This story is not about kill pens—at least, it wasn’t meant to be. However, just before Christmas, three thoroughbreds from Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack unexpectedly ended up in a troubling situation. Despite being sold to post-racing homes, veteran racehorse Don’t Poke the Cat, who ran 102 races and earned over $400,000, was listed online by Bowie Livestock Auctions in Texas with a ship-to-slaughter date. Similarly, Financial Stability, a horse nearing $200,000 in earnings, faced the same fate. Another horse, Date Freedom, also earning around $200,000 and sold alongside the two others, remained at a horse trading facility in Kentucky. Although all three have since been rescued from slaughter, questions linger about how they ended up there.
Date Freedom was sold through trainer Michael Ferraro via Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbred Co. (FLF), a nonprofit that assists with marketing retired racehorses for non-racing homes. An FLF board member, who wished to remain anonymous, initially spoke with buyer Marcos Quinones, who expressed interest in buying Date Freedom as a trail horse for his New Jersey farm. Quinones provided photos of his ranch and shared plans for transitioning the horses to barefooting and trail riding, giving the impression he intended proper care. FLF’s director noted Quinones asked thoughtful questions and showed no warning signs; past experiences with similar buyers have been positive.
The horses’ trainers, SK Beach (Financial Stability) and Michael Ferraro (Date Freedom), were involved during Quinones’ evaluation of the horses and their routines. After passing all checks, Quinones purchased Date Freedom, Financial Stability, and Don’t Poke the Cat for $2,500 each. (Don’t Poke the Cat was bought separately from trainer lmar Loaiza, not involving FLF.) Photos sent shortly after purchase showed the horses doing well, but Quinones later said the horses didn’t meet expectations. He described his experience as a nightmare, stating the horses were difficult to ride and that a trainer told him it would take six months to get them trail-ready. He began looking for other horses and claimed he tried to return one horse but received no response.
FLF President Sarah Hepler disputed Quinones’ account, saying neither FLF members nor trainers heard from him until they themselves reached out. After Bowie Livestock Auctions posted about Financial Stability and Don’t Poke the Cat, FLF contacted Quinones, who confirmed he had taken the three horses to H&R Horses, a training and sales facility in Kentucky, and exchanged them for trail-ready horses. Quinones admitted to losing money in the exchange but said he was assured the horses wouldn’t be sent to slaughter.
H&R Horses declined to comment on how the two thoroughbreds ended up at Bowie’s lot, but Colby’s Crew Rescue intervened and moved the horses to a quarantine facility. FLF bought Date Freedom back from H&R Horses, where the gelding is currently quarantined by nonprofit Stall 13 Thoroughbreds.
Finger Lakes Finest isn’t an adoption agency but helps trainers list retiring horses for sale online, usually for prices well above slaughter value. Due to limited space at the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program—a retirement organization—owners receive no financial advantage retiring horses there. FLF acts as a bridge, connecting trainers with potential off-track thoroughbred buyers, but cannot enforce contracts that prevent resale or ensure safety post-sale.
Hepler explained that trainers are starting to move away from running “one more race” for small gains, partly because FLF offers them financial return for healthy horses. Despite around 500 placements this year, only four went poorly—this case included. Another horse, Wine Responsible, narrowly avoided going to slaughter after FLF intervened following a deal with a dealer who often auctions horses for possible slaughter. That gelding is now safely with Stall 13 Thoroughbreds.
To prevent such incidents, FLF aims to educate trainers and improve protocols for swift responses. The organization is developing stronger purchase agreements with legal help and maintains a “blacklist” of buyers deemed unsuitable for rehoming. It plans to share this information broadly and provide trainers with educational resources about vets, farriers, trainers, and recognizing red flags like multiple horse purchases late in the season.
Similar efforts exist at CANTER Pennsylvania, where volunteers bring sales contracts with buyback clauses to racetracks and discourage auctions at low prices. Transparency from both buyers and sellers about horses’ histories and personalities is critical for success, according to CANTER’s executive director Sue Smith. These protections, however, might not have stopped these horses’ unfortunate path.
An FLF board member expressed deep disappointment, emphasizing the need for improvements and increased trust.
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) operations consultant Stacey Clark Rogers advocates for sending retired racehorses to TAA-accredited rehoming facilities, where retraining, thorough evaluation, and follow-up are guaranteed. These contracts also allow horses to be returned if care becomes impossible. However, these facilities have limited capacity, and financial incentives for trainers to use them are scarce. Clark-Rogers suggests horses should receive a severance package and retraining scholarship, but acknowledges many horses require months or years before rehoming.
Trainer listing services like FLF and CANTER motivate trainers to retire horses while still sound and discourage “last race” mentality. Clark-Rogers stresses the importance of transferring veterinary records with horses upon retirement, a system TAA and HISA are working to establish.
Reflecting on the issue, Clark-Rogers noted that the industry’s awareness has matured, and aftercare organizations must collaborate and learn from these cases to improve.
This article originally appeared in the Paulick Report’s Horse Care section on January 6, 2026.
Fan Take: This unsettling news highlights the vulnerabilities retired racehorses face and underscores the crucial role of aftercare programs. For horse racing fans, it’s a wake-up call to support better protections and transparency, ensuring these magnificent athletes receive the dignity and care they deserve beyond their racing days.
