all in Events / Travel

Hugs (left) and Nora are two of the six horses Santa Anita Park keeps to transport racing officials around the racetrack. (Photos courtesy of Cynthia Holt uness noted)

I first became involved in racing through my work with off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), making sure our equine athletes had a place to go after their days on the racetrack were over. I started my nonprofit, Racing for Home, with the hope that I could help OTTBs find their calling, if you will, and transition them into a new career and eventually to a loving, forever home. Six years ago, when I began this endeavor, Thoroughbred aftercare was not nearly as much in the news as it is now, and we have made great strides.

Photo of California Chrome courtesy of Jeffrey Mallard

On Jan. 9, the 2015 Vox Populi Award ceremony will be held at Santa Anita. The resounding winner is American Pharoah, racing's newly crowned king. In 2014, the sport had rallied around California Chrome as the next likely Triple Crown winner following a 36-year-drought. Excitement ran rampant, and fans turned out in droves to watch a hero in the making. To our complete and utter euphoria, everything we had dreamed came true. There was a 12th Triple Crown winner, who also became a "Grand Slam" winner.

Becca Templeton traveled from Iowa to the Breeders' Cup.

Harley as a foal. (Photos by Minnie Goetz unless otherwise noted)

He has been known to stop conversations in mid-sentence as people lose their train of thought and watch him when he nimbly passes by. He is not the kind of horse you expect to see on a world class racetrack. Your eyes think you are being deceived as you decide that you are looking at the largest track “pony” you have ever seen. He might catch your eye as he walks by. You can’t help but break into a huge smile and say “WHO IS THAT??” 

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