<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society Archives - Woodbine Racetrack</title> <atom:link href="/tag/longrun-thoroughbred-retirement-society/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link></link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:58:50 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-CA</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2</generator> <item> <title>Florida Won: The Story in His Eyes</title> <link>/woodbine-news/florida-won-the-story-in-his-eyes/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[grace]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:58:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Retired Thoroughbred]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40923</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Standing in the ring, Barb Moore gazed into the eyes of a striking chestnut gelding and saw something she didn’t expect. After...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/florida-won-the-story-in-his-eyes/">Florida Won: The Story in His Eyes</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Standing in the ring, Barb Moore gazed into the eyes of a striking chestnut gelding and saw something she didn’t expect.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">After saying goodbye to her heart horse, Jag, in February, the idea of welcoming another into her life felt unimaginable. The bond they shared over 27 years seemed irreplaceable.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Just over a month later, Moore visited<a class="styles_link__4YAiu" href="https://longrunretirement.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> LongRun</a>, the respected horse retirement and adoption organization founded in 1999. On its pristine 100-acre property in Hillsburgh, Ontario, she watched as a horse cantered – a smooth, three-beat gait between a trot and a gallop – around the enclosed arena.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Moore, a longtime horse owner and rider, was captivated.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">The horse was Florida Won, now known as Felix.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“The first thing I notice is their eyes and he has these kind, beautiful eyes. I saw him training with a lady, who was riding him in the arena, and I thought, ‘What a sweetheart.’ He just moved beautifully. He was so kind and I loved his personality. So, I thought, ‘This is the horse for me.’ He had this way about him.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>Winning Form</strong></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">On the racetrack, the son of Birdstone had a penchant for winning ways.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway, Florida Won was consigned by his breeder to the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he sold for $385,000.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Over 45 races, Florida Won took on top-flight competition, winning on 10 occasions while achieving status as a multiple graded stakes winner.</p> <figure id="attachment_40924" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40924" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-scaled.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40924" src="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-800x533.jpg" alt="Florida Won and jockey Ademar Santos winning Race 9 on October 31, 2021 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)" width="750" height="500" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon1-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40924" class="wp-caption-text">Florida Won and jockey Ademar Santos winning Race 9 on October 31, 2021 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">After his final race, on Nov. 19. 2021, Florida Won, who recorded $585,071 in purse earnings, was donated to LongRun by owner Domenic DiLalla of Centennial Farms (Niagara) and trainer Ross Armata, Jr.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">His journey after racing wasn’t a straight path, but today, the 15-year-old gelding is living the good life with Moore.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“LongRun tries to offer all of its graduates a safety net, whether it be emergency financial help or reintroduction into our care should circumstances with the adopter change and dictate the horse’s return, which was the case with Felix,” said Vicki Pappas, LongRun co-founder and chairperson. “We are so happy that Felix and Barb found one another.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>Finding the Right Match</strong></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Moore is grateful they did.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He’s got that playful kind of personality. He’s very quirky and he just loves to play. He’s just got this kind side to him. I have found a beautiful horse. He’s just a lot of fun. You can see it in his eyes. He’s very playful. He’s just the type of guy that just really wants to be happy and have a good time.”</p> <div class="mceTemp"></div> <figure id="attachment_40926" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40926" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40926" src="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-800x652.jpg" alt="Florida Won, now known as Felix" width="750" height="611" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-800x652.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-350x285.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-768x625.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-1536x1251.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon-1400x1140.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/FloridaWon.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40926" class="wp-caption-text">Florida Won, now known as Felix</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Janet Hall, Moore’s longtime friend and an accomplished riding coach, saw it immediately.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“This horse just looked so sweet and kind,” recalled Hall. “I love his conformation, too. He appealed to me instantly.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Just like Up Pops the Devil did for Hall over 30 years ago.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Hall has a long history with LongRun, holding the distinction of being its very first adopter.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">In 1992, while working at Woodbine Racetrack, Pappas discovered a horse named Up Pops the Devil, who had raced 127 times over nine seasons, winning 27 races and earning more than $266,000. Nearing the end of his career, he became the inspiration behind what would eventually become LongRun.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Hall adopted him.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“My husband worked at Woodbine for 39 years and knew Vicki. She approached him – I rode hunters and jumpers for many years – about this horse, Up Pops the Devil, and my niece happened to be looking for a horse. He was wonderful, but he was a little too much for my niece to handle. We only had him for six months before he ended up moving on to Bradley Clack. He gave her a pony because she was just learning to ride.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Hall stayed connected to the horse and later adopted others through LongRun, including Great Surcan who spent 17 years on her farm.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“We always kept tabs on Up Pops the Devil. I would see him at the shows. He was wonderful. We had Great Surcan for 17 years as a turnout horse on our farm. He would help us do the farm work and play with the dog. He was amazing, too. I adopted one more, Knightly Deed. We tried to turn him into a Hunter, but that didn’t work out, so we gave him to a lady who was just going to take him on walk/hacks.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>From Loss to Connection</strong></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Hall was also there when Moore said goodbye to her longtime companion.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I was there when we had to say goodbye and we both had a big cry. It was devastating. For 27 years, we knew that guy and he was just wonderful. I remembered later on telling her she needed someone to love. She was lonely, so I recommended LongRun. And now, here Barb and Felix are.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Today, Moore and Felix are settling into life on her 10-acre farm in Rockwood, Ontario.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">There’s just one thing missing, for now.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I did get on him, briefly, at LongRun. It was one of the most freezing cold days. So, it was a quick ride. It was a canter and I just loved how he moved. It was so sweet. He was beautiful. It was so nice because I’ve been riding for a very long time and I was just looking for something that maybe I could go over a few jumps and I knew this was my guy. I just connected with him as soon as I got on.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I haven’t ridden him yet at home because I don’t have an indoor arena, but I just can’t wait.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">When that moment comes, Hall will be there.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I have taught her [riding] for 30 years and the four of us, my husband and her husband included, are all good friends. I am sure I will be there the first time she rides. We’re excited about him. She is a calm rider, gentle and has great hands. We will bring him along slowly.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>From Loss to Connection</strong></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Hall is confident Felix has found his forever home.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“There is nobody better when it comes to taking care of a horse than Barb. She is so kind and she is so caring. Everything is going to be wonderful in his world. I have been out to see him with her a couple of times and he is a real character.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Florida Won has already won the trust of Moore’s other horse.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“She’s quite a bit older – she’s 25 – but he’s awesome for her. I swear he’s got into better shape because of him. He loves to play.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40925" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40925" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Image-49.