When 11-year-old pacer Whittingham makes his pass by the grandstand on Sunday at the Horse Park of New Jersey, it will be crowd noise quite different than that of the race fans he usually hears. “Charlie,” as he is affectionately known by the staff of the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, is formally starting his new life as a pleasure riding and driving horse at Adopt-A-Horse Day, where he will compete for ribbons, not big purse money.

Whittingham raced for the Double Down Stable of New York Jets’ wide receiver Wayne Chrebet before his injuries and age caught up with him. Trainer Kevin McDermott handled him throughout most of his racing career, where he won 36 races and $571,681. Meadowlands track announcer Ken Warkentin remembered Whittingham as a thrilling stretch runner.

“I called some of his races back when he was a 2-year-old in 1996,” Warkentin said. “He was third in the Woodrow Wilson Pace, and his style was to wait and wait, and then make a huge move in the stretch.”

Chrebet claimed Whittingham in 2002 when the stallion was a 5-year-old, but still competitive, winning almost $100,000 for his owners. “Most of the horses I have owned are warriors. They never give up, and they do whatever it takes to win,” Chrebet said.

Earlier this year after Whittingham suffered 18 consecutive losses, Chrebet and McDermott decided their horse deserved to retire and enjoy the rest of his life, and called the Standardbred Retirement Foundation which finds homes for retired Standardbreds.

Initially, Whittingham was aggressive towards other horses, and after nine years of a busy routine during his racing career, just didn’t appreciate the idea that turnout in a big grass field was supposed to be fun.

Barbara Luna, the business manager of the SRF met Whittingham one afternoon and the two developed a bond. Luna, who has been involved with training and working with Thoroughbred racehorses all her life, appreciated his laid-back attitude once he got to know her.

“I nicknamed him Charlie, after Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer Charlie Whittingham,” Luna said. “I was not quite willing to admit that I was falling for a Standardbred. Most racing people choose one breed over the other, and there is not much of a crossover, but I admit, I got hooked.”

Luna has been working Charlie under saddle, and in just one afternoon, had him out trail riding.

“You can’t really do this with many Thoroughbreds,” said Luna, who has retrained many of them. “Most of them are very edgy first time away from the track with a rider in the woods, but Charlie was as calm as can be, and soon after, I decided I wanted to learn to drive him, too. He was the experienced one in that department, though.”

At Sunday’s show, which is sponsored by the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey, Charlie and Luna will compete in four classes, and will be a part of the lunch break demonstration featuring many of the SRF’s adoptable horses. The foundation’s staff will be available to help people who want to learn more about adopting Standardbreds.

First class starts at 8 a.m., rain or shine. Whittingham’s first class is at 8:45, followed by another at 10 and two driving classes in the early afternoon. The Horse Park of New Jersey is located on Route 524 near Clarksburg, just north of Interstate 195 Exit 11.

The Standardbred Retirement Foundation, based in Freehold, has more than 2,000 adoptions in its 16 year history and currently fosters more than 100 horses at farms all over the country. The SRF is trying to find land to bring them all to one site where they can be retrained and rehabbed to help in youth programs or be placed in loving homes.