Permanent Winner's Circle: Horses With Homes

The latest edition of Down The Stretch includes a story I wrote about Wendy Uzelac who helped with the rescue of Top Bunk and has given a loving home to two Off -Track Thoroughbreds of her own. The story can be found here.


(Jaguar Hope and Wendy smile for the camera!)

Wendy is the perfect example of a racing fan who cares. Her efforts to find a home for Top Bunk, demonstrate commitment to improving quality of life for race horses. However, what I found most impressive was the love she has for her two "boys" - Nannie's Rio and Jaguar Hope.

Jaguar Hope is a handsome son of Turkoman with rich bloodlines who had a modestly successful racing career winning 15 times in 71 career starts. Here's footage of Jag winning a race at Great Lakes:

Nannie's Rio, now more affectionately known as Toby, raced until the age of three as a Quarter Horse before becoming a successful hunter/jumper in the AA circuit. At the age of 19, Toby has found himself a great home in Michigan with trails to run and hills to climb.

While I'm happy with the article as published, I think a blog is the perfect place to add a more personal touch. As well, Wendy provides a lot of great information for future OTTB owners.

TDH: Where do the boys live? What can you tell me about their surroundings?

WU: Toby and Jag live on a small private facility with only a handful of boarders. There’s an indoor arena, outdoor arena, five paddocks and then about 200 acres of hunting property adjacent to the barn property. The owners of the hunting property allow us to ride on their trails when it’s not being used for hunting.

TDH: Have past connections come forward to ask about either Toby or Jag?
WU: I was thrilled to get an email from Curtis Cranford. Almost all of Toby’s racing life was with Mr. Cranford. Most horsemen love their horses and want what’s best for them. I realized that when I volunteered for CANTER. When we were at the track and visiting the backside, several track employees would ask us about horses they had donated to CANTER and how they were doing in their new lives.

Jag was purchased from his owner/trainer straight off the track. Dr. Bob Gorham, the leading trainer at Pinnacle and Great Lakes Downs, was his owner/trainer for most of Jag’s racing career. I had seen Jag run one night at GLD, and simply fell in love. I saw his age, nine, watched him come in sixth place on a sloppy track. Two weeks later I was on the backside of GLD doing volunteer work for CANTER-MI when I saw Jag again. This time one of the workers brought him out for me. He was friendly and looked to be in great shape. That did it, I wrote Dr. Gorham in early June who called me right away. We worked out our schedules and I was able to get him in August. Dr. Gorham was so pleasant to deal with and very open. I’ll never forget how awkward I felt when I asked if Jag had been on any steroids (which were/are legal). I wanted to know what I might be dealing with when Jag left the track.

Dr. Gorhams quote was great! “Wendy, if a horse can’t run with good training, oats and water then he shouldn’t be running at all.”

One more note, Dr. Gorham sold his horse to me for a price that is clearly below the worth of the horse yet enough to show Dr. Gorham that I could afford him. His philosophy is that he doesn’t make money in selling his retired horses, he makes his money while the horse is working for him in racing. He just wants to be sure the horse is retired to a good home.

TDH: How are Toby and Jag adjusting to their new life?

WU: Toby at his age, gets worn out being ridden all the time so it works out well for me to have Jag who loves to be ridden all the time and craves having a job. I ride most every day. I’m very aware of their aches and pains. Toby has some arthritis and Jag seems to have a sensitive lower back. I bring in my chiropractor to work on them once in awhile. He’s great, but Jag clearly hasn’t had a treatment before he became mine. On his first visit, the chiropractor pushed down on Jag’s sore spot a bit too strongly and Jag tossed him like a rag doll!

I’ll never forget the first carrot I gave Jag. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was poison! Now he hollers for them as soon as he hears me. His favorite, and what really gets him to be vocal, are bran mashes. I make my own with bran, some treats thrown in, veggie oil, hot water and the most important ingredient brown sugar. If there are peppermints to throw in then in they go. Sometimes apples and carrots are thrown in. Basically, whatever I can find. Jag thinks it’s the greatest thing and it’s the reward he gets after a good lesson, work or trail ride. Now if you were Jag and Toby wouldn’t you like this new life of massages, chiropractors, treats and trail rides?!

TDH: Does Jag get airs about his regal pedigree?

WU: He’s all ego – LOL. He’s a son of Turkoman and just carries himself at all times as if he himself was Eclipse award winner Turkoman! He loves a camera, loves attention and waits for you to tell him how beautiful he is. Jag is a handsome looking thoroughbred so my Internet friends on Alex Brown Racing have dubbed him “Derek Zoolander” after the movie character. He’s very sensitive and into communicating with whomever is around. He makes it very easy to figure out his likes and dislikes.


(Jaguar Hope showing his best "Blue Steel.")

TDH: What should the public know about the Top Bunk list?

WU: That great champion horses end up in these low level claimers, and that these great horses can get lost in the shuffle of the claiming system. Take the story of Lights on Broadway, the 2001 Texas horse of the year that was dropped into the claiming ranks. He kept dropping to lower levels, eventually he was put onto a slaughter truck, before being picked up by a Quarter Horse trainer that was friends with the kill buyer. Lights on Broadway raced in the lowest of the low claiming races for the Quarter Horse trainer which put him back up on our radar. Now, Lights On Broadway is living with Texas trainer Dallas and Donna Keen being retrained to be a pony at the track. A bridleless pony at that!

It bothers me how the claiming system does a disservice for these horses. These horses on the Top Bunk List are big time winners and as you know, most horses in a race don’t win. They deserve an opportunity for a dignified retirement.

TDH: What two or three things keep you up at night with regard to potential owners finding homes for thoroughbreds?

WU: One, did the new owner fully prepare themselves for ownership - and two, will they have support if problems arise.

Probably my biggest thing for those who want to get into OTTB ownership is to prepare yourself and do your homework before you go out and get an attractive thoroughbred. I really did my homework right down to half leasing another horse to see if I could afford two horses before I actually had two horses. I also knew I wanted to try retraining the horse myself but made sure I had a trainer who would work with us and teach me the things I needed to know in order to train my horse. I had all my ducks in a row LONG before I met Jag. Meeting Jag must have been kismet because the timing was uncanny!

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A big THANK YOU to Wendy Uzelac for her time and effort in answering my many questions. Why not end this piece with a little more footage of Jaguar Hope mixed with one of my favourite Paul Simon songs.




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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

Visit Alex Brown Racing and read about the issues and get involved.

Visit Long Run Thoroughbred Retirement Society and adopt a horse or volunteer.

Visit Phase 2 Thoroughbreds and help a race horse find a second career.

Get political with the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition.


Donate funds directly from your HorsePlayerInteractive account to the Long Run Retirement Society. 1500 points can be redeemed for a $5 donation.