We awarded two prizes of $100 in RRP credit (to be used either on the 2020 Makeover application, or in the RRP gear shop) to two participants: our randomly-selected winner was Lori Miller, and our best 2020 resolution winner was Erin O’Keefe!
Here is Erin’s #RacehorseResolution:
“I fell in love with Thoroughbreds before I remember. From my mom’s Kentucky Derby glasses, to the first OTTB I rode, I was hooked. To one day own a Thoroughbred of my own was a lifelong dream. So it’s a little difficult to make a #racehorseresolution, because calling an OTTB (or several) my own is already a dream come true.
I am lucky enough to be targeting the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover with 2 horses that I worked with as foals. I worked with Denman’s Call daily for the first year of his life, and followed his career from the time he left my care. He achieved everything he was bred to and more, winning a grade 1 at Santa Anita. But because he was gelded before he hit the track, his retirement plans were different than most that achieve that level of success. I am thrilled to be able to help him navigate his next career.
Phantomof the Nile was a big, beautiful yearling, that sold for $300,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Sale. From the time I met him, recruiting him to sell, I dreamed of seeing what he could do as a sport horse. I again followed his career, and was fortunate to know his racing connections. When he was retired for being too slow, he was given to me. My goal, that I share with his previous connections, is to find what he can excel at. He was bred to be exceptional, and though that wasn’t at racing, we all still want to see him succeed.
Both horses were bred with different expectations. They had entirely different careers and levels of racing success. They have drastically different pedigrees. They couldn’t look more different. They are targeting entirely different disciplines. And yet they are both embarking on this journey, and will have the opportunity to showcase their progress at the same event. So my #racehorseresolution is to not let them down, and to show off everything they can do. To show the sport horse world how capable these athletes are. To show the racing world all they can accomplish after racing. And to encourage people to participate with Thoroughbreds in any way they can, be it breeding, racing, retraining, or just cheering on and loving them. Because everybody should fall in love with a Thoroughbred!”