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-40925 size-full" src="/wp-content/uploads/Image-49.jpg" alt="Florida Won, now known as Felix" width="768" height="614" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Image-49.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Image-49-350x280.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40925" class="wp-caption-text">Florida Won, now known as Felix</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Moore is even considering adopting another horse from LongRun.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“Everyone there was incredible,” she said.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">That includes Eurico Rosa da Silva, the retired champion and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey who rode Florida Won to several victories. Now a mental performance coach, he also leads an equine-assisted program in partnership with LongRun.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“Eurico is lovely,” said Moore. “He is just so nice and happy. When I was putting Felix onto the trailer to take him home with me, Eurico said he just loves this horse. He raced him, and he won a lot on him. That made me feel really good. I thought, ‘Wow, this horse must be a superstar.’”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">In Moore’s eyes, he is.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Felix hasn’t replaced what she lost, but he’s helped her find something new.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“When I look into his eyes, I smile. He’s brought so much happiness into my life and I know he always will.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>Chris Lomon, Woodbine</strong></p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/florida-won-the-story-in-his-eyes/">Florida Won: The Story in His Eyes</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>From Racetrack to Lifeline: How One Thoroughbred Helped a Woman Heal</title> <link>/woodbine-news/from-racetrack-to-lifeline-how-one-thoroughbred-helped-a-woman-heal/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[grace]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:49:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Equine Experiential Connection]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Eurico Rosa Da Silva]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Retired Thoroughbred]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40658</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>After two devastating car accidents left Ashley Carson struggling to rebuild her life, an unlikely partner, a retired racehorse named Dancer, helped...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/from-racetrack-to-lifeline-how-one-thoroughbred-helped-a-woman-heal/">From Racetrack to Lifeline: How One Thoroughbred Helped a Woman Heal</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>After two devastating car accidents left Ashley Carson struggling to rebuild her life, an unlikely partner, a retired racehorse named Dancer, helped her find hope again.</em></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Ashley Carson was reduced to tears.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">In the aftermath of a second life-changing car accident, the then 24-year-old from St. Andrews, N.B., was left broken, physically and mentally. She needed to find hope in some form but had no idea where to turn.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I suffered a serious head injury in the second accident, and I had already had head injuries from the first one,” recalled Carson. “I was able to manage the medication before, but after I got in the second accident, I was diagnosed with a new TBI (traumatic brain injury) and it’s now a permanent one. I was in really bad shape and had a lot of soft tissue injuries – just a lot of problems with the TBI. I ended up moving back to my parents’ house in Saint Andrews.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">What she needed at the time, more than anything, was a reason for optimism.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">After considering a multitude of ideas, Carson found herself returning to one in particular.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I had heard about a farm here where you can go hang out with horses, so I went there to go ride.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The experience did not play out as she envisioned.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Walking through the paddock, Carson began to sob. Little did she know she was being watched.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I was crying and a horse stuck his head out of a stall and heard me. He just looked at me and then he made me gravitate towards him. And he pressed his head against mine and I will tell you, I’ve only felt that connection once before, with my childhood dog. And I think I swore because it was just so magical.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40659" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40659" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40659" src="/wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2-800x603.jpg" alt="Western Wall, now Dancer" width="750" height="565" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2-800x603.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2-350x264.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2-768x579.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2-1400x1055.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/WesternWall2.jpg 1440w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40659" class="wp-caption-text">Western Wall, now Dancer</figcaption></figure> <h3 class="styles_headingTwo__PVB5O styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">From the Track to a New Life</h3> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The horse was Western Wall, a son of Gone West out of the Nureyev mare Grands Jetes.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Bred in Kentucky, the chestnut was eighth in his debut, at Gulfstream Park, on March 10, 2007. He broke his maiden in his next engagement, a 1 ¾-length score at six furlongs on the Woodbine main track. His third start, also at Woodbine, would be his final race, when he was last of nine, on August 10, 2008.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Not long after, Western Wall was donated to <a class="styles_link__4YAiu" href="https://longrunretirement.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</a> by his owners and breeders Marjorie Cowan and Irving Cowan</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">One of the most respected horse retirement and adoption organizations, Longrun was established in 1999. Its property in southwestern Ontario is home to 50 retired Thoroughbreds, a mix of sanctuary horses and others rehomed through the organization’s adoption program. </p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">From there, Western Wall made his way to Canada’s East Coast.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson was immediately smitten with the horse who had a big personality and a less-than-flattering reputation.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“He was the horse everybody didn’t like, and he didn’t like the world. But in that moment when I was crying, he just took to me. He saw that I was vulnerable, and he just was telling me, ‘Hey, it’s okay, I got you.’ He was at that farm when he came from LongRun for probably 12 years. He was not trusted at all, but in that moment, for me, it was like, ‘Oh, well, who cares about riding?’ I just want to hang out with you.’”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">So that is what they did.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson’s hope of strengthening their initial bond took a step backward over the next few months.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“We went through that initial honeymoon phase and then he got scared. He thought I was going to leave him. It was as though he felt he had to push me away because I’m going to leave. He did his best to try to get me to leave him. He didn’t want to be touched or groomed at all.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson, who officially adopted Western Wall on January 19, 2022, never once considered giving up.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“In that time period, I just started hanging out with him in a stall,” she said of the horse who was given the name Dancer when he arrived at the farm in New Brunswick. “I would sit down and bring my iPad and watch a movie or something. And we spent the first year and a half of our relationship doing nothing but just bonding. Eventually, he let me back in again when he found out that I wasn’t actually leaving him. And it became a really strong bond for that first 18 months of not even trying to ride, not doing anything, but just hanging out and letting him be himself.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“We started having a fun time. I would sit on his hay. He would pick up his hay, drop it on my head, then rub his face into my hair. And that was his little, ‘I love you.’ He let me see the goofy side of him that nobody else saw. He let me into his world. He made my life worth living again.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40660" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40660" style="width: 747px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40660 size-full" src="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer2.jpg" alt="Ashley Carson and Dancer" width="747" height="747" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer2.jpg 747w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer2-350x350.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer2-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 747px) 100vw, 747px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40660" class="wp-caption-text">Ashley Carson and Dancer</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Jasmine Chomski, a registered psychotherapist who offers equine-assisted therapy outside of her traditional office practice based in Erin, Ont., has seen firsthand the impact horses can have on humans.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“In my experience, many of the issues people struggle with today come down to a dysregulated nervous system,” said Chomski. “Anxiety, burnout, trauma, and chronic stress all affect how our nervous system functions, and talk therapy often only looks at it from a thinking perspective. Horses work in a different way.