Founders

  • Jerry and Janet Hollendorfer

    Co-Founders

    Jerry and Janet Hollendorfer have been influential figures in the world of Thoroughbred horse racing, with Jerry being one of the most accomplished trainers in the sport. Based primarily in California, Jerry Hollendorfer built a stellar reputation as a Hall of Fame trainer, known for his sharp eye for talent and exceptional conditioning skills.

    Jerry's training career took off in the 1970s, and he became a dominant force in West Coast racing, particularly at Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows. Over the years, he has trained multiple Grade 1 winners, including champions like Blind Luck, Shared Belief, and Songbird. His ability to develop top-class racehorses has earned him widespread respect, amassing thousands of wins and ranking among the all-time leading trainers in victories.

    Janet Hollendorfer played a significant role in the couple’s racing operations, contributing to stable management and supporting Jerry’s training efforts. Together, they built a successful racing operation, known for producing competitive horses at all levels.

    Beyond their achievements on the racetrack, Jerry and Janet co-founded Down the Stretch Ranch in 2015, a retired racehorse facility in Eastern Washington. The ranch has provided care for hundreds of retired racehorses, ensuring they have a second career or a peaceful retirement. Additionally, the facility serves as a sanctuary for veterans and children facing various disadvantages and disabilities, offering them comfort, solace, and therapeutic experiences through their interactions with the horses.

    While Jerry's name is synonymous with success in Thoroughbred racing, his and Janet’s unwavering support of Down the Stretch Ranch may be their biggest victory. Their dedication to providing retired racehorses with a safe home and offering healing experiences for those in need has left a lasting impact beyond the racetrack. Through their work, the Hollendorfers have shown that the true power of horse racing extends far beyond the finish line.

  • Boone McCanna

    Co-Founder

    Daniel McCanna 'Boone' comes from a renowned horse racing family and grew up immersed in the sport. During high school, he worked for his father at Playfair Race Course in Spokane, Washington, before earning a football scholarship to the University of Idaho.

    After college, Boone pursued a successful career as a jockey agent in Washington and California. In 2014, he partnered with Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and Janet Hollendorfer to co-found Down The Stretch Ranch in 2015. The ranch, dedicated to retired racehorses, has also become a sanctuary for military veterans and children.

    Since its inception, Boone has played a pivotal role in building and operating the ranch, ensuring the care of its horses while creating meaningful experiences for veterans and children. His dedication continues to shape Down The Stretch Ranch into a place of healing and second chances for both people and horses alike.

Staff and Board

  • Board Secretary

    Kerri holds Masters Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Counseling in the Classroom. Kerri has 30 years’ experience in teaching, counseling and administration. She has been extremely successful in working with at-risk, special education and trauma impacted students.  Kerri has served as an assistant principal at Rogers High School in Spokane Public Schools and served 17 years as an assistant principal and principal in the Central Valley School District. She is well known and respected for turning around schools by developing strong climates and cultures focused on student achievement. Kerri brings creative thinking, organization for detail and above all her passion for service and giving back to the community.

  • Board Chair

    Pete is a business development executive and has more than 30 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia.  Early in his career Pete spent 10 years working as a management consultant for Deloitte and Price Waterhouse leading organizations through significant business transformation efforts and learning first-hand how managing change and developing people is the key to achieving success in any organization. The past 8 years he’s been with SAP, a global leading software company, managing their North American partnership with Deloitte Consulting.

    Pete grew up in Spokane Washington and attended Gonzaga Prep High-School. He was awarded a full-ride athletic scholarship to the University of Idaho and while playing football he achieved numerous accolades: Honorable Mention All-American, 1st Team All-Conference, Team Captain and the 12th Annual Howard Warrick Award.  After his college career he spent two pre-seasons with the New England Patriots as an outside linebacker.  The years he spent playing football engrained how essential having great leaders are to achieving your goals and being successful in life.

