Kate Miller, Adoption Coordinator, CANTER Calif., poses with California Chrome in the halter.
As Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome readies to run in the Breeders’ Cup, some of his treasured memorabilia has been donated to two Thoroughbred charities to be auctioned off for the benefit of Thoroughbreds in need.
Alan Sherman, who is part of the father-son training team that helped usher California Chrome to wins in the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, donated the coppery racehorse’s famously misspelled saddlecloth to Beyond the Roses, and to CANTER California, a leather halter worn by the famous horse.
The gifts, says Sherman, were ones the great racehorse team was happy to make. “We are proud to help retired racehorse,” Alan Sherman said in an email to Off Track Thoroughbreds. “I think every trainer should try to help them as much as possible.”
The two items are up for auction this week.
Chrome’s misspelled saddlecloth is being auctioned by Beyond the Roses.
The halter appears on CANTER California’s Ebay auction, which is available at the Halter’s Ebay site, which is hyperlinked here. Bidding has reached $900.
And the saddlecloth is up for bid on Beyond the Roses Ebay site at hyperlinked here. By Sunday afternoon, bidding had reached $750.
Both Dacher and Hirt were over the moon with the donations.
Says Dacher, “We were thrilled to have the support of the California Chrome team and the racing industry. With the money we raise from this auction, we’re hoping to establish a surgical fund for horses who come to us with straightforward injuries, like bone chips and condylar fractures.”
The auction runs through this Friday.
Cayambe plays with Sharman Privitt of Beyond the Roses.
Hirt, equally thrilled with the saddlecloth, says that Sherman donated it shortly after her rescue joined with racehorse owner Maggi Moss and others to secure a retirement for a racehorse the Shermans had trained years before. Cayambe was a warhorse California bred and the Shermans were his first trainers, she says.
Shortly after learning that Cayambe had been successfully retired from the low claimers, Alan Sherman called Hirt with the news. “He called me up and said he had something he was sending me, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was. When it arrived three days later, we were ecstatic. It’s one of the nicest donations to the rescue we’ve ever had. ♥
Champion thoroughbreds can help thousands of non-winning horses!
These “special” items such as Halters with well known names of champions really help thoroughbred after care organizations raise much needed funds to help ALL the thoroughbreds that are non competitive or become injured on the racetrack and are transitioned into new careers by these organizations.
I hope more racing owners will donate these special items to CANTER affiliates across the country. http://www.canterusa.org They are finding new homes for thoroughbreds who have the bloodlines and hearts of champions, but not the speed to win in racing.
I’ve seen, first hand, the amazing work that Canter Michigan can do with OTTBs. I was lucky enough to go to a function where some of their trainees were shown in their indoor arena. These horses were all training for hunter-type careers and they were amazing. We also got to meet them in their stalls and a group of better-behaved horses I’ve never seen. CANTER and others who are retraining horses are filling two very important roles. One is, naturally, saving OTTBs from uncertain futures. The other is providing well-trained horses to those looking to have great horses for their chosen discipline.
Your a good man Alan! With people like you, the Mosses and trainers, owners around the country, we are getting these extraordinary horses into good places to rehab, training and homes more now than ever before. It’s been a long difficult road throughout my life time and work, but today we rally for top care, and placement for our thoroughbreds . Thank you Alan and for the many of you on board, and to Chrome…!
Good for him! It would be wonderful if all trainers (and breeders) were so responsible.
Such a wonderful example of what can be right with racing. Bravo to the Shermans and an extra bravo goes to CANTER California and Beyond the Roses in Michigan for all they do. I hope both items go well beyond $1000. I know that the funds will be put to excellent use!
Very nice of Allan Sherman to donate these items to help thoroughbreds. The Sherman’s are a class act all the way. Bravo.