Michelle Yu Hanson and Hannah Hamelback to Co-Host Thoroughbred Charities of America’s Bash at the Breeders’ Cup Fundraiser
Michelle Yu Hanson and Hannah Hamelback will co-host Thoroughbred Charities of America’s Bash at the Breeders’ Cup presented by the Green Group on Friday, October 30 at 6 p.m. at Manchester Reserve in Lexington, Ky. The evening will offer savory bites, handcrafted cocktails, live music, and an opportunity to bid on extraordinary items all in support of TCA. Tickets are available here. The event is expected to be a sellout.
Michelle Yu Hanson is a member of the award-winning Santa Anita Park simulcast team where she is a host and analyst. An avid horsewoman from a young age, Yu’s first foray onto the backside was as a hotwalker before moving onto TV production. After nearly two decades in the industry, her resume includes NBC, FOX, Breeders’ Cup, HRTV, TVG, and various international shows. She also is a CBS Sportsline contributor and hosts a weekly podcast called The Owners Box.
Hannah Hamelback is a multimedia sports journalist at the Lexington NBC affiliate, LEX18. A proud native of Paris, Kentucky, Hannah grew up watching LEX18. In the summer of 2024, she interned with Big Blue Nation Tonight, where she gained valuable insights into sports reporting and built connections that helped land her post-grad dream job. Driven by her enthusiasm for sports, whether playing, working, or watching, Hannah knew she wanted a future that centered around sports broadcasting.
Live auction items offered at Bash will include a Del Mar Racing package, Santa Anita Derby tickets, Blue Grass Stakes tickets, Travers Stakes package, custom artwork finished in-person by artist Bradley Chance Hays, diamond horseshoe earrings, a gold and amethyst pendant custom created for TCA, and more. For those that cannot attend in-person, proxy bidding will be available. Please email Erin Halliwell at ehalliwell@tca.org for more information.
New this year, a silent auction will be added to Bash at the Breeders’ Cup featuring unique items and racing memorabilia. Silent auction items will be available via online bidding. All auction items may be previewed here.
Bash at the Breeders’ Cup is generously presented by the Green Group with support from Pin Oak Stud, Ken Freirich’s Random Acts of Kindness, Sierra Leone, Haymarket Farm, DJ Stable, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Always Dream Foundation, Candy Meadows Farm, Little Red Feather Cares, Machmer Hall, Padgett Construction, Herringswell Stables, Oberlander Financial Services, Bourbon Lane Stable, Tito’s Vodka, Maker’s Mark, and Jackson Family Wines. Media sponsors include BloodHorse, TDN, Paulick Report, and the Horse Racing Radio Network.
Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) was formed in 1990 to raise and distribute funds to charities in the Thoroughbred industry that provide a better life for Thoroughbreds, both during and after their racing careers, by supporting qualified repurposing and retirement organizations and by helping the people who care for them. This year, TCA granted over $600,000 to 96 approved charities working within Thoroughbred retraining, rehoming and retirement; backstretch and farm worker services, research and equine-assisted therapy. During the last 35 years TCA has granted over $29 million to more than 200 charities that successfully meet the criteria set forth in its annual grant application. TCA also administers the Horses First Fund, founded by LNJ Foxwoods in 2016, to assist Thoroughbreds in need of emergency aid. TCA is the charitable arm of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).
