Retired racehorse Early Note earns championship via TAKE2

"I just do it as an amateur, but I love to work with the horses off the

track," she said. "I find it really satisfying to retrain them and see them find

new jobs they really enjoy. I've been around Thoroughbreds all my life; I was on

the track with my grandfather (trainer Alec Bullock), walking hots. I love

them."

Early Note proved a particularly willing pupil when it came

time to change careers.

"He is just a really solid citizen," Peterson said. "We ran

him over brush three times, then we gave him six or seven months off on our farm

before he started training as a show horse about three years ago. He has been

relatively easy to prep for the show ring.

"I don't think he enjoyed being a racehorse, he was anxious

and worried and didn't like the pressure," she added. "But he really loves his

new job."

Sandra Ferrell serves as Early Note's professional rider,

with Peterson in the saddle for amateur classes.

Not every owner keeps a stable of show horses, however. The

TAKE2 Program was launched in 2012 to promote second careers for racehorses

without a built-in retirement plan. It highlights the success of Thoroughbreds

in the show ring, and rewards those who compete on Thoroughbred hunters and

jumpers with prize money and awards in restricted classes. The goal is to

develop a market for retired racehorses, ensuring secure futures beyond the

racetrack.

For Peterson, Thoroughbreds are just as suited to the show

ring as the Warm Bloods, which now dominate the sport horse world.

"Thoroughbreds are really smart, they pick up on things

very quickly, and they are real athletes," Peterson said. "Honestly, the best

horses that have come around have been Thoroughbreds -- Idle Dice, Jet Run, Eros,

they were all Thoroughbreds -- and I think the pendulum is starting to swing back

our way.

"Programs like TAKE2 put the focus on Thoroughbreds, and the more

Thoroughbred classes and shows there are, the more support Thoroughbreds will

get."

TAKE2 was created by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's

Association (NYTHA), in partnership with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the New

York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB). The New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's

Association (NJTHA) and The Paddock Foundation, in Texas, lent support to their local

shows in 2012, and support is growing this year.

The Florida Horsemen's

Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) sponsored the classes at

Wellington on behalf of their aftercare program,

Florida Thoroughbred Retirement

and Adoptive Care (Florida TRAC).

Florida TRAC was started by current Executive Director

Barbi Moline. In 2009, Moline joined forces with the FHBPA, who committed a

percentage of purses to the program. FHBPA President Phil Combest and board

member Celia Fawkes have been instrumental in the success of Florida TRAC, which

has taken in more than 400 horses in the last three years. The Gulfstream Park

Thoroughbred Aftercare Program has been a staunch supporter.

It's not always easy to find new homes for those horses,

however.

"Finding placements just depends on the horse," Fawkes

said. "If you have a big, sound individual, they usually go like hotcakes, but

you never know. We have a one-eyed horse, a real pretty mover, but I thought

he'd never find a home. Then we had a woman from Canada, she has an A-circuit

barn, she came down and saw him and fell in love. He'll be going to her barn

just as soon as we can get him a ride. People and horses, sometimes they just

click."

TAKE2 puts Thoroughbreds in the spotlight, shortening the

odds that a retired racehorse will connect with a new owner.

"Thirty or 40 years ago, the show ring was all about

Thoroughbreds," said Fawkes, whose daughter Natalie rode retired racehorse

Little Bit Foolish to championship honors last year. "That changed 20-25 years

ago when the Warm Blood kick started, but people are reverting to the prettier

elegant Thoroughbreds now.

"TAKE2 helps to bring recognition to the success of the

Thoroughbreds in the show ring," Fawkes added. "It provides a great incentive,

and the Thoroughbreds are starting to come back."

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