June 28, 2010 Contact: Eric Wing (914) 481-8390
JOCKEY AUTOGRAPH SESSION AT BELMONT PARK RAISES $1,000 FOR BARBARO FUND FOR EQUINE HEALTH AND SAFETY RESEARCH AND PERMANENTLY DISABLED JOCKEYS FUND
A jockey autograph session hosted by Pfizer Animal Health at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 26, raised a total of $1,000 to be shared equally by the Barbaro Fund for Equine Health and Safety Research and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Jockeys participating in the autograph session included Barbaro’s regular rider Edgar Prado, John Velazquez, Javier Castellano and Mike Luzzi (photo available upon request).
Also at Belmont Park on Saturday, Dr. Dean Richardson, chief of surgery at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, accepted a $37,276 final disbursement from the NTRA Charities – Barbaro Memorial Fund. (See attached photo.) Since its inception in 2007, The NTRA Charities - Barbaro Memorial Fund disbursed almost $400,000 in support of scientific conferences, research programs and a half-dozen research projects, all focused on finding a cure for laminitis, the painful and often fatal hoof disease that plagued Barbaro for so much of his recuperative period following his injury in the Preakness Stakes. Dr. Richardson provided surgical treatment and other veterinary care for Barbaro at the New Bolton Center following his injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes. The Barbaro Fund for Equine Health and Safety Research will now replace the NTRA Charities – Barbaro Memorial Fund and become the primary fundraising arm of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance for equine health and safety research.
“Barbaro’s legacy was on full display on Saturday, raising money for two outstanding causes,” said Barkley Porter, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for the NTRA. “We sincerely thank Pfizer Animal Health and Belmont Park for their invaluable assistance in making the day possible.”
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.
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