Tranquility Farm Thanks CARMA

The Board of Tranquility Farm would like to express our thanks to the hard working people of CARMA who have done so much to support the non-profit organizations caring for California's retired Thoroughbreds.

The retired horses of Tranquility Farm have participated in 2,011 races and earned more than fifteen million dollars in purses. We deeply appreciate CARMA's effort to secure a portion of each horse's earnings for their retirement.

Happy Holidays!

This was too good not to share! Thanks to Sandy Milby for the cute photo of her adopted horse, Don'tbeatattletale. Happy Holidays to everyone!

IN THE PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS 2011!

IN the PRESENCE OF CHAMPIONS 2011 featuring Zenyatta, Boys at Tosconova, Super Saver, EZ's Gentleman, Pretty Unusual, Stevie Wonderboy,Papa Clem, the Keeneland 2010September Sale Topper,Caracortado, and beautiful scenes from the world of quality Thoroughbred racing.

ORDER ONLINE NOW! CALENDARS WILL SHIP THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 15.

A GIANT THANK YOU!

Tranquility Farm wishes to thank everyone who contributed to our stallion season auction, all of our season purchasers, and most especially Auction Chairman Barbara Corey for a successful auction. Thanks to all of you for helping us to continue to provide for the 110 horses in the care of Tranquility Farm. In a year which has been difficult for everyone in the horse world, we are most particularly grateful for your help and support!

2010 STALLION SEASON AUCTION

2010 Annual
Stallion Season Telephone Auction
To benefit the 100 horses in retirement, rehabilitation or awaiting adoption at Tranquility Farm will take place on:

Nov. 21 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Nov. 22 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Nov. 23 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

To donate a season or submit a bid contact Auction Chairman Barbara Corey by phone or fax at: 909-887-9067.

2011 SEASONS OFFERED:
ALYMAGIC
ATHLETE
AWESOME GAMBLER
AWESOME SPIRIT
BEDFORD FALLS
BEHRENS
BLAKES PASSION
BLAZONRY
BOLD CHIEFTAIN
CAPSIZED
CHATTAHOOCHEE WAR
COMIC STRIP
COUNCIL MEMBER
CYCLOTRON
DECARCHY
DEFY LOGIC
DRUM MAJOR
FLAME THROWER
FORMAL GOLD
FREESPOOL
FULLBRIDLED
GAME PLAN
GLOBALIZE
GOLD KNUCKLES
GOOD JOURNEY
GOTHAM CITY
HELD OVER AGAIN
IRON CAT
LASERSPORT
LUCKY PULPIT
MANY RIVERS
MARINO MARINI
McCANN’S MOJAVE
MR. NAPPER TANDY (GB)
MUD ROUTE
PAMPLEMOUSSE
PAPA CLEM
PURE THRILL
RIVER GAMBLER
RIVERGRADE BOY
SOUGHT AFTER
SOUTHERN IMAGE
SPENSIVE
STORM WOLF
STORMY JACK
SURF CAT
SWISS YODELER
TANNERSMYMAN
TEN MOST WANTED
THISNEARLYWASMINE
TOUGH FAME
UNCLE DENNY
UNDER CAUTION
VRONSKY
WESTERN FAME

Saving Pious

Saturday, as the racing world held it’s breath for Zenyatta, a lovely 5 year old chestnut stallion named Pious passed through the ring of a southern California livestock auction that is often the last stop for horses before a Mexican slaughterhouse. Even on Breeder’s Cup Day, the attrition of former Thoroughbred racehorses continues unabated. Pious is a son of the great sire Forestry, and he was sold at the January 2006 Keeneland sale for $240,000. He raced three times without success at Del Mar and Oak Tree as a two year old in 2008, and yesterday afternoon he was rescued for $300.



Pious arrived safely at Tranquility Farm today thanks to Caroline Betts of Southern CA Thoroughbred Rescue who spotted him at the sale, and to Denise Smith who bid for him and provided transportation. We can only save horses like Pious because of the donations of our supporters, so PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TODAY TO HELP PIOUS Pious is a gentle soul and he seems to be quite sound. With a few months of rehabitation and gelding he will make someone a wonderful horse!

Honoring our Cal Cup Stars

Saturday is Cal Cup day at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park, and time to remember and appreciate the stars of past years who have made this such a special day in California racing. Tranquility Farm was the retirement home of the very first Cal Cup Sprint winner, Valiant Pete, and throughout the years many more horses who have reached the pinacle of California racing have joined us. With the exception of Lennyfromalibu, whose retiremet is sponsored by his owner, all of our retired Cal Cup stars are entirely dependant upon Tranquility Farm and our supporters for their retirement. CALIFORNIA'S HORSES NEED TRANQUILITY FARM AND TRANQUILITY FARM NEEDS YOU! Please help us continue to provide these California racing champions with the long and happy life they so deserve!
Lennyfromalibu, Winner, Cal Cup Mile.

