The Secretariat Center, which is located at the Kentucky Horse Park, is dedicated to three things:

1. Giving racehorses new skill sets after racing so they can go on to different careers.

2. Educating the public about the athleticism and versatility of the OTTB.

3. Broadcasting the news that owners and breeders do care deeply about horses and are willing to participate in an aftercare solution.

The Center is always on the lookout for Thoroughbreds that need to transition to new careers. Because of our premier location at the Kentucky Horse Park, our limited space (17 acres of paddock and one ten stall barn), and our mission to showcase the athleticism of the off-track Thoroughbred, we have to be discriminating about our selection of candidates.

We do take horses of either sex (stallions must be castrated and preferably healed PRIOR to intake), raced or unraced, and typically between the ages of 3 and 9. We do not take in Thoroughbreds who are not registered with the Jockey Club.

For horses that are older or have former injuries that could significantly compromise new athletic endeavors, we are happy to recommend several other local TAA accredited facilities.

Should you have a horse that you would like to donate to our program, please contact us at adopt@secretariatcenter.org or call 859-246-3080. Please provide information about the horse, including age, injury history, height, and vices. The horse must be registered with the Jockey Club. If the horse has a known injury history, we would appreciate copies of any vet reports, radiographs, or ultrasounds, as appropriate. Depending on the proximity, the director may ask to come see the horse or request photos/videos for horses we are unable to visit.

If the horse is accepted into Center training program, the donor must complete the Intake Agreement found below. The donor must provide transportation for the horse to the Center at the Kentucky Horse Park, and the horse must have a current Coggins and a health certificate issues within the preceding 30 days. Because we exist only on the generosity of our supporters and whatever adoption fees we can garner, we hope that you support your horse and its reschooling with a donation of a minimum of $1,500 at the time of acceptance.

If your horse is accepted into the program, the Secretariat Center will provide you with documentation acknowledging the donation of the horse. You will also receive an acknowledgement letter for any donation you provide to help support the horse’s care and reschooling while at the Center. If the horse’s Jockey Club registration papers are provided to the Center, we will have them stamped as “Retired from Racing” by the Jockey Club in order to protect the horse as much as possible in its future. These papers will stay on file at the Center for the duration of the horse’s life.

The Center pledges to give your horse the necessary reschooling for a new career, to match it up with an ideal adopter and to track the animal for life. We can herald your generosity and your responsible ownership of your racehorse.

While the horse is in training at the Center, the donor of the horse or any of the horse’s connections are welcome to come visit during normal business hours. The Center tracks all adopted horses for life and this information is available to the donor upon request at any time.