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“As prey animals, horses are highly attuned to their environment and to the nervous systems of those around them. They are constantly reading subtle shifts in body language and their environment to determine what is safe. Because of this sensitivity, they respond immediately and honestly to what a person is feeling, often before the person is even aware of it themselves. Being in the presence of horses can help regulate breathing, slow heart rate, and improve heart rate variability, which is an indicator of a more balanced nervous system. Their calm presence and grounded energy often invite people to settle into a more regulated state.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“One of the most powerful things I witness is how horses create a safe space for emotions that people have been holding in for years.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">I have seen clients who carry deep trauma or grief finally feel safe enough to release emotions they have suppressed for a long time. The presence of the horses often allows people to bypass the defenses that keep those feelings locked away.”</p> <h3 class="styles_headingTwo__PVB5O styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Hope and Healing</h3> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson’s relationship with Dancer has been transformative.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">For the first time since the second car accident, she found contentment and confidence.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I wasn’t able to drive when I met him because I had panic attacks. He made me start driving again. And then he made me start driving at night to go feed him and see him. So, he really helped in that way, and he became my mental health therapist and my physical therapist. Physiotherapists gave up on me because I had a frozen shoulder, but Dancer got it working again.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40661" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40661" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40661" src="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer1-800x876.jpg" alt="Ashley Carson and Dancer" width="750" height="821" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer1-800x876.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer1-350x383.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer1-768x841.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer1.jpg 829w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40661" class="wp-caption-text">Ashley Carson and Dancer</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">He also gave Carson the riding moments she had longed for.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I trusted him. And we did it. And he took me. I was just reading through journal entries, looking at the first time we rode together. He took care of me and he would start by just walking and then he was like, ‘Okay, can we trot now?’ And he’d start like trotting a little bit and I would tell him to stop and he would.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“He understands everything I say. He knows when there’s one word out of place and he senses how to take care of me. If I lost my balance, he caught me. And I know that sounds weird, but he would feel me and put his body underneath me. We moved on to the next step of cantering. He was telling me, ‘Oh, you got the trot down? Okay, let’s go do this now.’ It is a remarkable bond we share.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Chomski has witnessed similar moments during equine-assisted therapy sessions.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“One of the most powerful things I witness is how horses create a safe space for emotions that people have been holding in for years.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">I have seen clients who carry deep trauma or grief finally feel safe enough to release emotions they have suppressed for a long time. The presence of the horses often allows people to bypass the defenses that keep those feelings locked away.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">She recalls one experience in particular.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“One that stays with me involved a young client who had lost a parent at an early age. Her grief had largely come out as anger and frustration. In her first session, my horse Sage connected with her right away. Open and curious, he walked over and gently laid down in the grass beside her. The child sat down on the ground with him. Sage simply stayed there with her, quietly present. After some time, the child finally began to cry and release the grief she had been holding inside for years. The resulting shift in her, at home, was profound.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“Horses seem to just know how to meet people exactly where they are emotionally and offer a kind of quiet companionship that allows healing to unfold naturally. I have seen it happen, time and time again.” </p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">So, too, have staff at LongRun.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">In partnership with former champion jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, LongRun offers the <a class="styles_link__4YAiu" href="https://www.eec.horse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equine Experiential Connection (EEC) program</a>.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The program supports mental health, personal development, and emotional healing by incorporating equine-assisted experiences. Through interaction with the horses, participants can release stress, strengthen self-confidence, and improve emotional awareness in a supportive and calming environment.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“LongRun is excited and grateful to witness what our horses and Eurico can do to heal and help people experiencing troubled times.” said Vicki Pappas, LongRun chairperson and founding member.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">For Carson, the connection with Dancer continues to be a thrill ride built on mutual trust.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“He’s been teaching me, and he’s been my partner in everything, and has helped so much in my life. I didn’t think I would be very good on a trailer. He just said, ‘I’m going where you’re going.’ And that moment, it just melted my heart, and it made me cry because I knew he was going to follow me wherever I went.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">It hasn’t been a drama-free journey.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Three years ago, Dancer encountered life-threatening health issues.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“At one point, he almost died,” recalled Carson. “Nobody knows how he survived, but there was a lot of fight from him, and a lot of people helping out, just trying to keep him going.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson reached out to LongRun for assistance.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“LongRun was thrilled to be able to help Ashley with Western Wall,” said Pappas. “Thanks to the generous support we receive from the racing industry, horse people and horse lovers, we are able to act as a safety net for our retired equine athletes should they need assistance down the road.” </p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“It was nothing short of a miracle – how he fought,” added Carson. “I think he was thinking, ‘I just got my happy life, so I’m not giving up on it right now.’ Thanks to LongRun and a lot of people, he was able to get great care and treatment.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Carson and Dancer had switched roles.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I had to help him and become his therapist, doctor, nurse and everything in between. And he’s now in the best health that he’s been in. I’m just so grateful that he is part of my life and he is with me because he’s got me through some very dark times. He saved my life and then I was able to help save his. So, it’s just been this kind of full-circle thing.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">A journey that still has more chapters to be written.</p> <h3 class="styles_headingTwo__PVB5O styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The Gentle Power of Horses</h3> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">On Feb. 23, Dancer celebrated his 22nd birthday. Celebrations were briefly delayed after a snowstorm swept across the Maritimes.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The following day, Carson made the 40-minute drive to see him, arriving with a stockpile of treats and gifts.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">She also brought along his fast-food favourite.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“He had McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce, which I know sounds extremely weird, but that is his top treat. I was eating chicken nuggets in a stall one day and I turned my head for something and before I could do anything, he stuck his tongue into the sweet and sour sauce. At first, he didn’t like it. He stuck his tongue out and shook his head, and then he thought about it for a minute, and then, the next thing I knew, he was coming back for more.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40662" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40662" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40662" src="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer3-800x1000.jpg" alt="Ashley Carson and Dancer" width="750" height="938" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Dancer3-800x1000.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer3-350x438.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer3-768x960.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Dancer3.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40662" class="wp-caption-text">Ashley Carson and Dancer</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Typically, Carson visits Dancer four times a week.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The stall remains their own version of Shangri-La.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“I just like hanging out with him. That’s just been our main thing for all these years. I do a little bit of riding, but with his health issues, and with mine, we never seem to sync up well. We just like to watch TV together. I’ll just sit in the stall, and he puts hay on my head and then rubs it in. He’s also very good at posing for photos. He always likes to stick his nose in the camera.