A live auction of several valuable items will be featured at the July 9 fund-raiser for Paul Rowland and his children, and supporters unable to attend the event in Fair Hill, Md., will be able to place their bids remotely.
The activity-filled evening to benefit the trainer as he battles malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that affects the chest cavity, will be held from 6-11 p.m. at the Edward L. Walls Activity Center at the Fair Hill Nature Center. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.
“The response from members of the steeplechase community has been absolutely amazing,” said owner-trainer Michele C. Sanger, who is helping to organize the event. “We have many silent-auction items, and several big-ticket live-auction premiums. We want to have as many participants as possible in the live auction, so we are offering remote bidding.”
Among the premium items up for bid in the live auction is a breeding season to Greatness, a Mr. Prospector stallion who stands for a $5,000 fee at Ghost Ridge Farms in Felton, Pa. Also on offer is a new laptop computer equipped with Windows 7.
For those thinking ahead to racing at Saratoga Race Course, there’s dinner for two at one of the finest restaurants in the Saratoga Springs area and a $100 bet on the horse of the winning bidder’s choice in the $75,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. 2) on Aug. 5. Also available in the live auction is an overnight stay in Vermont during the Saratoga meet, a $400 value.
Have a horse ready for a race? Another premium will be a race ride by champion jockey Paddy Young, who currently leads the 2010 National Steeplechase Association rankings.
A complete list of live-auction items and details on remote bidding are available by e-mail from Sanger at michesanger@gmail.com. Tax-deductible contributions to the Paul Rowland Fund can be made through The Steeplechase Fund.