it right away. I mean, he just went right at it," Claggett said.

Those at The Retired Racehorse Project are also training horses to master other disciplines.

And this weekend, industry judges will choose one for a $10,000 top prize. It's called Most Wanted Thoroughbred.

"And so they're very responsive when you train them. And they really want to please," said Steuart Pittman, Retired Racehorse Project. "And when they grow up at the racetrack, they're around people all the time. So they're used to people."

"Just putting thoroughbreds after they finish racing into just pasture situations isn't good enough. You need to create a demand for them for people to be using them," Claggett said.

Claggett owns Saba Rock. The retraining has gone so well, she's turned down offers to buy him.

The winner will be announced at an industry conference at Pimlico this weekend.

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