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">The hard-headed horse will always be picture-perfect in Carson’s eyes.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“Dancer has given me something to look forward to and keep fighting for myself and him. He is goofy and a sweetheart. Now, he gets everyone gravitating towards him. He’s got a really nice herd with three other horses, including his best friend.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“We’ve shared so many pieces of our life together over the eight years that I’ve known him.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">Happy tears are now the norm for Carson.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW">“My life changed the moment I first saw him. He is living his best life right now and thanks to him, so am I.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7 styles_alignLeft__uBPYW"><strong>Chris Lomon</strong></p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/from-racetrack-to-lifeline-how-one-thoroughbred-helped-a-woman-heal/">From Racetrack to Lifeline: How One Thoroughbred Helped a Woman Heal</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Edinburgh Castle: A Gentle Giant Finds His Place</title> <link>/woodbine-news/edinburgh-castle-a-gentle-giant-finds-his-place/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[grace]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:54:58 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aftercare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Equine Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40461</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO, January 27, 2026— As she watched the head-turning gelding step off the trailer, Lauren Millet felt an immediate pull – something...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/edinburgh-castle-a-gentle-giant-finds-his-place/">Edinburgh Castle: A Gentle Giant Finds His Place</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">TORONTO, January 27, 2026— As she watched the head-turning gelding step off the trailer, Lauren Millet felt an immediate pull – something about him was special.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He was gorgeous,” recalled Millet, who holds the reins of farm manager at <a href="https://longrunretirement.com/">LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</a>’s home base, a 100-acre property in Hillsburgh, less than an hour drive northwest of Woodbine Racetrack. “Almost black coat, super shiny, with a big white blaze and just enough chrome. Everyone who saw him was like, ‘Whoa!’ but his presence was unassuming. It’s like he knew he was good-looking but didn’t want to flaunt it.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">The horse was Edinburgh Castle, a son of multiple graded stakes winner Flintshire (GB) out of the Frankel (GB) mare Dissipate.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Named after one of the oldest fortified places in Europe – a UNESCO World Heritage site that has served as a royal residence, military stronghold, and prison over its 1,000-plus-year history – the affable Thoroughbred was bred in Ontario by Saintsbury Farms Inc.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Owned by Piano Bar Racing and trained by Ian Black, Edinburgh Castle was a $40,000 (U.S.) purchase at the 2020 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">His lone race produced a sixth-place finish on November 18, 2022, at 6 ½ panels over the main track.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">After retirement, he found his way to the idyllic LongRun farm, arriving in September 2023.</p> <figure id="attachment_40463" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40463" style="width: 670px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40463" src="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-800x1223.jpg" alt="Edinburgh Castle by Connie Smith Photography" width="670" height="1024" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-800x1223.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-350x535.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-768x1174.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-1004x1536.jpg 1004w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-1339x2048.jpg 1339w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-1400x2141.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE2-scaled.jpg 1674w" sizes="(max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40463" class="wp-caption-text">Edinburgh Castle by Connie Smith Photography</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">The picturesque property is home to 50 retired Thoroughbreds, a mix of sanctuary horses and others who will be rehomed through the organization’s adoption program.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“It is always a pleasure receiving horses from Piano Bar Racing and Ian Black,” said Millet. “We have adopted out several of their horses, and they are always so well handled and well cared for.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Edinburgh Castle, nursing a minor tendon injury, settled into his new surroundings with effortless ease.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“From the moment Eddie got here, he was like a big, goofy couch potato,” said Millet. “I couldn’t believe he had shown the skill he did at the track, as it seemed like all he wanted to do was chill.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“But then, that was Eddie. He would literally try his heart out at whatever you asked of him, and he was happy to do it. Which is probably why he had a minor tendon injury – his big, lumbering frame didn’t want to be a racehorse. He was the easiest horse to rehab ever. Stall rest? No problem. Hand-walking? He just knew what to do.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He wasn’t full of himself, which made him super easy to work around. He was just the kindest horse that wanted to please.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Millet carefully mapped out a patient plan for Edinburgh Castle, with the goal of finding him the right home.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“We knew he was special, and all he wanted to do was please his people,” said Millet. “And yet, we truly felt he did not want a super-athletic, physical job. He was the easiest horse to re-start, from the very first ride we were walking and trotting on a loose rein in the most relaxed manner, and we didn’t want someone to take advantage of his kindness and willingness and ask too much of him.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He wanted a job, but he didn’t want to break a sweat doing it, if that makes sense.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">In July 2024, Lori Emick sent an email to LongRun looking for a horse to adopt.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">After reading it, Millet was confident she had the ideal candidate.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“When I got Lori’s application, I knew right away Eddie was the one. It was exactly the type of job he wanted, at a small hobby farm where he could be lazy and quiet. He was always up for anything – trails and obstacles seemed like the perfect fit.</p> <figure id="attachment_40464" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40464" style="width: 724px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40464" src="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-800x1132.jpg" alt="Edinburgh Castle by Connie Smith Photography" width="724" height="1024" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-800x1132.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-350x495.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-768x1086.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-1400x1980.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE1-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes="(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40464" class="wp-caption-text">Edinburgh Castle by Connie Smith Photography</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“As soon as Lori sat on Eddie here at the farm, it was evident. She tried the Western ways of steering – versus English style – and Eddie just went around like, ‘I have no clue what you’re asking but this walking stuff is fun.’ He figured it out really fast.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Eddie and Emick had found a match made in horse heaven.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“When I first saw Eddie, I was struck by how stunning he looked,” recalled Emick. “Very elegant and a nice mover.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I felt like Eddie and I were going to get along right from the start. He seemed to like grooming and was definitely happy with being around people. I started riding him and noticed he was easy to handle and had a positive attitude. After a short period of time, he relaxed and I saw great potential for a low natural headset, which is perfect for what I wanted him for. There was absolutely no fight in anything I asked him.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Emick was equally impressed with LongRun and its personnel.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I went to their facility and met Eddie for a test ride to see if we were going to get along. Under a relaxed atmosphere, I was able to take my time working with him in an indoor arena.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I could see that the professional staff were very conscientious and there to make sure Eddie was going to be handled properly. I was impressed with their knowledge and experience.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Just as he had upon arriving at LongRun, Eddie adapted easily to his new surroundings in Fenwick, Ontario, a rural community in the Town of Pelham within the Niagara Region.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">A patient hand and pampered life awaited.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I purchased a horse farm in Fenwick two years ago right after I retired. Eddie is living with me. He has a double-size stall, heated barn, and UV filtered water. He is out all day with two of his friends and comes in for the night. I like him so much I had to build an arena for more play time.”</p> <figure id="attachment_40465" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40465" style="width: 480px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE-Concert-rotated.