News Releases

Friday, October 17, 2003Contact: Bob Curran Jr. (212) 521-5326
Breeders' Cup Charity Gala to Benefit Equine Organizations

Oak Tree Racing Association will host the Breeders’ Cup Charity Gala Friday, Oct. 24th at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif. with proceeds benefiting the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, NTRA Charities and Kids to the Cup.

The black-tie affair will feature a live auction with guest auctioneer David Cassidy and musical entertainment provided by the Bob Gail Orchestra.

Among the auction items are: an afternoon in the Royal Enclosure during the 2004 Royal Ascot meeting; five hours of flying time on a NetJets private aircraft; a 30”x40” racing scene oil painting (“The Dark Horse”) by noted artist John Thomas Berry; and a customized oil portrait of a Thoroughbred owner’s silks by award-winning equine artist Thomas Allen Pauley.

There are also getaway packages to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Saratoga Race Course, Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and to Lone Star Million Day at Lone Star Park, as well as many other items.

“Like the Breeders’ Cup Championships Day, the Charity Gala has established a rich tradition of helping equine-related charities throughout the country and we feel privileged and proud to support the three worthwhile charities we have designated as beneficiaries this year,” said D.G. Van Clief, Jr., president of Breeders’ Cup Limited and vice chairman of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is the leading source of private funding for equine veterinary research; NTRA Charities, a subsidiary of the NTRA, exists to raise awareness of the Thoroughbred industry and its charitable organizations through outreach programs and public service announcements on NTRA-produced programming; and Kids to the Cup is a non-profit corporation that attracts, educates and develops young racing fans through various programs, including visits to major racing events with their parents.

David Cassidy, himself a longtime Thoroughbred owner, rocketed to fame in 1970 as a juvenile star in “The Partridge Family” and has enjoyed similar success in the recording industry, on Broadway and as a Las Vegas entertainer and producer.

Additional information about the Breeders’ Cup Charity Gala can be obtained by contacting Nancy Kelly or Jenifer Van Deinse at the Ritz Carlton Hospitality Center: (626) 585-6490.