Hemet Thought, Second, Cal Cup Mile.
Areyoutalkintome, Winner Cal Cup Sprint.
Full Moon Madness, Winner, Cal Cup Sprint
Patriotaki, Placed Cal Cup Mile.

Running Free, Second, Cal Cup Mile.

Saving Mananan Mclir

Today is Oak Tree Derby Day, and we honor the career of our retiree Mananan Mclir, who placed in the Gr. 2 Oak Tree Derby in 2006. It is a perfect moment to reflect upon the fate of racehorses who are literally abandoned at the racetrack every day. Mananan Mclir started 47 times, and his record was 9-8-4. He was already a stakes winner in England before embarking upon his American career that earned him more than half a million dollars. Among his achievements were winning the Gr.2 American Derby, and placing in the Gr. 2 Oak Tree and Hollywood Derbys. But it seems there was no way Mananan Mclir could do enough to earn the loyalty of any of his former owners, and in the end he was traded down the claiming ranks until he broke down at Hollywood Park on July 4th of 2008. Cast aside and "unwanted", Mananan Mclir became a ward of charity.

Mananan Mclir at Tranquility Farm.

To prevent the exploitation and abandonment of horses at the racetrack is the challenge of our time. But until this is achieved the only thing that horses like Mananan Mclir have to depend upon is charity. The kindness of strangers. California's horses need Tranquility Farm, and Tranquility Farm needs you. We are caring for more than one hundred former racehorses, and the great majority of them have shared the fate of Mananan Mclir. No matter how difficult, they have done everything that was asked of them, because that is the nature of a Thoroughbred. What we have yet to determine is how much longer racing will allow the abandonment of injured horses to be considered nothing more than just the unfortunate nature of a human being?

Our Morvich Handicap winner Geronimo

Rescue takes many forms, and sometimes even the best and brightest in the racing world find themselves in need of a friend. So it was that Geronimo (Chi)came to Tranquility Farm after being vanned off in his forty-fourth start in a claiming race at Del Mar in July of 2006. Geronimo had a record of 11 wins, 10 second place finishes and 6 times third with earnings of $464,150. Among his many accomplishments are running in three consecutive Gr.3 Morvich Handicaps, which will be run tomorrow at Oak Tree. Geronimo placed third in the 2003 Morvich Hcp, forth in 2004, and he won it by a head in 2005.


Geronimo and his pals Stormin Away and I Love Silver are living the good life today at Tranquility Farm thanks entirely to the help of our supporters, which include the Oak Tree Foundation. We thank them so much for their faithful support of these former stars.

Update: Pregnant Mare Rescue

There has been a very good response to the plight of the 20 Thoroughbreds that were sold to a Chino, California feedlost from the Euclid Auction last Saturday night. Many rescues and private individuals have stepped forward, but there are four broodmares and one nice four-year-old-bay colt by Compelling Sound that still need homes. Please see below:



PLEASE forward this posting to as many people as possible who may be able to provide a home for one of these horses. Thank you.
CONTACT: CAROLINE BETTS, Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue at 661-305-9021

Lochanara (1986 mare?, possibly in foal to Chachacharlie) - sold for $100 at auction
Unnamed 06 bay colt (Compelling Sound - Whisper Wildley) - sold for $185 at auction
Bay mare, 7yo, pedigree unknown - sold for $175 at auction
Chestnut mare, 10yo, pedigree unknown -sold for $75 at auction
Dark bay mare, 10yo, pedigree unknown -
These mares are believed to be in foal to the stallion ChachaCharlie. The paperwork for the unidentified mares is being researched.

Eventing prospects

We get lots of calls for eventing prospects from people wanting a big, "slow" horse with no previous injuries. But they are calling a farm that takes horses off the racetrack, so the answer is often good luck with that.

Meanwhile the World Equestrian Games in Lexington is stoking the fire for future event riders in the US, showcasing world-class athletes that go from racing cross-country to composed elegance in the dressage ring. What hope does a rider of average means have to find a horse with this much athleticism and talent?



The answer is obvious. You find a young horse with good conformation and a good mind, and you train it yourself. From day one. Training is faster, easier, and often more rewarding than "retraining", especially for a horse that is destined to perform at the highest levels. This seems to be a well-kept secret.



With this in mind, Tranquility's adoption page will soon feature many beautiful young Thoroughbreds that were raised here, and with very few exceptions they are all the offspring of rescued broodmares. The foal crop in California has dropped 50% in the last five years, so for serious riders preparing for the future, the time to look for a young horse is now!

