By Brian Shlonsky
Published: Apr. 28, 2025
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – During Kentucky Derby week, many fans of the sport often wonder what happens to the racehorses once they retire from the track. For most, their racing careers are short, less than five years. For a lucky few, when they leave behind the silks, saddles, trainers and jockeys, they will get to live out their days with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
“When they come here and they’re retired, their job is to eat grass all day, their job is to hang out with their friends, their pasture mates,” said Nikki Bernstein, Farm and Event Manager, Chestnut Hall. “Their life is pretty relaxed and quiet and easy and worry free.”
Chestnut Hall is one of more than a dozen farms operated by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation around the United States. TRF’s national herd consists of 425 retired thoroughbred racehorses with an average age over 20 years olds.
“The racetrack span is pretty short for the average horse and there’s so many more years for their life after that,” Bernstein said. “The average person sees maybe a two-minute race on the TV and that’s what their perception is of horse racing, but it’s so much bigger and so much more broad than that.”
TRF’s mission is to give thoroughbreds who can no longer compete on the racetrack a life free of neglect, abuse and slaughter. Sadly, Bernstein said those horrors can happen – especially with horse buyers who don’t realize the responsibility and the cost of caring for the animals long-term.
Bernstein said caring for them is a big – and expensive – task. The average cost to keep a thoroughbred alive is at least $75,000, covering everything from feed to hay to medical bills. Bernstein said the prices for thoroughbred care have only increased with inflation. But for those who care for the horses, they say it’s worth every penny.
“They really just love these animals and care for them, so they get spoiled,” Bernstein said.
TRF also has something called a Second Chances Program that gives prison inmates the chance to build life skills while providing supervised care to some of the herd. There are eight of those facilities spread across six states, including outside of Lexington, Kentucky.
Chestnut Hall is one of TRF’s sanctuary farms. It sits on 25 acres off U.S. 42 in Prospect, KY, with the backdrop of a historic, 1860′s home. Bill Carstanjen, the CEO of Churchill Downs, Inc., purchased the land in 2019, Bernstein said, to protect it from residential development. It was once a farm called Hillcrest Farm, that served as everything from a cattle and tobacco production facility to a single-family home over the years.
Ten horses live on the property that offers tours and hosts field trips. People can even book the property for corporate events. Bernstein said it’s important for those who are not affiliated with the horse racing industry to see how the animals live.
“Coming out here and learning what the horse’s life is like after the racetrack,” she said. “[We are] giving these amazing animals a place to land and spend the rest of their life knowing they will be cared for.”
The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation said it can always use help with donations and volunteers. For those people looking to donate to the cause or book a tour of the Chestnut Hall property, you can go to the TRF website: trfinc.org.
Watch here: https://www.wave3.com/2025/04/28/prospect-thoroughbred-sanctuary-saves-retired-racehorses/