DeVaux, Ingordo Take Part in BLC's Purses for a Cause

Taking up Brook Smith's challenge, trainer Cherie DeVaux and bloodstock agent David Ingordo have joined the Backside Learning Center's "Purses for a Purpose" campaign.

“I have a challenge,” Smith stated last week. “If we can get 150 owners, and 150 horses for that matter, and they pledge to donate 1% of purse winnings with these 150 horses, that moves a bigger needle than people realise. And it means a lot, the thought that the owners think about the backside, and those who support it.”

Between Churchill's opening day (April 27) and Derby day (May 4), DeVaux and Ingordo have individually committed to pledging up to $10,000 of the purse wins of all seven of their horses competing in races. This weekend, Vahva (GI Derby City Distaff S.), Pipeline (GII Alysheba S.), and Medalla Match (GIIII Unbridled Sidney S.) are the three of the seven runners entered in graded stakes races.

“We encourage other owners, trainers, jockeys and bloodstock agents to also find a way to contribute to the Backside Learning Center and the great work it does for our racetrack families,” noted Ingordo.

Sierra Leone, a top Derby candidate, is co-owned by Smith. Should Sierra Leone win the Derby, in addition to the regular percentage of purse profits that Smith automatically distributes through "Purses for a Purpose," he has committed to giving the BLC an extra $100,000.

The Backside Learning Center is a stand-alone non-profit that offers resources and assistance to the diverse community of racetrack employees and their families in a friendly and secure setting.