After nearly 25 years as a mainstay in Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's operation, Maggie Sweet was ready for a new challenge. She found a rewarding but massive one with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
Sweet was named the TRF's chief operating officer Jan. 5, 2024, putting her in charge of day-to-day operations of the nation's oldest and largest Thoroughbred rescue organization. Founded in 1983, the TRF has grown to 13 locations in eight states that provide forever homes for approximately 400 horses. It has rescued more than 4,500 horses since its inception.
There is no precise way to measure the impact of its Second Chances program, which carries the motto "Saving Horses, Changing Lives." But it is huge. Inmates at eight correctional facilities in eight states from coast to coast tend to retired horses. They learn skills they can eventually apply in the workplace while many tap into a gentle side they thought no longer existed.
As noble as the TRF's cause may be, the pressure on Sweet and others to meet the herd's needs is immense.
"I don't think you realize the depth of it until you learn more about it," Sweet said. "You're always worried about finances because horses cost a lot of money. It's very hard to find places to put them also."
Anita Motion, wife of highly respected trainer Graham Motion and a member of TRF's board of directors, is convinced Sweet is the right person for the job.
"She's incredibly intelligent and she has such a grasp on the industry. I have the utmost respect for her," Motion said. "She is just a very good leader. She's had incredible experience managing people, managing horses. That's what we needed."
Sweet describes her time with Pletcher as an "amazing" experience, even if her job title was unclear to some people.
"I was often referred to as Todd's secretary, which (upset me), or Todd's girl, which (upset me) even more," she said. She eventually rose to chief operating officer. Whatever the title, she played an integral role in the enormous growth of the outfit in size and stature. When Pletcher first hired her in 1998, he cared for approximately 30 horses in one Belmont Park barn in only his third full year as a trainer.
No one could have imagined that Pletcher, who learned his lessons well as an understudy to legendary D. Wayne Lukas, would go on to be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2021. Sweet never anticipated the influential people and magnificent horses that would come their way over the next two-and-a-half decades.
Two photographs in her office at the TRF's Saratoga Springs, N.Y., headquarters depict the pulsating finish of her two favorite races. There is Rags to Riches outdueling Curlin in 2007 to become the third filly to capture the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the first since Tanya in 1905. There is surging, fully extended Malathaat closing her brilliant career with a nose victory in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
There are so many other memories. She will never forget the moment Super Saver gave Pletcher an elusive Kentucky Derby triumph in 2010. "That was insanity, like nothing I ever felt before," Sweet said.
Then there were the quiet moments with Harmony Lodge, who campaigned from 2000-2004. She developed into a grade 1 winner, but that was not what endeared her to Sweet. She was a sweet four-legged soul in search of love.
"She lived for me to come and scratch her chin," Sweet said.
Sweet was born and raised in Providence, R.I. She became interested in horse racing when her father, Jim, took her to various tracks, including Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. She never envisioned the wonderful ride that racing would take her.
Sweet is at a stage in her life when she is able to step back and be grateful for all of it. "Horses supported me my entire life," she said. "They helped feed my child and they repaired my house." Her daughter, Carolina, is 12.
In taking the lead role with TRF, she followed her heart.
"She wanted to give back to the industry," Motion said, "and she was the perfect person for the role."
Sweet's greatest goal is to find a better way to ensure that at least adequate funds are available to provide a dignified retirement for horses that gave everything they had to the industry. Part of that effort is to host fundraisers.
While every fundraising dollar helps, Sweet is intent on establishing income streams the TRF can count on. The cost of maintaining one horse for a year is $2,500 at a minimum.
"One of TRF's goals for 2025 is to educate racing communities specifically about the realities of lifetime dignified care, which is what we provide," Sweet said. "There is a difference between getting a horse for 90 days to re-train and rehome and getting a horse for 20 years. These are very important differences, and I think the TRF hasn't done a good enough job of educating."
Her task is monumental. Yet she is undaunted. When asked if she can be a force for change, she responded with conviction and without hesitation.
"You better believe it," Sweet said.
