The State Journal article

Fifth-graders from Good Shepherd School got a surprise Tuesday when they spotted two retired racehorses strolling the Capitol grounds.

It was the first time 10-year-old Nick McCann had ever petted a horse.

“It was fuzzy,” he said, after rubbing Champ’s dark brown nose. “I was surprised about how soft they were.”

The fifth-graders lined up to watch Champ and Guidance Up walk the street behind the Capitol. They listened as the animals made “funny noises” and learned how to care for their teeth and hooves.

“They were nice and soft and shiny and pretty,” said Ericka Bailey. “They can be dangerous, but they were really friendly.”

The horses reside at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Lawmakers recognized the center as a “Kentucky tourism and economic development site” with a resolution this week. Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, sponsored the legislation.

“We take in racehorses, give them new skill sets and put them up for adoption,” said Susanna Thomas, director of the Secretariat Center.

Off-the-track thoroughbreds could take on second careers in dressage or jumping, or find new homes with private owners. 

Champ’s adoption is pending by an 11-year-old girl, Thomas said.

The center has space for up to 15 horses.

“I want to use my position to herald the value of the off-the-track thoroughbred,” she said. “They retired, but they are sound again – all they needed were new skill sets.”

For more information, visit www.secretariatcenter.org. The center is open every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for demonstrations

For adoption information, call Melissa D

Reproduced with permission of The State Journal.