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Pletchers honored with Marylou Whitney Award for commitment to the backstretch community

by Eleanor Poppe

Sent as a courtesy on behalf of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, New York Division

Todd Pletcher has won more than 5,500 races and a record eight Eclipse Awards during his Hall of Fame training career and on Wednesday morning, he added one more honor to his resume.

Pletcher, along with his wife Tracy, received the Marylou Whitney Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy for their continuing devotion and support of the backstretch community at the organization’s 16th annual fund-raising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, NY.

As is the custom, the Pletchers were presented with a framed racing scene created by equine artist Tom Chapman from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. In a surprise appearance, Todd Pletcher’s mentor, the 87-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, made the presentation.

“God blessed Todd with extraordinary talent and he has shown class, dignity and integrity throughout his career,” Lukas said. “In addition to their own family, Todd and Tracy have also adopted the backstretch family and they are most deserving of this honor.”

“I can’t say enough about what the New York Race Track Chaplaincy organization does for the backstretch community,” Pletcher said. “It provides so much more than spiritual help. I look at it like the mayor’s office where everyone goes when they need help.

“On behalf of Tracy and our children, thank you very much for this honor and for your support of the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy.”

The brunch attracted a record crowd of approximately 350 individuals from all segments of the racing industry and included such supporters as Mandy Pope, Jo Ann and Paul Oreffice, and Len Green.

Among those in attendance were: Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), NYS Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture and Markets Elizabeth Wolters, trainer Jena Antonucci (the first woman to win a Triple Crown race), and Hall of Famers Javier Castellano, Angel Cordero Jr., Edgar Prado, and Johnny Velazquez.

Liz Bishop, the longtime television news anchor for the CBS affiliate in Albany, once again served as emcee.

Previous honorees have included Andy Serling, Irad Ortiz Jr., Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy serves the New York backstretch and farming community with children's enrichment, teen mentoring, women’s programming, social service, recreational, and educational programming as well as non-denominational religious services.

Additional information about the New York Race Track Chaplaincy is available at rtcany.org.