Page 10 - 2021 TAA Magazine

“It’s not about choosing,
it’s about participating.
As participants in the
sport of Thoroughbred
racing, we should all be
responsible and do our
part. Our horses and
our industry depend on
it.”
Jimmy Bell
President, Darley America

“At 1/ST and 1/ST
HORSE CARE, we are
committed to achiev-
ing the highest level of
horse health and safety
standards in Thorough-
bred racing. It is the
collective duty of all
industry stakeholders
to ensure that these
equine athletes are The TAA and its accredited organizations often have a presence at racetracks in North America
to share the importance of aftercare with racing fans and attendees.
properly cared for – be-
fore, during, and after Furthermore, the TAA had to establish a the place to give money to, we had to set up guide-
their racing careers. process to follow through on its responsibility to lines and those people who came to us for money
designate the industry’s dollars in an effective
would be the gold standard in the industry. We
The TAA is an important manner, which is where the stringent accredita- had to make sure that the money that we were
part of Thoroughbred tion process comes in. getting – because it’s not ours, it’s the industry’s
To earn industry funding, an organization
money – was going toward what it was supposed
racing’s ecosystem, has to follow TAA’s thorough guidelines, and the to go toward.”
Add in various per-start agreements from
and our company is grant money awarded must be used to care for the racetracks and horsemen’s organizations across
industry’s horses.
proud to support their the TAA from the local charities that they were the country, trainer pledges, purse contribu-
“We had to show people what differentiated
tions, wagering technologies that allow bettors to
essential work.” all accustomed to,” Auerbach said. “Everybody drop in a dollar or two, and the pot of sustainable
Belinda Stronach who wanted to start this or get involved with this industry contributions for the TAA has grown
had wonderful intentions, and most of them were substantially. (See the full list of TAA’s industry
Chairman and President, The giving to the local groups, and you can’t see the stakeholders on pages 16 and 17.)
Stronach Group and 1/ST forest through the trees. “I thought it was a good idea to make significant
“The TAA needed to make it clear to people taxes at each level,” Jack Wolf said. “I thought we
that we were a funding organization,” she contin- would have success, and I guess we can say it’s
ued, “and in order to prove to people that we were been successful, I think all of us involved with it

PAGE 8 DAILY RACING FORM