Badge of Honor

Who is at the center of our sport?  

We need owners — the people who pay the bills and whose patience and dedication are essential to the operation.

We need horseplayers — our betting dollars are truly the engine that drives the train of the sport’s economics.

But there is a group that’s even more essential than those two pillars. Without the horses, there is no sport. Nothing. And these horses are not fungible commodities— they must be taken care of properly from birth until they live out their days if this sport is going to continue into the 22nd century and beyond.

The horses are, as my great friend and mentor William Murray once wrote, “the protagonists of the drama, incorruptible in their innocence and beauty.”

The industry has a responsibility to them but we as players can and need to help to. When you make a big score, consider making a donation in the form of our new Badge of Honor T-Shirt. It’s a classic design with a little flash. The color combination— green and gold — think money and a trophy — was deliberately chosen by our partners at Old Smoke Clothing Co.

Of every shirt sold, $75 goes directly to our friends at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, one of the oldest and most respected organizations when it comes to helping thoroughbreds.

So the next time you have a nice hit, join an exclusive club and earn our undying thanks by proclaiming a simple phrase, “I won and so did they.” 

TRF Ambassadors Peter Fortanale and Johnathon Kinchen