The Thoroughbred is winning the versatility race. This week, they'll prove it.

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Rosie Napravnik first met Old Ironsides when she was a jockey. They won two races together, and Napravnik followed his career until she could claim him and bring him home to retrain. Jim McCue Photo. Napravnik and “Sugar” in his second career as an event horse. Samantha Clark Photo.

The Thoroughbred is winning the

versatility race.

This week, they'll prove it.

After the finish line is just the beginning for Retired Racehorse Project ‘Thoroughbred Makeover’ contenders

By Betsy Burke Parker

The race is over. Metaphorically speaking, they may be on that little finishing canter after the wire, but these “retired” racehorses are anything but done.

Like high school commencement marks the start of a new phase for young students, this week’s much-lauded Thoroughbred Makeover has become the highlight of the year for repurposed racehorses learning new skills in sport careers.

The Retired Racehorse Project was established by upper level eventer and lifelong Thoroughbred super-fan Steuart Pittman starting with a small training seminar in 2009.

The first Makeover was held at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland in 2013.

With a grant from Dr. Carolyn Karlson, RRP created the inaugural Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, which took place at Pimlico Race Course on October 6, 2013 and featured 26 trainers and horses before hundreds of spectators.

Read more from The Chronicle of the Horse

The event found its footing, fast, an instant success offering a dozen divisions – from foxhunters to show hunters, western pleasure to extreme trail, to showcase the versatility of the Thoroughbred athlete.

The competition shifted to Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park in 2015.

This year more than 400 entries take part in a full week’s worth of training, learning, competition and camaraderie. Thousands of spectators are expected to attend.

Pittman explained in an interview that RRP and the Makeover were created with a very simple goal in mind: to re-establish the Thoroughbred retired racehorse as a premier, all-around athlete suitable for a wide array of second careers. It built buzz about the secondary market for ex-racehorses.

Pittman had grown up in three-day eventing at the time when Thoroughbreds were the breed of choice because of the rigors of the long format speed and endurance test.

After recognizing that warmbloods were gaining in popularity and that no one was marketing ex-racehorses as sport horse prospects, Steuart Pittman organized and moderated the Retired Racehorse Training Symposium. The Symposium featured Thoroughbreds in various stages of retraining, from fresh off the track to finished competitive sport horses, and demonstrated their abilities before a crowd of over 300.

When warmbloods supplanted Thoroughbreds as the long format disappeared, Pittman said he noticed the breed falling out of favor.

A lifelong Thoroughbred superfan, he set about to reverse the trend. Pittman knew for a fact - he'd seen it himself - that Thoroughbreds excelled at eventing, but also in ranch work, show hunters and more. He knew Hilda Gurney's Thoroughbred, Keen, was 1976 Olympic medalist in dressage. He remembered Joe Fargis's two 1984 Olympic show jumping gold medals with Thoroughbred mare Touch of Class (born in Maryland, first called Stillaspill, and trained by Hall of Famer Mike Smithwick.)

Might Tango won a single race at 2 in his native California before discovered by Bob Tindall for Unionville, Pennsylvania horseman Bruce Davidson. Davidson and Might Tango captured gold in the 1978 World Championships three-day event.

Pittman knew the breadth of the Thoroughbred scope, capability to learn any skillset in any discipline and excel at them all.

Pittman wanted the rest of the horse world to know what he already knew, and what the steeplechase world already knew - the Thoroughbred may indeed be the perfect equine athlete.

Enter the Thoroughbred Makeover.

The first Makeover champion was the perfect poster boy for the re-training program: Multiple stakes winner Icabad Crane raced until he was 8 and finished third in the 2008 Preakness. The son of Jump Start was ridden and trained by eventing Olympic gold medalist Phillip Dutton.

“He is very adjustable, and such a sensible horse,” Dutton told the press after the event. “The last time he was at Pimlico was when he ran in the Preakness. (To) give it a go in front of the grandstands says a hell of a lot about the horse.”

This year’s Makeover runs Oct. 11-14. Thoroughbred Charities of America is the title sponsor, with more than $100,000 in prize money offered in a dozen divisions.

Phillip Dutton and Icabad Crane at the 2014 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. Erin Harty Photo. Read more about Icabad Crane, including his THIRD career as a lead pony for Graham Motion, here at The Chronicle of the Horse.

(A RRP Makeover diary from Hume, Virginia horsewoman Clare Mansmann, currently at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington to compete in her and husband Tom's eighth racehorse challenge.)

(Monday, October 9. 8:28 p.m.)

"The horses are now settled at the Horse Park and I am just sitting down!

This is our eighth year doing the RRP, and these two horses (Fashion Munny and Snapper) make 13 we have competed, over 20 have we helped train and prep over the years for the Makeover.

RRP has become quite a family to us.