Urgent. Act to End Horse Slaughter

Please act to help bring HR 503 to the House Floor for a vote!

Representative James Moran needs your help to get H.R. 503 to a vote in the House!
U.S. Representative James Moran is circulating the letter set out below to all members of the House of Representatives for their signature. Once signatures have been gathered, Rep. Moran and members of the House of Representatives will present the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The letter calls on Speaker Pelosi to bring the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503, to a vote by the full House of Representatives immediately.

Tranquility Farm, Equine Welfare Alliance, and Animal Law Coalition urge you to call on your U.S. representative to sign this letter now!

Click Here to find the name and contact information for your U.S. representative in Washington: You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your U.S. representative. The letter must be signed by Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010. It is best to call or fax your representative. Tell your representative that you urge him or her to sign on as a co-sponsor and contact Rep. Moran and sign the letter calling on Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503. Be sure to tell your representative that you live in his or her district and ask for a copy of the letter with your representative's signature! Go here to find out if your rep is already a co-sponsor and, if so, urge him or her to sign the letter!

H.R. 503 will put an end to the slaughter of American horses. Only a federal law can stop this tragedy.
Read the bill here

PLEASE FORWARD THIS APPEAL, AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE HORSES!

REPRESENTATIVE MORAN'S LETTER TO CONGRESS:

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker of the House
H-232, The U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Madame Speaker:

We write to you in strong support of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503), legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption and prevent the export of live horses for the same purpose. With 183 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, 28 in the Senate, and tremendous public support, we urge you to allow this bill a vote in the House.

Equine slaughter is inhumane by nature. Horses have a fractious reaction to the stress induced by chutes, kill boxes, puntilla knives and captive bolt stun systems, causing these animals to suffer immensely and die an inhumane death. These animals are subjected to brutal transport conditions on their way to slaughter facilities. In addition, the consumption of horsemeat poses a serious public health threat as this meat contains substances banned for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since 2005, Congress has repeatedly voted to shut down the cruel practice of horse slaughter and included appropriations language to defund the USDA inspection of horses and horsemeat as a stopgap measure until a permanent federal ban is passed. The last three horse slaughter plants on U.S. soil were closed by enforcement of state law in Texas and a recently enacted ban on horse slaughter in Illinois. As you know, California overwhelmingly banned horse slaughter over a decade ago, and the state legislature just passed a resolution in favor of passing the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

Still, American horses continue to be sent over the border for human consumption. Since January of this year, approximately 53,850 horses have been transported across our nation's borders into the cruelty of slaughter in Mexico and Canada. This number amounts to about 100,000 horses annually, 1,500 per week, or one every five minutes.

As cosponsors of H.R. 503, we, along with millions of Americans and animal protection organizations such as the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Society of the United States, urge you to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this critical legislation.

Best regards,

Lava Lil finds a home!

Spunky Lava Lil has packed a whole lot into her eleven years. She raced forty times with a record of 3-2-11, and earned $48,466. A daughter of Stage Colony, it is not suprising that she retired sound and full of zest for life. In a Jockey Club survey of American sires rated for the soundness and longevity of their runners,former California sire Stage Colony got very high marks.

For an encore to her racing career, Lava Lil produced a beautiful filly,and she was an excellent mother. But when her foal was weaned it was clear that Lil needed something to occupy her active mind.



So it was off to take a short course in hunter work with trainer Darcy Edwards in Lakeside, CA. Lil took to her retraining with her characteristic enthusiasm, but due to her diminutive stature she was overlooked many times by potential adopters at Tranquility Farm.


At last re-schooling is paying off for Lava Lil and she will soon leave us for the dream job of being adored by the kids she will give riding lessons to, and having a whole lot of attention and fun. Lil has finally found an adopter who realizes very good things can come in small packages, especially a perky pony that has been so successful at everything she has ever put her hoof to!

Areyoutalkintome!

Today is the last day of the Del Mar meet,with the traditional running of the Pirates Bounty Handicap. What better day to honor our retiree Areyoutalkintome, who competed in this race three times, winning it in 2006 and running second in 2005. Here is a horse who knows what it is like to have skin in the game. He was a fiercely competitive racehorse who ran a total of 52 times with record of 10-15-7 and amassed earnings of $985,417.

Photo by Anthony Andrews

Even today, after two leisurely years in retirement at Tranquility Farm, Areyoutalkintome prefers to be in a private paddock without the bother of other horses in his space. So be it, he has earned all the happiness we can give him. And he also earned the right to some of that incredible money he made running his heart out on the racetrack, so that he could retire with dignity. If ever there was a poster boy for mandating funds for retiring Thoroughbreds it is Areyoutalkintome.