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-40465" src="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE-Concert-rotated.jpg" alt="Cello concert" width="480" height="640" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/EDDIE-Concert-rotated.jpg 480w, /wp-content/uploads/EDDIE-Concert-350x467.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40465" class="wp-caption-text">“We had a cello concert for the inauguration of the arena. The three horses were at one end, and a bunch of dogs were at the other end. A dog trainer uses the property and does some training here. It was quite an event. Eddie loved it. He walked right up to the cello.” – Lori Emick</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">The strapping Thoroughbred proved to be an eager student, with Emick a grateful teacher.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I started working with Eddie like I would with a 2-year-old Quarter Horse. We worked on manners and basic ground work. He then learned to lunge on voice commands. Eddie started working on trail equipment and can now do the basics – gate, bridge, side passes, dog-leg backups, ground ties and is fine carrying around bags full of cans and other desensitization items.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He learned to be a gentleman by wrapping around the mounting block and stopping in the perfect place, so anyone can get on and then he doesn’t move until he is given permission.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Their latest challenge is Liberty training.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He is now capable of doing some showmanship without a lead. He is also getting much better at steering with only legs. Eddie seems to enjoy going slow, so our Western pleasure is progressing nicely. He has an exceptional long trot, so we do some English work, but only on the flat. His natural headset is amazing.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Emick’s beloved Thoroughbred is not only big in stature but also boasts a personality to match.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">From playfulness to puckishness to wide-eyed wonder, the LongRun graduate is the very definition of a people-pleaser.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“His personality is amazing,” said Emick. “He has a mischievous side and loves to be silly sometimes. Eddie always wants to see what I am doing. He loves people. He is content when we are just doing ground work and will stand around for long periods of time just watching what else is going on around him. He puts a lot of smiles on people’s faces with his antics.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He does like to have something in his mouth all the time, but we are working on that. He has pulled all the strings and tabs off my previous barn coat.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Not that Emick is complaining – it’s rather the opposite.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He has given me an opportunity to work with a different breed that I had not worked with before and I have realized they are significantly different yet respond to the same positive reinforcement training.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“It is very rewarding to see how well he is progressing and how much he enjoys learning new skills.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">One of many reasons why Emick is grateful to call Eddie her own.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He puts a smile on my face every day.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>Chris Lomon, Woodbine</strong></p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/edinburgh-castle-a-gentle-giant-finds-his-place/">Edinburgh Castle: A Gentle Giant Finds His Place</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Skip the Dawn</title> <link>/blog/ottb-spotlight-skip-the-dawn/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:14:17 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Horse Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Renee Kierans]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Skip the Dawn]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40170</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Bred in Ontario by Anthony B. Russo & Leslie L. Russo, Skip the Dawn was foaled on April 28, 2022. “Recent arrival...</p> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-skip-the-dawn/">OTTB Spotlight: Skip the Dawn</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto">Bred in Ontario by Anthony B. Russo & Leslie L. Russo, Skip the Dawn was foaled on April 28, 2022.</div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto">“Recent arrival Skip the Dawn, gelding, foaled 2022, Reload – Queen of the Dawn, by Sun King has started his rehabilitation with us at our farm. Stay tuned here for his details. Thank you owner/trainer Renee Kierans for donating him to us.” – <a href="http://longrunretirement.com/"><strong>LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</strong></a></div> </div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40171" src="/wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1623" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn-350x277.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn-800x634.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn-768x609.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn-1536x1217.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/SkiptheDawn-1400x1109.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></div> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-skip-the-dawn/">OTTB Spotlight: Skip the Dawn</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Spanish Express</title> <link>/blog/ottb-spotlight-spanish-express/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:29:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Horse Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spanish Express]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Racetrack]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40041</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Spanish Express, a grey son of Senor out of the War Deputy mare Spanish Decree, raced 29 times and posted a 7-3-8...</p> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-spanish-express/">OTTB Spotlight: Spanish Express</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto">Spanish Express, a grey son of Senor out of the War Deputy mare Spanish Decree, raced 29 times and posted a 7-3-8 mark, to go along with $274,375 in career purse earnings.</div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto">He won his first race on May 26, 2017, and was third in the 2019 Shepperton Stakes.</div> </div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto"> <figure id="attachment_40042" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40042" style="width: 2560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-40042" src="/wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-scaled.jpg 2560w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress1-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40042" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Spanish Express, seen here winning on July 14, 2019. Michael Burns Photography</strong></em></figcaption></figure> <p><span style="font-size: 16px">Kathy, Spanish Express’ forever person, was recently in touch with </span><a style="font-size: 16px" href="http://longrunretirement.com/"><strong>LongRun</strong></a><span style="font-size: 16px"> to provide an update:</span></p> <p>“Spanish is thriving he has become an entirely different horse. He seems to have figured out herd dynamics and is a very happy boy.”</p> </div> </div> <div dir="auto"> <figure id="attachment_40043" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40043" style="width: 704px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-40043" src="/wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress.jpg" alt="" width="704" height="880" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress.jpg 704w, /wp-content/uploads/SpanishExpress-350x438.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40043" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Spanish Express.</strong></em></figcaption></figure> </div> <div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto"></div> </div> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-spanish-express/">OTTB Spotlight: Spanish Express</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Woodbine Celebrates LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society Saturday</title> <link>/woodbine-news/woodbine-celebrates-longrun-thoroughbred-retirement-society-saturday/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[grace]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:39:11 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aftercare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Equine Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Copeland]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ontario]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Retired Thoroughbred]]></category> <category><![CDATA[TAA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Vicki Pappas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=40022</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO, November 12, 2025 — Woodbine Entertainment is proud to continue its long-standing support of LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society with a recent...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/woodbine-celebrates-longrun-thoroughbred-retirement-society-saturday/">Woodbine Celebrates LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society Saturday</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">TORONTO, November 12, 2025 — Woodbine Entertainment is proud to continue its long-standing support of LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society with a recent $20,000 donation to the local aftercare organization, which will be recognized this Saturday during its annual LongRun Day at The Races.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society is a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA)–accredited organization that finds loving adoptive homes for horses who have retired from racing. Since the non-profit’s inception in 1999, LongRun has cared for and rehomed more than 1,000 Thoroughbreds.