LEXINGTON, Ky. – Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) has provided a grant for emergency relief to Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare, a Puerto Rico-based nonprofit organization. The grant will be used to provide hay to the hundreds of racing and retired Thoroughbreds living on the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix recently devastated by Hurricane Irma. The grant will originate from TCA’s Horses First Fund, a fund established by LNJ Foxwoods in 2016 to assist Thoroughbreds in need of emergency aid.

“The Horses First Fund was established for emergency situations like this as it allows us to quickly get aid to Thoroughbreds in need,” said Jaime Roth, TCA board member and managing partner of LNJ Foxwoods. “The destruction in the Caribbean is unprecedented and we hope that providing hay for racing and retired Thoroughbreds that currently reside on the islands will ease one of the challenges faced by these island communities.”

“On behalf of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Inc, I’d like to thank Thoroughbred Charities of America for the generous and timely support,” said Shelley Blodgett executive director of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare. “This will give a lifeline while the islands work to restore the ability to receive regular shipments of feed and other necessities for the horses.”

A container ship containing nearly 500 bales of hay arrived in St. Thomas earlier this week and a portion of it was transported to Clinton Phipps Racetrack in Charlotte Amalie for distribution. The remainder will be transported to St. John and St. Croix as ports reopen.

To support TCA’s Horses First Fund please visit tca.org.

TCA’s mission is to provide a better life for Thoroughbreds, both during and after their racing careers, by supporting qualified repurposing and retirement organizations and by helping the people who care for them. TCA distributes grants to several categories of Thoroughbred-related nonprofits including rehabilitation, retraining, rehoming and retirement organizations; backstretch and farm employee programs; equine-assisted therapy programs; and research organizations. Since its inception in 1990, TCA has granted over $22 million to more than 200 charities. From 2000-2016, more than 95% of TCA’s expenditures were allocated to program services including direct grants. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

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