New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced today (Friday, Dec. 16) that leading harness racing owner Burke Racing Stable LLC and an anonymous Thoroughbred donor have become the newest $50,000 Foundation Donors for the New Vocations Capital Campaign.

To date the campaign has raised more than $1.6 million of the $2 million goal needed to build the country’s premier racehorse aftercare facility on historic Mereworth Farm.

"New Vocations has been close to my heart for the past 24 years,” said Mickey Burke, owner with son Ronnie, of Burke Racing LLC. “Ronnie and I both feel this is a great way to show our support for the wonderful work this organization does for the many horses entering the program and getting adopted each year.”

Mickey was also the nation’s leading harness racing trainer in 2007 and 2008. He was succeeded in 2009 by his son Ronnie, who continues to perennially top that category.

“We are honoured to have leaders in both the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industry supporting our Capital Campaign. New Vocations at Mereworth Farm is already proving to increase our ability to get more horses transitioned into new homes,” said Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford.

The New Vocations Capital Campaign was launched in May 2015 and the first group of horses moved into the Whirlwind Poppy barn on April 15, 2016. The Lexington team has been able to carry on the aftercare operations as usual in spite of being in the middle of a constant construction zone. As of December, 110 horses have come to the new facility and 80 have already been adopted. Once the project is complete, the new facility will double the number of horses New Vocations is able to take at its Lexington operation.

To follow the campaign’s progress and learn more about the naming and giving opportunities visit newvocations.org/capital-campaign.

(New Vocations)