There are more newcomers each year than repeat competitors, but there are a group of us who do love the heart of the competition and of course the heart of the thoroughbred, and we find the show really does work well in the development of many off-track horses.

We like to prep the horses by trying a little aspect of each discipline and see where they would best fit, and also what fits into our schedule.

We make sure they have been around cattle and have been around the hunt, plus have schooled in dressage and all the jumping disciplines. We have swung a polo mallet around them, and they have worked through some basic trail obstacles. Their fitness and time in training, as well as perhaps age or rehab status play a role in deciding the disciplines they wind up competing in.

Within each discipline, it is a proper competition in its own right. That is quite an organizational feat, but the RRP has gotten quite good at it. The overwhelming theme of the competition is the celebration of the thoroughbred as an athlete spanning its entire lifetime, not just in one sport.

It is really neat to see the racing industry becoming more and more involved at the Makeover, with many in attendance to cheer on horses that they bred, trained, rode, etc.

It is the springboard to becoming competitive in future thoroughbred shows, such as the Fair Hill Thoroughbred Show, which had quality horses and excellent prizes and prize money this year.

Their Real Rider Cup is sort of a mini-Makeover (not mini in its fundraising efforts though!), in that you have this melting pot of the racing and sport worlds coming together in partnership to raise significant funds and have a grand time doing it, forming lasting relationships. The Makeover has helped so many people be inspired to get an off-track horse and they absolutely want folks to continue to explore and expand the futures of these horses.

The Makeover is a showcase for the versatility and athleticism of the off-track thoroughbred, and also a showcase for the trainers who set out to disprove (any) negative stereotypes of the racehorse.

Hundreds of well-mannered, gleaming, correctly-muscled, impeccably turned out horses are here with us to start their new careers, and show how bright their futures can be in the right hands."

(Clare Mansmann rides Kentucky-bred Fashion Munny, a son of Munnings, in show hunters and show jumpers. Tom Mansmann rides Snapper, a Kentucky-bred grandson of English Channel, in show hunters and show jumpers. Follow the action at therrp,org. Read more about Clare and Tom at The Chronicle of the Horse.)

Retired Racehorse Project – What is it?

The Retired Racehorse Project, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, created the Thoroughbred Makeover to showcase the trainability and talent of off-track Thoroughbreds.

The competition is intended to inspire trainers to become involved in transitioning these horses to second careers, and the National Symposium serves to educate the people involved in Thoroughbred care, training and sales.

To qualify for the challenge, trainer-riders – professionals, amateurs and juniors, apply in January with Jockey Club-registered Thoroughbreds who raced, or at least recorded a published workout, after July 1, 2021.

Horses entered in the Makeover may not have had more than 15 “retraining rides” prior to December 1, 2022.

Two retired steeplechasers entered in the Makeover might have a headstart on the other competitors, since steeplechase training is, in effect, more broad than most flat track training. Neither Pull Rank nor the former Willie Dowling trainee, Merkaba, were based at the racetrack during their race careers: Merkaba trained at Dowling’s Maryland farm, Pull Rank at Springdale.

But they still qualify under Makeover rules since they were “in race training,” or actively racing, until this year, and neither one had what Makeover rules consider multiple “retraining rides” before December.

Daltons’ stamp on the Makeover

The Camden, South Carolina-based husband and wife jockey and trainer team of Bernie and Kate Dalton (Tod Marks photo, left, of the Daltons with Grade 1 winning Down Royal) has been involved with the RRP Thoroughbred Makeover since 2019. Kate trained and Bernie rode Adam Newman’s multiple hurdle stakes winner Diplomat throughout much of his ‘chase career.

Diplomat retired from racing to the Virginia barn of show and foxhunter Sara Katz (now married to steeplechase jockey Barry Foley.) Katz and Diplomat won the RRP’s field hunter division championship at the 2019 Makeover.

This year, the Daltons will be represented by another retired hurdler. Pull Rank is a Dalton homebred out of their beloved, and very talented multiple hurdle stakes winner Cat Feathers. They hoped Pull Rank would capture his dam's speed and jumping talent and his sire Commissioner's (AP Indy) durability as a classic placed multiple graded stakes winner.

But it wasn't to be.

Pull Rank was second in his first start over hurdles at the Loudoun point-to-point but was unplaced in five NSA hurdle starts last year at 4.

He retired after pulling up in the maiden claimer at Charleston Nov. 13.

Pull Rank and Bernie Dalton warming up for the Maiden Claiming hurdle at Aiken in October 2022.

©Tod Marks

Three states away, at the exact same time, barn manager Trinity Wood and eventer Kathleen Bertuna had started looking for an event prospect to bring along. A friend of a friend recommended the Ohio-based duo take a look at the recently retired, and newly for-sale, Pull Rank at the Daltons’ Camden barn.

