A Clean Exit Plan: How Beyond the Wire Protects Your Horse and Your Name

By Jeanne Schnell - On the backstretch, you learn to listen for the quiet signals. The horse that still tries, but isn’t quite the same. The one that comes back a little stiffer, a little slower to bounce back. The one your groom watches a little more closely at the end of the day.

That is the moment this sport tests us.

But..the pressure is real. Owners want one more check. Stalls are limited. Vet bills are not getting cheaper. In a business where margins are thin, it is easy to let “one last race” creep into the plan.

But there is a better way to finish the story.

In 2025, Beyond the Wire placed 81 horses (as of December 17, 2025). That matters because it’s not just a number. It’s 81 Thoroughbreds whose next step was handled with intention, accountability, and a verified landing spot instead of a handshake and hope.

Beyond the Wire was built for this moment, and it was built by Maryland racing itself.

Why Beyond the Wire exists

Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative created through collaboration among the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the Maryland Jockey Club, Northview Stallion Station, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and Maryland jockeys. It was designed to be a “first exit from racing” program, meaning it helps horsemen place Maryland-based racehorses into safe, enriching second careers as soon as it becomes clear that racing is no longer the right job.

The mission is simple, and it is bigger than any one barn: responsible retirement should be the standard, not the exception.

There isn’t a trainer among us who hasn’t had a horse that needed a new plan. Sometimes it is age. Sometimes it’s wear and tear. Sometimes it’s talent that belongs somewhere else. And sometimes it’s the hard truth that the next start carries more risk than reward.

Beyond the Wire exists so the most responsible choice is also the most practical choice.

The risk we don’t talk about enough

We all try to do right by the horse. They are the reason we’re in the game. But the industry still has two pressure points that can lead to bad outcomes.

The first is the temptation of the “one last race.” It is easy to justify when a horse is sound enough to train, when a spot looks manageable, when an owner wants to try one more time. But the longer a horse stays on the track after it is clearly trending the wrong direction, the smaller the margin for error becomes.

The second is the “quick handoff.” A horse gets given away, moved quietly, or sent with someone who sounds fine on the phone. No paperwork. No follow-up. No real certainty about where the horse ends up, or what happens six months later when the new situation changes.

That is not a plan. That is a gamble.

Beyond the Wire is the opposite of that.

How the process works (and why trainers like it)

Beyond the Wire is built around a placement process that respects the reality of your day-to-day operations. It is structured, clear, and designed to move a horse into the right situation, not just any situation.

Here is what trainers can expect:

1) START THE CONVERSATION EARLY
If you are thinking about retiring a horse, you are not “too early.” Early is exactly when placements go best. It gives the program more options and gives the horse the best chance at a smooth transition.

2) INTAKE AND DOCUMENTATION
Beyond the Wire will guide you through the intake steps, including the information that makes a responsible placement possible: ownership authorization, foal papers, and available medical records.

3) EVALUATION AND MATCHING
When a horse needs retraining, rehabilitation, or a specific type of second-career environment, Beyond the Wire takes that burden off of you and helps coordinate the right evaluation steps and then networks the horse toward the best fit.

4) RESPONSIBL PLACEMENT STANDARD
Beyond the Wire places horses with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance–accredited aftercare partners, which matters. It means the horse is going to a program with recognized standards, oversight, and a track record of doing the work the right way.

5) LOGISTICS AND HANDOFF
Once placement is confirmed, Beyond the Wire helps coordinate the transfer of paperwork and shipping plan so the transition is clear and accountable.

For trainers and owners, this structure also supports a documented retirement pathway that aligns with modern expectations in racing. In a time where public trust, transparency, and responsible practices are scrutinized more than ever, having a clear process protects the horse—and it protects the people who campaigned the horse.

Why this helps your barn, not just the horse

Using Beyond the Wire is good horsemanship, and it is also good business.

IT PROTECTS YOUR REPUTATION - Owners remember who handled the hard decisions responsibly. So do grooms, vets, and the community that supports Maryland racing.

IT REDUCES UNCERTAINTY - When you place through an accredited network, you are not guessing where the horse will end up or who will be responsible when things get complicated.

IT BUILDS OWNER CONFIDNCE - Many owners want to do the right thing but do not know how. When you can say, “We’re placing through Beyond the Wire,” you give them a clear answer they can trust.

IT REFLECTS WHERE THE SPORT IS GOING - Accountability is no longer optional. Responsible retirement is part of the job now.

IT BOOSTS YOUR BRAND - Think of responsible placement as good marketing for your stable and your business. In the age of social media, placement stories get your stable noticed for good reasons.

Where the support goes

Beyond the Wire is made possible through generous annual pledges from its industry partners, plus owner contributions of $20 per start, and additional donations. Beyond the Wire is also supported by the Maryland racing jockey colony, whose members donate a portion of their earnings to help fund responsible aftercare placement. Jockeys understand better than anyone that their success begins with the horses who carry them from the starting gate to the finish line.

Those funds do not disappear into vague overhead. They enable placements. They support the practical work that makes responsible transitions possible, including coordination, evaluation needs, rehabilitation, and retraining support when required, and the logistics that move horses safely into reputable second-career programs.

If you have ever tried to place a horse responsibly on your own, you already know the truth: doing it right takes time, relationships, and infrastructure.

Beyond the Wire provides that infrastructure for Maryland horsemen.

The standard we should all agree on

Here is the line we cannot cross anymore: sending a horse out of racing without knowing where it will end up.

Not “I heard he’s good.” Not “she’ll be fine.” Not “the pony girl’s friend’s daughter is looking for a 4H project.”

Know.

Beyond the Wire has placed close to 1,000 horses since its inception. That is what it looks like when an industry chooses responsibility at scale.

So if you have a horse that is telling you it is time, do not wait until the last start forces the decision. Don’t let convenience make the plan for you.

Make one call first. Start the Beyond the Wire placement process. Give your horse a verified next chapter, and give yourself the peace of mind that comes with doing it right.

Because the last race is not the finish line, the finish line is knowing exactly where they go next.

For more information, visit the Beyond the Wire website or call Executive Director Jessica Hammond at 301-776-0404.

Don’t forget to check out the Beyond the Wire Facebook page for updates on our most recently placed horses.

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