    Pete lives in Seattle with his beautiful wife Brittiony, son Elijah, and daughter Vivienne. He loves to stay active with his family in the outdoors and cherishes these times the most.

  • Board Chair

    Kandy Bartlett is an accomplished professional with over 24 years working in the public sector in Human Resources and Finance positions. Kandy is currently the Human Resource Director for the city of Everett. She is responsible for implementing human resource management strategies that recruit and retain a high performing workforce. Kandy specializes in collaborative collective bargaining, designing healthcare packages, and developing successful performance management programs. Kandy holds a BA in Business Administration with minors in Finance and Marketing. She is certified through the Human Resource Certification Institute as a Human Resource Professional (PHR). Kandy has a love for animals and helping others!

  • Board Chair

    Mark Roff is a Senior Vice President in the Spokane office of Moloney + O’Neill/Alliant,  where he is an Insurance Broker focusing on Property Casualty Insurance.

    Mark Graduated from Gonzaga University in 1987 with a B.A in Marketing. He started his carrier in San Francisco working for Transamerica Insurance.  He left Transamerica in 1993 as their Western Regional Claims Manager and moved back to Spokane to start working for Sedgwick James as an Insurance Broker.  Mark left Sedgwick in 1999 to become a Partner at Moloney & O’Neill.  He was Vice President of Sales at Moloney & O’Neill prior to the purchase by Alliant in  2014.

    Industries Served:  Transportation, Construction, Manufacturing, Tribal Business, Logging, News Paper/Print

    Mark has been married for 30 years and has two sons and a daughter.

  • Founder | Ranch Manager

    Boone has over 30 years of experience working with thoroughbred horses and farm management. He has been one of the leading jockey agents in Northern California the last four years representing Kevin Krigger, Dennis Carr, and Frank Alvarado. Prior to that, he spent 15 years in Washington as an agent for leading riders Ricky Frazier, Kevin Radke and Kevin Krigger. Boone attended the University of Idaho on a football scholarship where he was the team captain for the 1987 Big Sky Championship.  Boone has three children and has moved back to his home state of Washington to operate the Down the Stretch foundation.

  • Board Chair

    Tim Ames has 38 years of experience in education as a teacher, building principal and superintendent in several school districts around the Spokane Region. He holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is a certified Superintendent in the State of Washington.  Tim has been a Superintendent of public schools for over 20 years. He has served districts impacted by a federal presence. His first superintendent position on was on the Spokane Indian Reservation with a student population of 97% Native American students. He served 10 years as the Superintendent of the Medical Lake School District where he retired in 2023. The Medical Lake School District is home to Fairchild Airforce Base in Airway Heights, WA. And serves approximately 800 military impacted students and families. Tim served as an Honorary Commander which provided him the opportunity to experience firsthand the impact of active duty on service members, their families, and their children.

    Kerri and Tim live in the Spokane Valley and have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They are committed to the success of Down the Stretch Ranch.

  • Board Chair

    Elizabeth was born in Honolulu, HI, before moving to Spokane, Washington.  She is a business professional with over two decades of experience in client service, change leadership, strategic communications, partner development, and learning program solutions. She has worked with a portfolio of clients ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 Companies across many industries, including aerospace and defense, public sector, retail operations, utilities, oil and gas, and high tech.

    Elizabeth is a Business Transformation Organizational Change Leader at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Tri-Cities, WA. She actively leads organizational change, communications, and training for technology transformations. Elizabeth spent seventeen years at Deloitte, LLP, delivering change, communications, and learning programs on large-scale ERP projects across the United States.

    Her passion is serving two non-profits in Eastern Washington: Down the Stretch Ranch and Spokane Fantasy Flight. Elizabeth received her B.A. from Washington State University and her Master's in Instructional Leadership and Curriculum Development from National University in San Diego, CA. Her greatest joys are spending time with her daughter and two grandchildren (a boy and a girl), having summer outings on the lake, traveling to Hawaii, attending country concerts, and participating in retail therapy with friends.