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Last month, Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland and the Woodbine Cares team visited LongRun’s Hillsburgh, Ontario, farm to present the donation to chairperson and founding member Vicki Pappas. <a class="styles_link__4YAiu" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmSw0e92Dyk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><u>Watch the “Beyond the Track” video for an inside look at the recently retired Thoroughbreds, the care they’re receiving and the impact of this partnership</u></a>.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Beyond The Track Part III: BTS Of The STUNNING Facility That Supports Retired Racehorses ❤ #horse" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dmSw0e92Dyk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“The LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society has been a priority for Woodbine for years,” said Copeland. “It’s something where we feel a commitment to taking care of the animals that give so much to racing and the industry. We’ve been in a position to increase our funding through our Woodbine Cares program and it’s something that’s very, very important to make sure that we respect, honour, and really take care of the animals that are at the centre of everything we do.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Pappas accepted the donation on behalf of LongRun and shared how appreciative she is.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“Woodbine started this out and they have been a continual support for us in every way, shape or form for 25 years. We are extraordinarily appreciative of everything they do for us,” she said. </p> <figure id="attachment_40023" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40023" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-40023" src="/wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-800x533.jpg" alt="Michael Copeland presenting LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society with a cheque for $20,000" width="750" height="500" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/20250930-0018-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40023" class="wp-caption-text">Michael Copeland presenting LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society with a cheque for $20,000</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Supporting the aftercare of racehorses is a cornerstone of Woodbine’s commitment to Equine Welfare initiatives. The increased $20,000 donation will help LongRun continue providing retired Thoroughbreds with the care, rehabilitation, and second careers they deserve beyond the racetrack.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Earlier this year, Woodbine Employees and our racing community gathered for an afternoon of footraces around the track featuring just-for-fun betting that benefited LongRun, making for an additional $2,000 donation.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Representatives from LongRun and special guest Eurico Rosa Da Silva, champion jockey and Equine Experiential Connection FEEL practitioner, will be at Woodbine from 12–3 p.m. on Saturday, November 15. Visitors can find them on the second floor of the grandstand to receive a complimentary 2026 LongRun Graduate Calendar.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">-30-</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/woodbine-celebrates-longrun-thoroughbred-retirement-society-saturday/">Woodbine Celebrates LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society Saturday</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Newport Agent (Jasper)</title> <link>/woodbine-news/ottb-spotlight-newport-agent-jasper-2/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:31:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Algonquin Park]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Equine Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Newport Agent]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39870</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>LongRun Graduate Horse update: Newport Agent, now named Jasper, went on his first camping trip with his adopter Caroline. “Here’s a photo...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/ottb-spotlight-newport-agent-jasper-2/">OTTB Spotlight: Newport Agent (Jasper)</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto">LongRun Graduate Horse update:</div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto">Newport Agent, now named Jasper, went on his first camping trip with his adopter Caroline.</div> <div dir="auto"></div> </div> <div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"> <div dir="auto">“Here’s a photo of Jasper (Newport Agent)’s first camping trip in Algonquin! Safe to say he had as much fun as I did! I’m constantly amazed at how level-headed and fun-loving this boy is.” – Caroline</div> </div> <div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto"><em><strong><a href="http://longrunretirement.com/">LongRun</a></strong> Graduate Horse adopters we would love to hear from you as well, share your stories via Instagram DM, messenger or email [email protected].</em></div> </div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39872" src="/wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent-1-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p> <p><em><strong>Newport Agent, seen here winning at Woodbine. Michael Burns Photography</strong></em></p> <div dir="auto"> <figure id="attachment_39871" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39871" style="width: 1536px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39871" src="/wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1.jpg" alt="" width="1536" height="1920" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1-350x438.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1-800x1000.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1-768x960.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, /wp-content/uploads/NewportAgent1-1400x1750.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39871" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Newport Agent at Algonquin Park.</strong></em></figcaption></figure> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/ottb-spotlight-newport-agent-jasper-2/">OTTB Spotlight: Newport Agent (Jasper)</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>A Grand Slam for LongRun: Bay gelding Bichette finds his field of dreams</title> <link>/woodbine-news/a-grand-slam-for-longrun-bay-gelding-bichette-finds-his-field-of-dreams/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:59:55 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bichette]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bo Bichette]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39932</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As Bo Bichette, star shortstop of the World Series–seeking Toronto Blue Jays, steps up to the plate in the biggest moment of...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/a-grand-slam-for-longrun-bay-gelding-bichette-finds-his-field-of-dreams/">A Grand Slam for LongRun: Bay gelding Bichette finds his field of dreams</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As Bo Bichette, star shortstop of the World Series–seeking Toronto Blue Jays, steps up to the plate in the biggest moment of his baseball career, his equine namesake has already become a winning addition to Kristine Hahn’s lineup.</p> <p>Hahn, a devoted rider and schooling show regular, first met Bichette — the unraced gelding out of the Perigee Moon mare Moonlit Beauty – two and a half years ago at LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society.</p> <p>A longtime supporter of LongRun – and a former employee from the outfit’s Hindmarsh Farms days – Hahn developed a wealth of experience working with Thoroughbreds in both racing and riding environments.</p> <p>“I’ve had a love for Thoroughbreds from the start of my time working in the industry, so being able to give them a second chance at another career is amazing,” she said.</p> <p>Hahn is equally effusive in her praise for LongRun, one of the industry’s most respected horse retirement and adoption programs.</p> <p>“I love everything LongRun is doing because they are such athletic breeds, and they can do anything. I just can’t say enough about organizations that do that and find homes for their second careers.”</p> <p>Adopting one of her own had always been in the back of Hahn’s mind, so when the right opportunity came along, she didn’t balk.</p> <p>“I put in because one of my horses [Winston] was getting older, and I was concerned because we only had two, that if he passed, I needed to bring something in quickly. I’m not showing anymore, like I used to my younger years, but I’m still avidly riding and doing schooling shows.</p> <p>“I put in my application at LongRun and reached out because I didn’t want to leave my other horse [Red] alone – and quickly, they got me in.”</p> <figure id="attachment_39935" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39935" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39935" src="/wp-content/uploads/Bichette2.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1536" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Bichette2.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette2-350x263.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette2-800x600.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette2-768x576.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette2-1400x1050.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39935" class="wp-caption-text"><strong>Bichette</strong></figcaption></figure> <p>Once on site at the picturesque 100-acre facility in Hillsburgh, Ontario, Hahn watched in awe as the striking bay, who was bred by Ron Gierkink, strode her way.</p> <p>The connection was instant.</p> <p>“When we were tacking him up, it was just his demeanor. And the way he looks, he reminds me of my older horse – we just clicked.”</p> <p>With help from LongRun farm manager Lauren Millet, who personally brought Bichette to Hahn’s stable, the son of Silent Name (JPN) was in her care within days of their initial interaction.</p> <p>It’s a memory as fresh now as it was then.</p> <p>“It was an amazing moment because as soon as he got here, I put him out with my other horse [Red] and it was just amazing to see; it brought me to tears because they immediately bonded and were snuggling with each other. That was wonderful, introducing him to my current horse.</p> <p>“There was no fighting, no pecking order discussions. They were instantly happy.”</p> <p>Bichette, now Hahn’s “Bo Bear,” has since been everything she envisioned he would be.</p> <p>“Getting on him for the first time at home, he was the same – just a calm thoroughbred but he had some spunk to him. It felt like we were meant for each other. He’s just been a wonderful horse.”