from the New York Racing Association
Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, are donating $100,000 from “Jackson Curlin for Kids” to Anna House, the on-track daycare center for children of backstretch workers at Belmont Park.
The check and some books will be delivered the morning of Sept. 27. Later in the day, Curlin will compete in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at Belmont Park.
“Curlin has had much success in New York both in Saratoga and Belmont, so it is fitting that we should make a donation to Anna House on the day he attempts to make history,” Banke said. “His success on the track as helped education and children’s charities throughout America. Even though Jess is an only child, family has always been a priority in his life. Our children are very important to us, and we are so grateful to have a horse like Curlin that can help make a difference in the lives of children where he races, but especially for the backstretch workers in New York.”
The donation will go to the Anna House tuition fund. Anna House is run under the auspices of the Belmont Child Care Association to provide care for children of backstretch workers at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Saratoga. Anna House was the brainchild of several horsemen’s wives in 1998.
The New York Racing Association donated land for the 7,500-sqaure-foot facility, and Long Island developer Michael Dubb, now a member of NYRA’s board of directors, donated his services. A $1-million donation from owners Eugene and Laura Melynk moved construction forward, and the facility was named Anna House after the Melynks’ daughter.