Wood, 30, says she literally didn’t know what to expect when she showed up at the Springdale course. “I’ve never been to the racetrack, never been to a steeplechase, never been to Camden,” she says. “You always hear about these ‘crazy racehorses.’ That’s all I knew.”

Wood reports she felt an instant affinity with the handsome gelding. “He was super relaxed. We went for a hack – he was so good with all sorts of dogs at the houses barking at us, just trotting along on the trail.”

They got to one of the big training fields at Springdale. Dalton suggested Wood cluck and ask for a canter.

“He didn’t try to run off with me. I was like, ‘OK, I’m sold on this horse’,” Wood says. “He was on his way (to Ohio) a week later.”

When Pull Rank arrived to the Delaware, Ohio barn, he got a little down time, but then they set about to change his views on jumping. They wanted him to slow his roll a little bit.

The gelding’s prior technique suited hurtling over hurdles, but he needed to – as Wood puts it, “learn to lift through his topline. He understood that one side of the fence to the other side of the fence was the goal. That part was good," fine for jumping a soft National Fence but not great for safely negotiating a cross-country course or jumping cleanly over light show jump rails.

“We taught him to control his enthusiasm, to be a bit more thoughtful on his jumping rather than galloping down to everything.

“He’s the first Thoroughbred I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve discovered that they’re very, very smart.

“I just love this horse.”

Wood had gotten involved in horses through a most unusual route. “I didn’t grow up riding, but I (signed up for a) wilderness horsemanship class at an associates’ college in southeast Ohio,” she explains. “We learned to hobble, wilderness packing, how to picket line. My graduation year, we did a 10-day pack trip to the Tetons out west. That’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Wood hopes this week’s trip to the Kentucky Horse Park – her first – will overtake it as “coolest.”

“This journey with this wonderful horse has been amazing.”

Trinity Wood and Pull Rank AKA Curly over their very first oxer.

Photo courtesy of Trinity Wood

Meet Merkaba

Kentucky-bred by Mr. and Mrs. William Pape, Merkaba is a son of Verrazano out of the Include mare, Sheppard’s Pie. The dark bay colt sold to Northwoods Stable for $2,000 at the Midatlantic fall yearling sale in 2019.

He was supposed to be something special, good genes from dual generation Augustin Stables’ homebred stakes winners Last Approach and Fast Approach.

Merkaba didn’t get the message – he disappointed on the flat, unplaced in three starts, and was no better – unplaced in three – over hurdles.

Merkaba last raced in April, pulled up in the maiden claimer at Tryon.

Merkaba (on the right) and jockey Graham Watters at Tryon in April 2023.

©Tod Marks

Trainer Willie Dowling says the horse was an outstanding jumper.

In his own time.

“He took to jumping really fast, from day one,” Dowling recalls. “Unfortunately he liked the slower speed than racing speed.

“We decided to find a change of scenery, so we moved him to Rosie Watters’ (wife of 2021 NSA champion rider Graham Watters), and she found him his current home.

“From what I heard he’s doing really well.

“When you get a Thoroughbred, you’ve got all (the choices of) disciplines and options to look forward to. Most of them are very smart individuals.”

Pennsylvania rider Taylor Stefko has Merkaba entered in the show hunter and show jumper divisions at the RRP.

Complete entry details, competition schedule and a link to the daily live stream are at therrp.org.

Dual local wins at Thoroughbred Makeover

Diplomat, Furaha take top prizes

By Betsy Burke Parker

Special to the Times

(First published in the Fauquier (Va.) Times in 2019 -- Sara Katz is now Sara Foley)

Hard work pays off.

That’s the takeaway for Delaplane-based Sara Katz after winning the field hunter division at the 2019 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover. The Makeover, in its fifth year, was held Oct. 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

Katz competed former grade 1 steeplechaser Diplomat at the showcase featuring 10 disciplines and some 450 retired racehorses being re-trained for non-racing sports.

“Steeplechase horses are a different level of athleticism,” said Katz, 30. “They have the mindset that’s allowed them to get to top level of sport. They just love to jump, love to be competitive.

“Diplomat loves what he does, and he does it with a lot of poise. He’s extremely intelligent.”

The Thoroughbred Makeover is part of the Retired Racehorse Project, a nonprofit charitable organization for former racehorses. Sponsored by Thoroughbred Charities of America, the event included seminars on strategies for making the transition from the racetrack to new endeavors.

Divisions included show hunters, show jumpers, field hunters, dressage, eventing, barrel racing, polo, extreme trail, ranch work and freestyle. Horses had to have raced or had a published workout after mid-2017, but could not begin re-training before Dec. 1, 2018.

A Kentucky-bred son of Kitten’s Joy, Diplomat was trained in his steeplechase career by Jimmy Day in Clarke County early in his ‘chase career, then by Kate Dalton in Camden.

