LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) --Â The three-year-old thoroughbreds only get one shot to win the Kentucky Derby, so what do they do when they're done racing? Some of them live the good life at Chestnut Hall.
The peace and quiet at the farm keeps these thoroughbreds happy.
"It's like their only job is to eat and enjoy the sun and just be retired," Whitney Vogel, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation marketing and events coordinator, said.
The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation gives race horses a comfortable second life at Chestnut Hall Farm.
The horses in Prospect used to be on the track, and with it, comes some bragging rights. Kanskat had 34 starts and earned nearly $100,000 in her racing days.
"We get the horses that retire from racing, and they can't go on to a second career, like becoming a hunter/jumper or trail horse," Vogel said. "They can't really be ridden."
The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is the oldest and largest thoroughbred rescue in the U.S. The nonprofit takes horses that are injured or might not be well taken care of after their racing days are over.
"We see it," Vogel said. "We see that there's neglect. It's our job just to make sure that doesn't happen anymore, that all of their needs are met, and they respond really well to that."
The 25 acres at Chestnut Hall are their sanctuary.
"They've done their job," Vogel said. "They've done what they were supposed to do. We have to get them to this point where they can just be relaxed and enjoy their life."
To donate to the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund, click here.Â
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