</p> <figure id="attachment_39934" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39934" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39934" src="/wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="2560" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-scaled.jpg 1920w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-350x467.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-800x1067.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/Bichette3-1-1400x1867.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39934" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Bichette</strong></em></figcaption></figure> <p>The bond between Bichette and Hahn continues to grow stronger with the pair now living together full-time.</p> <p>“We have a farm, our own place, and we’ve been getting him used to new surroundings. We’re working on the basics, taking it easy and slow, but he’s truly coming into his own.”</p> <p>Settling into the West Grey, Ontario property has been a breeze for Bichette, who wasted no time striking up a friendship with his bovine neighbours.</p> <p>“He’s the fearless one,” laughed Hahn. “We have some cows as neighbours and the calves when they’re just born always come over and visit from the field next door. My older one, he’s like ‘No way, I want nothing to do with them.’ But Bo’s always over there. It’s quite funny.</p> <p>“He’s doing great and we’re having a lot of fun.”</p> <p>Hahn has already begun exploring potential second career opportunities for Bichette, with schooling shows and western riding in the mix.</p> <p>The latter, she added, is quite popular among people in the Mount Forest area.</p> <p>Whatever path he chooses, however, Hahn is content to let it unfold naturally.</p> <p>“Once we start jumping, I may take him to schooling shows… but we’ll see how it goes. Right now, we’re with our neighbours going out on trails and enjoying the countryside.”</p> <p>Like his Major League namesake, Bichette continues to be a fan favourite – especially to the one who knows him best.</p> <p>Hahn included.</p> <p>“Every morning and night, it’s always a joy to see him, because he’s my big teddy bear – he just loves attention. When I do night checks, that’s when he gets his love, but seeing him every morning is just delightful.</p> <p>“I’ve been around horses all my life, and being able to have him with me is a wonderful thing.”</p> <p>*</p> <p><strong>Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine</strong></p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/a-grand-slam-for-longrun-bay-gelding-bichette-finds-his-field-of-dreams/">A Grand Slam for LongRun: Bay gelding Bichette finds his field of dreams</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Reel Love</title> <link>/blog/ottb-spotlight-reel-love/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2025 23:37:01 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Catherine Day Phillips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Conrad Farms]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Horse Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reel Love]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39555</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>“Last year, Reel Love came to our farm as a two-year-old. We have given her a year to grow into her long...</p> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-reel-love/">OTTB Spotlight: Reel Love</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“Last year, Reel Love came to our farm as a two-year-old. We have given her a year to grow into her long legs and let her body fill out. Thank you owner Conrad Farms and trainer Catherine Day Phillips for donating her to us.” – <a href="http://longrunretirement.com/"><strong>LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</strong></a></p> <figure id="attachment_39556" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39556" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39556" src="/wp-content/uploads/ReelLove.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1704" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/ReelLove.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/ReelLove-350x291.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/ReelLove-800x666.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/ReelLove-768x639.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/ReelLove-1536x1278.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/ReelLove-1400x1165.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39556" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Reel Love, a daughter of Tom’s d’Etat out of the Elusive Quality mare State Cup.</strong></em></figcaption></figure> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-reel-love/">OTTB Spotlight: Reel Love</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Lapochka’s New Life: Love at First Canter</title> <link>/woodbine-news/lapochkas-new-life-love-at-first-canter/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[grace]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:16:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aftercare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Equine Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lapochka]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Retired Thoroughbred]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39481</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO, September 24, 2025— Nycola Penfold was instantly smitten the moment the gallant-looking gelding came into view. She had been searching for...</p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/lapochkas-new-life-love-at-first-canter/">Lapochka’s New Life: Love at First Canter</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">TORONTO, September 24, 2025— Nycola Penfold was instantly smitten the moment the gallant-looking gelding came into view.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">She had been searching for months for the right horse—one she could give a good home to and share a quiet but fulfilling life with.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">When she arrived at the picturesque Hillsburgh, Ontario property this past spring—a haven for more than 50 retired Thoroughbred racehorses, just under an hour northwest of Woodbine—Penfold didn’t expect to find the horse she had been looking for.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">That all changed the instant she saw Lapochka – Russian for “sweetheart” – a striking chestnut who had made 84 career starts, with 20 wins and 47 top-three finishes, walking toward her.</p> <figure id="attachment_39485" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39485" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-39485" src="/wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-800x533.jpg" alt="Lapochka (now Klaus) and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto winning Race 4 on May 11, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) " width="750" height="500" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/Lapochka1-1-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39485" class="wp-caption-text">Lapochka (now Klaus) and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto winning Race 4 on May 11, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I was searching for a loving horse,” Penfold recalled of what had brought her to the 100-acre property, home to the<a class="styles_link__4YAiu" href="https://longrunretirement.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</a>, a horse retirement and adoption organization founded in 1999. “When I met him, he was so goofy and so loving and sweet.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I had the chance to ride him that day. I did a walk-trot, and I asked Lauren (LongRun farm manger, Millet) if I could canter him. So, I got him in a canter.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">That’s when a sudden realization struck.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I already knew… I’m in love. As soon as I felt his beautiful, floaty canter, I knew, ‘This is my boy.’”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Penfold, still in the saddle, leaned down to Millet.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I looked at Lauren and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">If those initial moments weren’t already a clear sign they were meant to be, a glance at his personal information left Penfold momentarily at a loss for words.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“When I found out his birthday – January 30 – it’s the same as my grandfather’s, who passed away last year. It felt as if adopting this horse was meant to be – everything about it was right. I don’t know what it is about him. He has this energy, this silliness and this intelligence that combines to create this unique, wonderful personality.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">To start the adoption process, a representative from LongRun visited Troy, Ontario, a small community in the scenic countryside of Flamborough, and the farm where Penfold rides.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“They came and thoroughly checked the place, the other horses, and we got approved,” said Penfold.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Not long after the visit, Penfold received an email with an adoption form from LongRun.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">She filled it out the same day.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Less than a week later, on Father’s Day, the 12-year-old son of English Channel out of the Absent Russian mare Russian Sweetpie was at his new home.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Lapochka, now known as Klaus – a nod to Penfold’s late grandfather’s last name, Kloster – fit in seamlessly.</p> <figure id="attachment_39483" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39483" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-39483" src="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-800x600.jpg" alt="Klaus (Lapochka) and Nycola Penfold" width="750" height="563" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-800x600.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-350x263.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-768x576.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola-1400x1050.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Nykola.jpg 2016w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39483" class="wp-caption-text">Klaus (Lapochka) and Nycola Penfold</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“When I brought him here, we gave him a week to settle into his new surroundings. He had to be on his own for the first week because we have quite a few senior horses. We wanted to make sure everything went smoothly, health and safety-wise, with the transition for all the horses.