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Second Chances
The Prodigious Fund
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Graded stakes-placed Prodigious won or
placed in half of his 52 starts over an eight-year campaign. He ended his
career at Emerald Downs in 2007 running in the claiming ranks. (Photos
© Reed Palmer Photography) |
Beginning with the 2008
season, owners at Emerald Downs will have the opportunity to effortlessly make
contributions to accredited Thoroughbred rescue, retirement and rehabilitation
facilities through a voluntary $1 per start minimum contribution from their
horsemens bookkeeper accounts. All
contributions to The Prodigious Fund will be disbursed at the end
of each racing year to approved organizations. Emerald Downs will match every
dollar raised by contributing owners. For the 2008
racing year, Emerald Downs has designated two charities to receive the
proceeds: Second Chance Ranch, of Elma, and Chez Cheveaux, of Monroe.
The Prodigious Fund is named in honor of the former
racehorse that finished his career at Emerald Downs in 2007 as a 10-year-old.
He raced 52 times at tracks from Emerald Downs to Del Mar. Fifteen percent of
his starts were in graded stakes races, including two appearances in the
Longacres Mile (G3). He ended his career in a $3,500 claiming event, but still
managed to finish with a performance record of 50 percent in-the-money.
Susie Sourwine, vice president of marketing at
Emerald Downs, has been the driving force behind The Prodigious Fund.
Weve had an amazing early response in pledges from our horsemen
here, she said. Horses like Prodigious,
who have raced past their ability to participate in a second career; others who
need to be rescued from extremely neglectful situations, often one or two
owners removed from their racetrack career; and those others just needing an
expert hand to redirect them into a successful second career, deserve the
financial support of the industry. This first
year of the funds inception saw 255 individual or partnership donors from
Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and British Columbia contribute $4,543 in
pledges during the Emerald Downs live racing season. These funds were matched
100 percent by Emerald Downs. Another $2,500 was contributed by the Washington
Thoroughbred Foundation, for total combined funds of $11,586.
For 2008, Second Chance Ranch (www.secondchanceranch.org), of Elma, and Chez Cheveaux (www.chezchevaux.org), of
Monroe, are the designated recipients. To be eligible to receive funds,
organizations must be a registered 501(c)(3) charity with a proven track record
in the field for at least one year and must be Thoroughbred exclusive or
dominant in their efforts. Second Chance Ranch and Chez Cheveaux both have long
histories of providing good homes to retired racehorses. Emerald Downs, Second
Chance Ranch and Chez Cheveaux acknowledge and extend their heartfelt thanks to
all of the horsemen and racing stables who generously contributed to this
fund.
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