California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) and Santa Anita Park are pleased to announce the establishment of a permanent office at the historic track. CARMA has hired a full-time Executive Director as the next step in providing funds for the care and retraining of California’s retired racehorses. Lucinda Mandella, as CARMA’s new Executive Director, will head the organization’s fundraising and awareness efforts.
A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program, Mandella has spent the last 14 years as Director of Owner Services for the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), where she headed that organization’s successful continuing education program and provided on-track liaison services for owners. Mandella also worked closely with Thoroughbred owner and breeder Madeline Auerbach in founding CARMA in late 2007.
“CARMA has raised the bar in terms of funding for our retired racehorses,” said Mandella. “I am honored that Madeline and the CARMA board have entrusted me with the responsibility of taking the organization to the next level.”
Santa Anita Park has generously donated office space to give CARMA a permanent home at the Great Race Place. “We are thrilled and delighted that Santa Anita will be CARMA’s home,” said Auerbach, who serves as CARMA’s board chair. “There is nowhere else we would rather be.”
“There is no greater cause in our industry than taking care of our retired horses,” said Santa Anita President George Haines. “We applaud CARMA’s efforts these past three years and on behalf of the entire industry here in California, we thank them for their hard work and dedication.
“We’re happy to be able to provide them with a permanent home here at Santa Anita and we congratulate Lucinda on her promotion to Executive Director. We wish her and the organization all the best in the future.”
CARMA, a 501c3 non-profit, raises money for retired Thoroughbred racehorses that have raced in California. It also has a seat on the NTRA Safety Alliance’s aftercare subcommittee, which works toward a national solution to issues surrounding retired racehorses.
CARMA is run by an independent board of directors and is responsible for hosting fundraising events, educating owners and trainers on equine retirement, and working to unify the industry in support of retiring equine athletes. For more information, visit CARMA’s website at www.carma4horses.org.