New York groups back TAKE2 with $20,000 for retired Thoroughbreds

Three New York racing pillars are putting real money behind retired Thoroughbreds, splitting $20,000 in TAKE2 prize money between two hunter classics at Saratoga this summer.

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund are teaming with TAKE2 on two $10,000 Thoroughbred Hunter Classics. The first is scheduled for Friday, July 10, at the Saratoga Women in Business Spectacular, and the second will follow on Friday, Aug. 14, at the Saratoga Summer Horse Show. Both classes will be held at White Hollow Farm in Stillwater, about a 14-minute drive from Saratoga Race Course, with the Saratoga meet set to open July 3.

The money matters because this is the kind of payout that can change the conversation in the hunter ring. Adele Einhorn said last year’s Thoroughbred Classics offered only $500, so this jump to $10,000 turns the classes into a much more serious target for horsemen deciding where to point a second-career Thoroughbred. Winners of each Classic will also receive one-day use of the NYTHA Box Seats at Saratoga during the 2026 meet, excluding Saturdays and subject to availability, adding a direct racing connection to a sport-horse prize.

The broader point is bigger than one pair of classes. New York racing and breeding stakeholders collectively put about $1.8 million a year into aftercare and second-career programs, and this initiative shows how that support can be turned into something visible and competitive. Tracy Egan said the Fund believes Thoroughbreds deserve respect at every stage of life and can earn new respect in the hunt ring or over obstacles. Tina Marie Bond called Saratoga an especially fitting showcase because so many of these horses were raced, bred and raised in New York.

TAKE2, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed on Sept. 23, 2013, has built a national pathway for retired runners as hunters and jumpers. Its league offers $10,000 in year-end High Score Awards and eligibility for the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper Finals, which are scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Kentucky National Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Last year’s Finals drew 41 horses from 14 states, and TAKE2 says the broader TAKE THE LEAD network has already distributed more than $1 million in prize money and awards to Thoroughbreds at recognized hunter-jumper shows nationwide.

For New York, the Saratoga classes are proof of concept: if aftercare is going to mean more than good intentions, it has to pay enough to compete.