TURNING FOR HOME PROGRAM EARNS FOURTH STRAIGHT JET RUN AWARD;
TURNING FOR HOME PROGRAM EARNS FOURTH STRAIGHT JET RUN AWARD;
FINGER LAKES FINEST TAKES THE PRIZE FOR TOP TAKE2 HUNTER
King’s Vision and Revocation traveled similar paths to their second careers. Both were bred in the Bluegrass
State of Kentucky, both sold as yearlings at high-profile Thoroughbred auctions, and both were modestly
successful on the racetrack. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place when both were guided from the track
to the show ring by two shining examples of the aftercare network that has been built up at tracks across the
U.S. to ensure happy and healthy lives for retired racehorses. King’s Vision was retired through the non-profit
Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds, and has been crowned the TAKE2 Jet Run Award champion hunter.
Revocation gives the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s venerable Turning for Home
program a fourth consecutive Jet Run Award in the TAKE2 jumper category.
The TAKE2 Jet Run Award was created in 2017 to highlight the role of aftercare organizations in the successful
second careers of retired racehorses. It goes to the High-Score TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper that graduates from
a recognized aftercare program.
“We are so proud to honor Turning for Home and Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds with the 2020 Jet Run
Awards for the work they do with retired racehorses,” said TAKE2 Executive Director Andy Belfiore. “Our
program is designed to remind the hunter and jumper community of the amazing talent our Thoroughbreds
have for sport horse careers. Providing the horses with the proper retraining and finding perfect new homes is
vital to our success – we simply couldn’t fulfill our mission without the support and dedication of our aftercare
partners.”
Revocation, a son of Broken Vow who sold for $70,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, made 21 starts and
counted a 5 ½-length allowance victory at Belmont Park
among his three wins. He earned $144,420. Now 10, he is
the third retired racehorse that the Allen family of
Moorestown, NJ, have adopted from Turning for Home and
campaigned to a Jet Run Award win. Bob Allen trained the
fourth, Carol Sienkiewicz’s Wise Son, who was the champ
last year.
“Revocation came into our lives two years ago from the
Turning for Home program and its liaison Kelly Lupton,”
Maureen Allen explained. “Kelly is always on the lookout for
nice horses for our barn. ‘Remy’ was placed in our athletic program. Our 19-year-old daughter Grace got on
him and we could see his impressive step and powerful hindquarters right away.
“Since Grace was very busy showing horses, I started riding Remy and developed a great partnership with
him,” she added. “I have been riding, training and showing horses for over 30 years and had an instant feeling
that I did not this one to get away. Whether I am in the irons or not, he will always have a place with me.”
Kelly, who had trained with Bob Allen for many years, knew Revocation would be in good hands.
“We always vet our adopters to try and have the best fit,” she explained.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but if you ask enough questions and get a
good feel for someone you can usually say yay or nay. After you do this so
long, you usually know right away.
“After riding Revocation a few times, I called Bob Allen and told him I had a
horse for his wife, Maureen, or his daughter, Gracie. They always like a tough
athletic horse, but with a good mind to want to do the job. Revocation was
level-headed from the get-go, but very athletic. I knew he needed to go to the
jumper or eventing world.”
Turning for Home, established in 2008, finds homes for approximately 400
horses annually retiring from Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia.
“Revocation is a prime example of what TFH does, over and over, to be an
umbrella of protection for the Parx racehorses,” said Turning for Home
Program Administrator Danielle Montgomery. “He came to us from the Coletti barn in May of 2016, and we
first placed him with a former partner farm that had some trouble with him. Six months later, TFH picked him
up again – we will always accept any TFH horse back for any reason – and sent him to Black Oak Farm, which is
Kelly’s home farm. The team at Black Oak has been nothing but dedicated to helping our horses, and has all
the experience and ability to do the best for each horse.”
Royally Bred
King’s Vision was bred to be a champion. His dam, Weekend Storm, is a half-sister to Horse of the Year A.P.
Indy, and he himself is a full brother to Breeders’ Cup champion Court Vision. He sold for $330,000 at the 2010
Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. But following in his brother’s footsteps was not in the cards. With 16
starts and two wins at Finger Lakes Racetrack to his credit, the bay was on to a second career with the help of
Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds. His new owner, Lucinda Finley, volunteers for the program.
“I acquired King in December 2014 from Finger Lakes,” Lucinda said. “I volunteer to help find good post-racing
homes for the horses at Finger Lakes, and when I helped get photos and jog video of King to post him for
rehoming, I loved his balanced and excellent
conformation, and his obvious class from his
pedigree. He had no takers for several weeks,
perhaps because he is under 16 hands and a
plain bay, and everyone seems to want big
geldings who are grey or have lots of chrome.
Long story short, I did even though I already
had too many horses at that time!”
Lucinda grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland,
OH, where she was a “typical horse-crazy little
girl.” She rode after school and also got
hooked on racing, begging her dad to take her
to the Ohio Derby and then the Kentucky
Derby. But while brothers Scott, a business development, marketing and technology expert, and Bill, an award-winning journalist, chose careers in horse racing, Lucinda took a different path, attending law school before
joining a firm in Washington, D.C. She is now a full-time law professor at SUNY Buffalo Law School, but carves
out a few hours for Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds to help the horses she loves.
“I am very committed to helping bring the Thoroughbreds back to the show hunter ring,” she said. “I realized I
lived only an hour from a race track that each year had lots of horses looking for new homes, so in 2010 I got
my first off-track Thoroughbred from Finger Lakes, and later joined Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds as a
volunteer.”
The TAKE2 Program is helping to further her goal of increasing the popularity of Thoroughbred hunters and
jumpers.
“In my opinion, TAKE2 has done an immense service in helping to bring Thoroughbreds back to the very top
level of hunter/jumper shows and to generate interest amongst the top level hunter/jumper trainers in giving
Thoroughbreds a chance again,” Lucinda said. “So often when we’re at a top level show with a Thoroughbred
aimed at the TAKE2 classes, we get noticed by other trainers and riders – and the judges – who comment on
what a nice horse we have, not just for the TAKE2 classes but in general for any division. TAKE2 expands
opportunities for retiring racehorses beyond the local show level people who have a limited budget, to the top
echelon of the hunter/jumper sport, a level where the Thoroughbred once dominated. TAKE2 classes open
their eyes to why the Thoroughbred was once the horse of choice, and once again should be.”
Added Maureen Allen, “The TAKE2 program is a partnership that truly supports retired racehorses. These
horses have a lot to offer their new owners, and these animals deserve a chance to develop their potential.
The TAKE2 program offers nice prizes and money, which is an incentive, and it’s just plain fun!”
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) partnered with the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.
(NYTB) to create TAKE2, with the goal of making it easier to find new homes for retired racehorses. TAKE2 sponsors prize
money in Thoroughbred Hunter and Jumper classes, high-score year-end awards and the $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter & Jumper
Finals for Thoroughbred League members, and supports Thoroughbred aftercare initiatives nationwide. The program has
expanded quickly, from eight shows in three states in its first year in 2012 to more than 360 horse shows in 23 states in
- A 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, it is co-funded by members of the Thoroughbred industry around the country:
Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Associations in Maryland (through Beyond the Wire) and Pennsylvania (through Turning for
Home); Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company; and members of the racing and horse show communities across the country.
TAKE2 is a 2020 TCA grantee.
