Shamballa, the surprising six-year-old with earnings closing in on the million-dollar mark makes a difference in memory of Taylor Vit, the late son of Kathie and Bill Vit, long-time owners, who race under the stable name of Cool Cat Racing.
Taylor was just 22 years old when he passed, as a result of an automobile accident in 2010. His love of the horses, and time spent working with them at Saga Farm in Lexington and Winbak in Maryland while a student at University of Kentucky, prompted the Vit family to set up a memorial fund through the Standardbred Retirement Foundation (SRF).
Shamballa is one of the few whose career took off later in life. This has proven lucky for Cool Cat Racing & SRF. The Vits understand what a financial burden it is to care for the large number of horses SRF has taken in, some who have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars and deserve a place to land softly to live out their lives.
A percentage of the earnings from Shamballa and other stalwarts from the Cool Cat Racing stable (Fearless Man, Fireballs Prayers, et al) help to feed and care for them through the Taylor Vit Memorial Fund. Knowing that SRF has many retirees unattractive to adopters due to age or injury, the Taylor Vit Memorial Fund helps to feed and care for a few special retirees. A few retirees SRF has under their full care have collectively earned more than $2.5 million, including Macie The Farmer; Friday At Five; Hareshopen; C-Mon Big Guy; Duke of Earl; Four Starzz Hall; and Tylers Legend. The 27-year-old organization hopes that gifts from the harness racing community will be generous so they can continue to care for the 218 trotters and pacers. Support from those involved with harness racing is essential for SRF to successfully continue their mission.
The year is coming to an end and owners and trainers who have had a good one may be looking for a way to benefit from a tax deduction. "This is a very fitting way to give back to the horses that have been good to our trainers, drivers, owners and breeders. These horses give their all every time they go out there. It's not only the moral thing to do it helps our image," says Paula Campbell, SRF's President.
The Vits hope is that others will join in to help these gallant horses, through a percent of earnings, or donations, either to The Taylor Vit Memorial Fund @ SRF, or as a general donation to SRF.
Gifts are tax-deductible to The Fund and can be sent via the website at
AdoptaHorse.org, or directly to SRF. Other means to help are through SRF's Win* Win Program set up for direct deductions from winnings; donations made directly to SRF at 353 Sweetmans Lane, Millstone Twp., NJ 08535. For information contact Judy Bokman at 732-446-4422, [email protected].
(with files from SRF)