New Vocations announced May 12 that Z Fortune, who ran in the 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brand (gr. I) was officially adopted by HRTV reporter and host of “Race Day America” Carolyn Conley.
"I have been a huge fan of Z Fortune since his debut ,” said Conley of Z Fortune, a grade III winner who was raced throughout his career by Ahmed Zayat’s Zayat Stables. “I exercised his sire Siphon and he was my favorite horse of all time. Z Fortune has Siphon's size and confidence, and I can't wait to spend time with him on the trail. My son Aidan is also looking forward to riding him when the time is right. We are so excited to have him become a member of our family.”
Upon putting Z Fortune up for adoption New Vocations was flooded with interest from across the country.
“We had close to twenty qualified potential adopters,” explained New Vocations program director Anna Ford in a statement. “It was very difficult to choose which situation would be the best for Z Fortune. The fact Carolyn Conley already had a good relationship with the Zayat family set her apart. I would say this is a happy ending, but really it’s a happy beginning for Z Fortune. He has been loved and well cared for his whole life and now he gets a chance at a second career with an adopter who will continue to appreciate him and all his accomplishments.”
Ford said New Vocations hopes Z Fortune’s story will encourage other Thoroughbred owners to think about retiring their horses earlier rather than later so that a second career remains an option.
For the past six years, New Vocations has placed an average of 300 horses a year into carefully screened and monitored homes. Their mission is to rehab, retrain, and re-home retired racehorses.
As with most charities the majority of the program’s funding comes from private donations. “Three hundred a year is a lot, but it’s only a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands more that need our services,” explained Ford. “The more funds we raise the more horses we can help.”
For more information visit www.horseadoption.com