The key annual fundraiser for the Thoroughbred Charities of America, its stallion season auction, begins Jan. 4 with a telephone auction and ends with a live select seasons auction Jan. 7 at the Keeneland Entertainment Center in Lexington.
Founded in 1990, the TCA raises and distributes funds for charities in the Thoroughbred industry that provide a better life for Thoroughbreds during and after their racing careers through retirement programs, rescue operations, and research. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
The majority of TCA’s seasons will be sold during the telephone auction Jan. 4-6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST each day. The 22nd annual Thoroughbred Charities of America Select Stallion Season Auction on Jan. 7 is a cocktail party-style event beginning at 6:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and dinner preceding the auction that starts at 8:15 p.m.
The select auction will feature seasons to 26 stallions including: Arch, Malibu Moon (live foal), Bernardini *, Medaglia d'Oro *, Broken Vow *, More Than Ready , Discreetly Mine, Quality Road , English Channel , Scat Daddy, First Samurai (live foal), Sidney's Candy, Giant's Causeway , Smart Strike, Gio Ponti , Speightstown , Girolamo *, Stormy Atlantic , Hard Spun *, Street Sense *, Harlan's Holiday, Super Saver , Kitten's Joy (live foal), Tale of the Cat (live foal), Lonhro*, and Uncle Mo .
Stallions marked with an "*" means the breeder gets a free return to the stallion in 2013 should the mare not get in foal or not produce a live foal.
Besides the stallion seasons, other items to be auctions include a weekend stay in the WinStar Farm guest house; a Triple Crown ticket package; a sports package featuring tickets to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, NASCAR Nationwide Series, UK Basketball and the Indianapolis 500; winner’s choice of select John Deere equipment; Horsemen’s Package featuring sales representation services, boarding, vanning and surgical services; a Dominican Republic vacation; a New York City getaway; and two tickets to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5. The Select Stallion Season Auction also features a Diamond Champagne Raffle sponsored by Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers.
Telephone bidding will be permitted on non-season auction items. Please call for details.
The telephone auction hotline is (859) 276-4989. For a complete list of seasons or to purchase tickets for the Select Stallion Season Auction please visit www.tca.org or call (859) 276-4989.
During the live event, Michael Blowen of Old Friends will be honored with the TCA Industry Service Award and Fasig-Tipton will be honored with the TCA Leadership Award.
Select Stallion Season Auction sponsors include Brushwood Stable, Rosenberg Thoroughbred Consulting, Candyland Farm, PBI Bank, Lael Stable, Provations Group, OfficeMax, Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, L.V. Harkness, and Blood-Horse Publications.