In 1990, a small group of Mid-Atlantic horse people headed by Herb and Ellen Moelis and the late Mrs. Allaire duPont, banded together to promote the well being of retired racehorses.  A small dinner auction, featuring art and racing memorabilia, was held at the Moelis' CandyLand Farm in Middletown, Delaware, raising some $15,000 toward that goal.  The money was donated to Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

Later, stallion seasons were added and, after several years, in 1997, when funds raised at the annual auction neared $1,000,000 per year, Thoroughbred Charities of America, (TCA), was created to enable many other non-profits caring for ex-racehorses to receive grants as well.

TCA is purely a fund raising non-profit organization which works both independently and with other groups to raise monies, which are then allocated to non-profit organizations that work toward improving the lives of racehorses and the people who work with them.

TCA's primary focus is with Thoroughbred organizations that retire, rescue retrain and adopt out ex-racehorses.  TCA also grants for equine research, public education programs, scholarship funds to horse farm workers' children, backstretch and jockey programs and therapeutic riding programs pairing horses with handicapped children or inner city children.

At TCA's primary fund raising social occasion, their Stallion Season and Art Auction, they have raised over $14,000,000 to date which has been distributed to nearly 200 different Thoroughbred non-profit organizations with over 94 cents of every dollar granted out, largely due to their dedicated founders and volunteers.

           Thoroughbred Charities of America Founders, Allaire duPont, Herb Moelis & Ellen Moelis