Former owner Adam Newman was on hand for Diplomat’s Makeover win, and he was thrilled with the result. “(I) didn’t bet on him that day in the 2017 Turf Writers, but would have bet on him to win the Retired Racehorse Project if I could,” Newman said. “This horse is like a gift that keeps on giving.”

Diplomat and Bernie Dalton cross the wire in front in the 2017 Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup at Saratoga.

©Tod Marks

It wasn’t Katz’s first time in the Makeover: she placed fourth in field hunters last year with another retired ‘chaser, Big Feat.

The foxhunt division was multi-phase – an under saddle class and individual handy hunter test were held Wednesday on the Horse Park’s cross-country course, with a mock foxhunt Thursday.

Diplomat led from the start, Katz said, advancing to the championship final for America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred voting on Saturday evening. Text voting opened at 5 p.m., Katz explained, open for just 15 minutes. Contestants scrambled to get the word to friends and followers to text for the tally.

“There’s a little controversy about that,” Katz maintained. “It’s just a popularity contest, then. The gal that won – Fallon Taylor and Cowboy Swagger – has 300,000 Insta followers. Obviously she wins there, but her horse just did one discipline – barrel racing.”

Barrel racing winner Cowboy Swagger, a 5-year-old Oregon-bred, was ridden by world champion barrel racer Taylor, a lifelong barrel specialist based in Texas.

Katz said Diplomat is multi-talented, having placed 28th – of 138 competitors – in the show hunter division as well. Katz’s Makeover prep included a lot of cross-training. “He hunted in Camden and with Orange County Hounds. And we did a lot of homework out of the hunt field, too,” Katz said, saying she took the horse to hunter shows, jumper shows, events and trail rides since she began re-training him this winter. “Winning was icing on the cake for all that time and energy.”

Discipline winners each won $5,000, plus Diplomat shared the Top Kentucky-bred Award, winning part of another $5,000 prize.

He wasn’t the only retired steeplechaser at the Makeover: 2009 Kentucky Derby starter and 2017 Lonesome Glory Award winner Mr. Hot Stuff showed in the jumper division, and 2015 Eclipse Award champion ‘chaser Dawalan showed in hunters and dressage.

Mr. Hot Stuff (leading) and Diplomat (trailing) both raced in the 2017 Turf Writers, and then both competed in the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover.

©Tod Marks

Other Virginia riders competing included Middleburg’s Tom Mansmann placing sixth in field hunters and 10th in ranch work with Highly Cynical. Loudoun County pro Heather Heider was ninth in field hunters with Call You Later.

Culpeper pro Susan Deal won the show hunter division with West Virginia-bred Furaha, bred by Joan Belotti of Haymarket. Katz placed 25th with Diamond Drive.

Deal’s son Jim placed fourth in the polo division with Write Your Story.

Warrenton pro Amanda Cousins competed Art Imitates Life in eventing.

Richmond-based Polly Bance finished 33rd in the big show jumper division with Art of Listening.

Opal rider Jenny Bee competed in dressage with Just Banks along with Elizabeth Mras and Holycowitspatrick.

Philomont rider Melanie Voght placed eighth in show jumpers with Long Legacy; also competing were Philomont-based veterinarian Cle Toledano on Mavis, Ashleigh Glorioso on Lucky To Run, Christine Ehlers on Untethered, Kim O’Donnell on Roseau and Clare Mansmann on Make It Right.

Catlett’s Katie Tarasevich and her Up The Power finished 24th (of 57) in dressage, and 52nd (of 177) in the ultra-competitive freestyle. “The show was a great experience,” she said. “It’s a full week of talking about your horse, your training and your ups and downs. Everyone there understands how much hard work you have put into your horse, knows the quirks of training a Thoroughbred.

“My most amazing moment was riding into the Rolex Arena, completing my test and hearing my name on the loudspeaker with my bio and my horse’s bio. After my test, my new friends were in the crowd, and I could hear them all clap and cheer me on.

“The thought that I competed in the Rolex Arena was a dream come true.”

A DIPLOMAT UPDATE (August 2023 from Cathi Grove)

Welcome to the Grove Family Diplomat! Diplomat aka Dippy had a very successful racing career over fences. He then won the TB makeover fox hunting division in 2019 with Sara Katz Foley.

Thank you Sara and Jody for the opportunity to have such a wonderful new partner. I am really looking for to this season serving Aiken Hounds. It is extra special as Dippy’s former steeplechase owner, Adam Newman, hunts with Aiken and will get to see him enjoying his second career.

Thank you Sarah McKay for lending me your habit for some photos!

Photo Credit of Cathi (riding sidesaddle!) and Diplomat: Nick Bridges Photography

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