Laurel Park among tracks participating in PDJF Derby day fundraiser
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Laurel Park will once again be among 24 racetracks across the country taking part in the third annual Derby Day Silent Auction Fundraiser to be held Saturday, May 6.
Proceeds from the event, a collaborative effort between the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, Jockey Talk360 and the Jockeys’ Guild, will benefit the PDJF, which supports permanently disabled jockeys’ health care and living expenses.
Each participating track will hold a silent auction offering framed photographs of Arrogate winning the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), signed by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith; a print with Triple Crown winners Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed autographed by their respective jockeys Ron Turcotte, Jean Cruguet and Steve Cauthen; and Secretariat’s victory in the 1973 Kentucky Derby (G1) with Turcotte’s signature.
Gold-plated replicas of a Secretariat horse shoe, classic photos from the Tony Leonard Collection, or Kentucky Derby lapel pins will be available to any fans that contribute to the PDJF during the auction.
Other racetracks owned by The Stronach Group taking part in the fundraiser are Gulfstream Park in South Florida and Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita Park in California.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the fundraising effort is asked to send checks payable to the PDJF, P.O. Box 803, Elmurst, IL 60126, or by visiting its website at www.pdjf.org.
The PDJF is a 501(c)(3) public charity providing financial assistance to 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the fund has disbursed approximately $7 million to permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have sustained paralysis or brain injuries.
