Second Stride honors Mary Nixon, Carstanjens for Thoroughbred aftercare support

Second Stride put numbers behind its mission with more than 2,000 retired Thoroughbred racehorses adopted since 2005, then used Champions Night at Valhalla Golf Club to spotlight the people who keep that pipeline moving. Mary Nixon received the Industry Champion Award, while Jan and Joan Carstanjen were honored with the Volunteer Award at Monday’s Derby-week fundraiser in Louisville.

The awards fit the reality of aftercare better than any ceremonial language could. Nixon was recognized for industry-level leadership, and the Carstanjens for the kind of volunteer commitment that keeps a rehabilitation and retraining operation functioning day after day. Second Stride’s work does not end when a horse leaves the track; the nonprofit, founded June 1, 2005, provides professional rehabilitation, retraining and placement for retired Thoroughbred racehorses, and those transitions depend on both leadership and labor.

The organization said 19 horses found new loving homes through March 31, 2026, a reminder that the work is ongoing and measurable, not abstract. Second Stride has been accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Association since 2014, has been a Partner of the ASPCA Right Horse since 2021 and became a GuideStar Platinum 501(c)(3) organization in 2019. Those credentials matter because they frame aftercare as a structured part of the racing industry, not an add-on once the spotlight fades.

Champions Night itself underscored how the nonprofit funds that mission. Tickets were limited at $150 and included two drink tickets, non-alcoholic beverages, bourbon tastings, Kentucky-inspired heavy hors d’oeuvres and a dessert bar. Second Stride said all proceeds from Champions Night Fore the Horses benefit transitioning Thoroughbred racehorses in its care, and sponsorship opportunities remained available through Amy Eirich at amye@secondstride.org.

Based in Prospect, Kentucky, and operating from Moserwood Farms, Second Stride also offers one-hour tours of its flagship farm in Oldham County by appointment. The choice of Valhalla carried its own symbolism too: the golf club has previously hosted retired stakes horses Hawaakom and General A Rod in an 8-acre paddock. For a sport built on speed and finishing power, the message was clear at Valhalla, the future of racing also depends on the people who stay after the race is over.