Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and 2020 Breeders Crown presenting sponsor, The Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, will officially kick off the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge the week of Sept. 7, benefitting four non-profit organizations represented by local Indiana celebrities.
The celebrities include Indianapolis Colts alumnus Jeff Saturday, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indianapolis sports radio personality Dan Dakich, and Emmy award-winning WTHR Indianapolis news anchor Julia Moffitt. The challenge will culminate on Breeders Crown weekend, set for Oct. 30 and 31.
Funds for the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge will be generated by donations from major Standardbred breeding and racing partnerships through a 'Glamour Boy Challenge' in the three-year-old pacing colt division, in which the partnerships will donate 1 per cent of their horse earnings through Nov. 1. Additional funds will be raised through the donation of a 2021 breeding to several of the industry’s top stallions at the 2020 Lexington Yearling Sale on Oct. 6 at 6:45 p.m.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Libfeld-Katz are partnering with the four Indiana celebrities to raise funds for their respective charities, and the challenge will be centred around a Facebook poll and social engagement. Each celebrity’s charity will receive a donation, but the celebrity-charity duo with the highest votes on the Facebook poll will receive a majority of the funds raised.
The 2020 Breeders Crown Charity Challenge Lineup is as follows:
Celebrity and Charity Teams
• Indianapolis Colt, Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl alumnus, Jeff Saturday – Hoosier Burn Camp
• Indiana Lieutenant Governor, Suzanne Crouch – AWS Foundation of Indiana
• Former Indiana basketball player and Indianapolis sports radio personality Dan Dakich – The Tyler Trent Cancer Research Endowment
• WTHR Indianapolis news anchor Julia Moffitt – Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Inc.
Glamour Boy Challenge (Donation of 1 per cent of earnings through Nov. 1, 2020)
• Tall Dark Stranger – Crawford Farms, Marvin Katz, Caviart Farms, Howard Taylor and trainer Nancy Takter
• Odds on Osiris – Odds On Racing, Dana Parham, trainer Melanie Wrenn
• Top Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt - Tony Alagna Stable
• Top Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt - Ron Burke Stable
Lexington Yearling Sale Auction (Donation of 2021 breeding fee)
• Father Patrick – Father Patrick Syndicate, Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farms
• Swan For All - Swan for All Syndicate and Bobby Brady of Kentuckiana Farms
• Walner - Walner Syndicate and David Reid of Preferred Marketing
• Greenshoe - Greenshoe Syndicate and Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky of Hanover Shoe Farm
• Tall Dark Stranger - Crawford Farms, Marvin Katz, Caviart Farms and Howard Taylor
• JK Endofanera – Victory Hill Farms and Bob Boni of Northwood Bloodstock
The 2019 Breeders Crown, hosted at Woodbine Mohawk Park, raised more than $282,000 in the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge with Libfeld-Katz at the helm, and the 2020 goal is to exceed that figure.
The Breeders Crown, a $6 million championship series designed to decide year-end honours, draws the year’s best Standardbred race horses from across North America to compete against one another. The event brings together the greatest harness racing equine athletes in the world as they square off in different divisions based on agee, sex and gait.
More information on the 2020 Breeders Crown, including the Charity Challenge, event FAQ, and Breeders Crown experience availability, can be found at www.HarrahsHoosierPark.com, and will be updated regularly.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)