Richard Young, co-owner of world champion mare Put On A Show, is once again supporting A Spring of Hope, a charity near and dear to his heart.
Founded by his daughter, Brittany, and wife, Joanne, A Spring of Hope is a public foundation, which builds water wells in rural African schools to improve community health conditions and to promote education at a grassroots level.
Young, along with the Woodbine Entertainment Group, organized the inaugural edition of the event for aged pacing mares, which began last year.
“There are two reasons why I wanted to do this,” Young said. “One, I wanted to do whatever I could to support the charity. Two, I also was thinking that there are not enough races for aged pacing mares. So, last year I asked Bruce Murray (WEG's VP of standardbred racing) if it was possible to do something like this and we were able to work something out."
Last year, Young’s Put On A Show was unable to participate due to injury, but this year, the earner of $2,321,093 will be the headliner in the $100,000 A Spring of Hope.
“Wherever she finishes in the race, I will donate 50 per cent of her earnings to the charity,” he said. “I would say she has an excellent chance of picking up a decent cheque and I’m looking forward to the event on Saturday. It’s a great cause.”
Young has also encouraged the connections of each horse to support the charity.
“It’s a charity event and we hope that the participants will contribute to A Spring Of Hope, just like a regular stake race, in lieu of a starting fee.”
A raffle will also take place for a chance to win two pictures by Artissimo Designs. Raffle tickets will sell for $2 each on Saturday inside the Mohawk entrance. All money raised will be donated to A Spring of Hope.
Young, admittedly, will be on the edge of his seat when he cheers on Put On A Show and I Luv The Nitelife, who will contest in the $610,000 Shes A Great Lady Stakes for freshman pacing fillies.
After Put On A Show became the fastest mare in history with her 1:47.4 World Record performance at the Meadowlands Racetrack on August 4 (Hambletonian Day), I Luv The Nitelife also gained world-champion status when she lowered the World Record to 1:50.1 in her Shes A Great Lady elimination this past Saturday.
“I’ve been in this game for 25 years and never had anything close to a world champion... now I have two in one month. It’s incredible,” Young said.
Put On A Show will begin from Post 7 in Race 3, while I Luv The Nitelife will start from Post 3 in Race 7.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.
(WEG)