Mareworthy Charities will host the Thoroughbred Broodmare Retirement Summit on Friday, July 24, 2026, from 1:00--3:00 p.m. at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
The summit is free and open to the public, but registration is required and space is limited to 30 guests. Registration is available online.
The event will provide a focused 2026 mid-year update on the current landscape of Thoroughbred broodmare retirement and the work underway to strengthen long-term outcomes for mares after their breeding careers end. Exact venue room details will be sent to registered attendees.
Building on conversations that began at Mareworthy's January Broodmare Roundtable, the summit will include trends and analysis from Mareworthy's review of actual population data of registered Thoroughbred mares born between 2000 and 2023. The discussion will include what the data is helping Mareworthy understand about broodmare aging, retirement timing, recent production history, and potential risk indicators.
The summit will also include updates on current retirement pathways and placement challenges, development of the Broodmare Retirement Network, Mareworthy's priorities for the second half of 2026, and the release of Mareworthy's five-year strategic plan.
"The Thoroughbred industry has made meaningful progress in aftercare for active racehorses, but the broodmare population remains largely invisible and underserved," said Kyle Rothfus, co-founder of Mareworthy Charities. "Mareworthy's long-term thesis is that the broodmare retirement gap will not be solved simply by building a larger traditional sanctuary. It requires a managed population system capable of absorbing mares through distributed capacity, centralized oversight, and measurable throughput. We believe data, visibility, and education are the key ingredients for sustainable systems, because so much of this work depends on changing outcomes earlier before mares reach crisis."
A key focus of the summit will be Mareworthy's work to build that managed system through three connected strategies: data-informed planning, expanded retirement capacity, and increased responsible placement demand. That includes the continued development of the Broodmare Retirement Network, a distributed model designed to expand safe retirement capacity through approved partner farms while maintaining centralized oversight and accountability.
Mareworthy has identified potential partner farm space for as many as 50 additional sanctuary mares, but recurring annual funding is required before those spaces can be responsibly activated. Under Mareworthy's current planning model, distributed retirement care is estimated at approximately $7,200 per mare per year.
The summit will also address efforts to increase interest in non-riding and companion-only Thoroughbred mares through education, visibility, and public engagement initiatives such as Mareworthy Academy, Mareworthy Match, and the Miss Mareworthy Pageant. Mareworthy's work at public sales, in private owner conversations, through social media, educational content, and broader industry engagement is designed to influence outcomes earlier by being present where decisions are made.
The agenda will include discussion of:
* Population data, trends, and analysis from registered Thoroughbred mares born between 2000 and 2023
* Current retirement pathways and placement challenges
* Development of the Broodmare Retirement Network
* Partner farm outreach and identified retirement capacity
* Funding needed to activate additional sanctuary spaces
* Mareworthy's priorities for the second half of 2026
* Release of Mareworthy's 2026--2030 five-year strategic plan
* Open question-and-answer session
