Earle Mack, who has been actively involved in Thoroughbred breeding and racing for more than 50 years, will announce the creation of an annual award named in honor of his friend, the late Ogden Mills Phipps, when the New York Racing Association and The Jockey Club host the annual Belmont Stakes Charity Celebration at the Bryant Park Grill in New York City on June 8, 2017.
The beneficiary of this event is the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
Beginning in 2018, the award, a trophy commissioned by Mack, will be presented by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to recognize longstanding dedication to equine health.
Phipps served as a board member of the foundation from its inception.
"Dinny and Earle have made huge contributions, personally and financially, to the Thoroughbred industry over the years," said Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Chairman Dell Hancock. "It was Mr. Mack's gift of $100,000 after Dinny passed away last April that launched a sequence of other donations in his name, which eventually totaled $337,125. Now we will be able to honor Dinny further by presenting an annual award to an individual or organization whose service to the industry includes a connection to equine research."
Members of the Phipps family will attend the Belmont Stakes Charity Celebration and take part in the announcement.
The charity celebration will also feature live jazz by performers from The Juilliard School. The venue features a Parisian-style garden setting located in the heart of New York's famed Bryant Park and adjacent to the New York Public Library, one of the country's greatest cultural architectural institutions.
"We deeply appreciate the ongoing support of the New York Racing Association, our individual and corporate donors and all the generous guests who attend this event each year," said Nancy Kelly, vice president of development for Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. "Their contributions enable us to fund vital research that enhances equine health and safety."
The Bryant Park Grill is located at 25 West 40th Street in New York City. Tickets for the celebration are priced at $300.
Phipps, a prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder, served as the chairman of The Jockey Club from February 1983 until he retired in August 2015. He received numerous honors and awards through the years for his dedication and commitment to the Thoroughbred industry. He died on April 6, 2016.
Mack has owned Thoroughbreds since 1963 and has actively supported equine retirement initiatives. A member of The Jockey Club since 2012, he has also served as a board member at various times for the New York Racing Association, the New York State Thoroughbred Racing Capital Investment Fund, and the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund Corp. He was chairman of the New York State Racing Commission in the mid-1980s.
Additional information about the Belmont Stakes Charity Celebration may be obtained by contacting Nancy Kelly at (212) 521-5305 or nkelly@jockeyclub.com.
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation''s leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. The foundation has provided $24.8 million to fund 346 projects at 43 universities since 1983. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org. | 