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He’s in with three other geldings and two mares. He became instant friends with one of my riding coach’s warmbloods. They look exactly the same, similar markings, except the other one is way bigger than him. They are like brothers. They drive each other nuts, but they love each other.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Klaus also quickly captured the attention of the mares.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He has two girlfriends. At first, it was just Missy, who is 27. They were obsessed with each other. And now, it’s Tango, who is a Thoroughbred, and she is 16. He loves the ladies. Every time I get to the farm and walk out to the field, he is out there grazing with the two girls.”</p> <figure id="attachment_39484" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39484" style="width: 724px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Lucy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39484" src="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Lucy.jpg" alt="Klaus’ (Lapochka) first time meeting Nycola's mare, Lucy" width="724" height="1280" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Lucy.jpg 724w, /wp-content/uploads/Klaus-Lucy-350x619.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39484" class="wp-caption-text">Klaus’ (Lapochka) first time meeting Nycola’s mare, Lucy</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">It is one of many scenes that gives Penfold a reason to smile.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I love him. He’s wonderful. He is everything. He is your typical goofy gelding. He likes to chew on water bottles, and he likes to try and drink out of them, which obviously does not work for a horse. He is just awesome in every way. I read stories about how much people loved him during his racing days and it’s easy to see why.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Klaus hasn’t lost a bit of his charm – or his trademark silliness.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">Penfold is privileged to be the latest in a long line of many who adore the gelding.</p> <figure id="attachment_39486" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39486" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-rotated.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-39486" src="/wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-800x1067.jpg" alt="Nycola's son Griffyn giving Klaus (Lapochka) a hug" width="750" height="1000" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-800x1067.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-350x467.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-768x1024.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, /wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-1400x1867.jpg 1400w, /wp-content/uploads/KlausGriffyn-rotated.jpg 1512w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39486" class="wp-caption-text">Nycola’s son Griffyn giving Klaus (Lapochka) a hug</figcaption></figure> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“I have my coach training him. Twice a week, she trains him on her own and once a week she is doing training with me and him. We have been doing that for a few weeks and it’s going so well. He’s so smart. He’s a goofy guy and you wonder sometimes just how smart he is, but when you are in the saddle, you see how smart he is. He picks things up so quickly.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“Every so often, my coach will take some of the boarders and other horses to clinics she runs. If that comes up in the future, it would be something I would consider doing.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">For Penfold, what matters most is that the horse she once dreamed of bringing into her world has now become a reality.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">It is something she is reminded of every time she arrives at the riding farm and sees the chestnut with the kind eyes, striking coat and playful personality</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“He is my baby,” said Penfold. “He is everything to me. There is not one day where he doesn’t make me laugh. He is amazing.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">And above all, deeply loved.</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7">“Every time I see him, it is reminder that these horses deserve nothing but love and the very best that humans can give back to them.”</p> <p class="styles_paragraph__6o_o7"><strong>Chris Lomon, Woodbine</strong></p> <p>The post <a href="/woodbine-news/lapochkas-new-life-love-at-first-canter/">Lapochka’s New Life: Love at First Canter</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Perseverate and Surfeit</title> <link>/blog/ottb-spotlight-perseverate-and-surfeit/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 20:51:32 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Horse Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Laura Bishop]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39415</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>“Already the owner of LongRun grads Alpha Mia and Tale of Perfection, Laura Bishop has generously offered to care for two of...</p> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-perseverate-and-surfeit/">OTTB Spotlight: Perseverate and Surfeit</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a"> <div dir="auto">“Already the owner of LongRun grads Alpha Mia and Tale of Perfection, Laura Bishop has generously offered to care for two of our pasture pals at no cost to LongRun. Perseverate and Surfeit, two mares who are unable to be ridden, have joined Laura’s herd and are happily fitting in. We are very grateful to Laura for her generosity and look forward to updates on the girls.” – <a href="http://longrunretirement.com/"><strong>LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</strong></a></div> </div> <div dir="auto"></div> <div dir="auto"> <figure id="attachment_39417" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39417" style="width: 2560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39417" src="/wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-scaled.jpg 2560w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/AlphaMia-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39417" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Alpha Mia, seen here winning on September 29, 2022. Michael Burns Photography</strong></em></figcaption></figure> </div> <div dir="auto"> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39416" src="/wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14.jpg" alt="" width="1832" height="1014" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14.jpg 1832w, /wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14-350x194.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14-800x443.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14-768x425.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14-1536x850.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/LongRunSeptember14-1400x775.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 1832px) 100vw, 1832px" /><em style="font-size: 14px"><strong>Perseverate and Surfeit</strong></em></p> </div> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-perseverate-and-surfeit/">OTTB Spotlight: Perseverate and Surfeit</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>OTTB Spotlight: Reconfigure (Rico)</title> <link>/blog/ottb-spotlight-reconfigure-rico/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[clomon]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:11:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Woodbine Insider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Deborah Fletcher]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Horse Welfare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lemon Drop Kid]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Martin Drexler]]></category> <category><![CDATA[OTTB]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reconfigure]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">/?p=39243</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>“Reconfigure (Rico) is enjoying his well deserved retirement from racing at Milestone. This gallant 2012 son of Classic winner Lemon Drop Kid...</p> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-reconfigure-rico/">OTTB Spotlight: Reconfigure (Rico)</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“Reconfigure (Rico) is enjoying his well deserved retirement from racing at Milestone. This gallant 2012 son of Classic winner Lemon Drop Kid had close to a 20% win rate during his 40-start career, winning 10 times, being graded stakes-placed and banking over $400,000. LongRun is grateful to owner Deborah Fletcher and trainer Martin Drexler for donating Rico after his last start in September 2022.” <a href="http://longrunretirement.com/"><strong>LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society</strong></a></p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-39244" src="/wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure1.jpg" alt="" width="1032" height="774" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure1.jpg 1032w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure1-350x263.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure1-800x600.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1032px) 100vw, 1032px" /></p> <figure id="attachment_39245" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39245" style="width: 2560px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-39245" src="/wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-scaled.jpg 2560w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-350x233.jpg 350w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-800x533.jpg 800w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-768x512.jpg 768w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, /wp-content/uploads/Reconfigure2-1400x933.jpg 1400w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39245" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Reconfigure (#7) went 10-10-7 from 41 career starts. Michael Burns Photography</strong></em></figcaption></figure> <p>The post <a href="/blog/ottb-spotlight-reconfigure-rico/">OTTB Spotlight: Reconfigure (Rico)</a> appeared first on <a href="/">Woodbine Racetrack</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>