New Vocations Sweeps TAKE2 Jet Run Awards

New Vocations Sweeps TAKE2 Jet Run Awards with Nickel Ride, Italian Syndicate

Written by TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program on Sept. 19, 2024

A pair of Thoroughbreds retired through the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program have earned the honor of this season’s TAKE2 Jet Run Award winners, created to highlight the role of aftercare organizations in the successful second careers of retired racehorses.

This year’s Jet Run Award winner in the Hunter division is Nickel Ride (registered name Candy Major), who is owned and ridden by 2024 TAKE2 High-Score Junior Rider Breanna Moore. In the Jumper Division, Italian Syndicate earned the title for owners Michael and Sharon Kvistad.

The TAKE2 Jet Run Award goes to the high-score TAKE2 Thoroughbred League member who graduated from an aftercare program accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, affiliated with a recognized horsemen’s organization, and/or approved for a grant from Thoroughbred Charities of America.

Registered with The Jockey Club as Candy Major, Nickel Ride (aka Nicholas) sold for $100,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Unraced, the son of Candy Ride was adopted from New Vocations in 2019 by Jamie Barkau before being purchased by the mother-and-daughter team of Brooke and Breanna Moore.

Nickel Ride ended the season fourth in the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League final Hunter Standings, with 950 points. He has clearly taken to a career in the show ring.

“As a young horse, ‘Nick’ was never scared of anything,” said Breanna, the 8-year-old’s regular rider. “And you can put anybody on him. He’s unflappable.”

The dark bay did, however, overcome a few hurdles prior to making the transition.

“He had a tendon injury that our average adopter might have passed on,” explained New Vocation’s Anna Ford. “But he’s a really good example that, if you rehab them properly, and give them enough time, they’re not limited by that injury. He was brought along slowly so he can now compete at a high level. We love his story.”

The Moores took a chance on the horse, largely due to the abundance of information provided by New Vocations.

“[New Vocations] was very open and forward about him,” recalled Breanna. “He did have an injury but they were very good about telling us that and communicating how they rehabbed him.”

Another obstacle might have been the notion that Warmbloods should be the show hunter of choice. But Brooke Moore believes Thoroughbreds have qualities that make them the ideal sport horse.

“Thoroughbreds are athletic, brave, smart and easy to train,” she said. “They are just so go-with-the-flow and they want to please. Since they were on the track, they’ve been exposed to all these things in a performance exhibition world so they’re not afraid of tractors or people. They’re really not afraid of anything.”

While Nickel Ride was their first experience with New Vocations and TAKE2, the Moores expect it won’t be the last.

“We are actually looking for another Thoroughbred,” Brooke confirmed. “We have had so much fun with TAKE2 over this past year, we want add another one. It’s been a great experience!”

Conversely, the Kvistads are well acquainted with New Vocations, having adopted 10 horses from the organization since 2008. Among their latest adoptees is Italian Syndicate, affectionately called ‘Guido.’ The 10-year-old’s regular rider is Finley Sheiffel.

Also purchased as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton for $65,000, the New York-bred made 15 career starts, winning three times, before retiring with $101,241 in earnings. The gelding was adopted by the Kvistads in 2018.

“He’s a wonderful little horse,” said Michael Kvistad. “He tries his best all the time. He loves this game of jumping. He’s been such a rewarding experience for us from the get go. And he continues to get better and better.”

The Kvistads are also responsible for 2022-23 Jet Run Award winner Irbywood.

“As good as we think we may think we are at training and riding, it’s really about the horses,” Kvistad explained. “They have to really want to do this. Our success has been a result of getting the right horses and putting them in a program to help them reach their full potential.”

Ford added, “The Kvistads are our model adopters. When they call and say they are looking for a horse, we know they will be given the best care. We also know they are looking for something competitive, a horse that we might want to put out there to be an ambassador.”

New Vocations is based in Lexington, KY, and has facilities in Florida, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Having rehomed more than 9,000 retired Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds since its inception in 1992, the program serves about 170 horses at any given time.

“We are the middle man to get the horses rehabbed and ready for their second careers, but the people that really need to get the props are the people who are adopting them and getting them to the next level,” said Ford. “They are really putting in the time and resources. We play an important part in their journey but the adopters are the ones we are really relying on to see it through.”