AmTote, Stronach Group Develop PETA-Proposed Technology to Spare Horses

Pop-Up Donation Screen Will Enable Bettors to Contribute to Retirement for Racing Thoroughbreds

For Immediate Release:
August 14, 2017

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

A first-of-its-kind technology for horse-racing wagering terminals, conceived of and proposed by PETA to raise funds to care for Thoroughbreds retired from racing, has been developed by AmTote International. The concept, which PETA presented to the Stronach Group and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), involves a pop-up screen for wagering terminals asking bettors to donate a portion of their winnings to the TAA. The TAA announced the technology on Sunday at the annual Jockey Club Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing. This is the first time such an interface has been developed for the racing industry. The technology will soon be tested on betting terminals at a Stronach-owned track.

PETA, whose 2011 Thoroughbred Lifecycle 360 Fund proposal for a retirement program was embraced by the racing industry and became the funding model for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, has been concerned that insufficient funds mean that some Thoroughbreds will end up sold at auction and sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. The new wagering terminal technology has the potential to generate an ongoing source of additional revenue. PETA approached the Stronach Group—which owns Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, and other tracks—because of its commitment to improving conditions for horses used in racing.

“The racing industry is done with most Thoroughbreds before their fifth birthday, and they need good homes,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “This new technology interface has the potential to provide millions of dollars for the horses’ care, and we’re delighted that the Stronach Group has embraced it.”

As the TAA’s Stacie Clark stated, “PETA did not seek compensation, monetary or otherwise, for the concept. Their only request was that 100 percent of the money donated through these terminals would support Thoroughbred aftercare. We would like to thank AmTote, the Stronach Group, and PETA for their joint leadership in horse care. The TAA is thrilled with the potential of this technology to help Thoroughbreds beyond their racing careers.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.