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Sponsored by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

Issue 11, September 2010

The third Welfare and Safety of the RacehorseSummit, held in Lexington, Ky., on June 28 and 29,concluded with the development of objectives infour areas and a discussion of implementationstrategies to improve conditions in various facetsof the Thoroughbred industry.

The four areas were Racing Equipment and Safety;Racetrack Environment and Training Practices;Education, Licensing and Continuing Education;and Transitioning Thoroughbreds to SecondCareers. Among the primary objectives identifiedwere:

• Establishment of a rider injury database to collect data and develop practices that will reduceinjuries

• Formalizing reciprocity of veterinarians’, stewards’and starters’ lists on a national basis

• Research and creation of industry standards for equipment that affects the safety of the horse and rider

• Development of a comprehensive database of track maintenance, training and veterinary records that could be integrated with existing databases pertaining to human and equine safety

• Establishment of a mechanism to encouragecontinuing education for people working with Thoroughbreds, including trainers, grooms,farriers, and jockeys, to improve horsemanship and as a means to accreditation

• Creation of veterinary guidelines, in conjunction with the American Association of EquinePractitioners, to determine potential andappropriate second careers for racehorses basedon physical condition

• Establishment of a track liaison at each race-track to coordinate aftercare of retired racehorses

“Safety is a process,” said Nick Nicholson, presidentand CEO of Keeneland Association. “There isnever a final victory. We must always be fightingfor improvements and innovations that will makeour sport safer for all concerned. Our fans expectnothing less. This summit – and the action planswe are drafting this year – has been a catalyst forpositive changes and innovation that are makingour sport better. It’s our job to continue thismomentum.”

“Like its predecessors, this summit produced a num-ber of safety and soundness objectives that shouldaugment the meaningful changes and reforms thathave occurred within the Thoroughbred industry in

recent years when they are implemented,” saidEdward L. Bowen, president of Grayson-JockeyClub Research Foundation.

The summit was held all day June 28 and on themorning of June 29 and, for the first time, wasstreamed live on keeneland.com. The video streamreceived approximately 900 hits from the UnitedStates, Canada, Australia, Austria, Germany,Hungary and the United Kingdom. The full videoreplay and presentation slides are available ongrayson-jockeyclub.org/summit.

Welfare and Safetyof the Racehorse Summit Recap

Visit the Resources sectionof the Welfare and Safetyof the Racehorse Summitwebsite for information

including recommendationsand presentations

grayson-jockeyclub.org/summit

On June 28, the morning session included a panelon Racing Surfaces as well as updates from theRacing Medication and Testing Consortium,NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, andThoroughbred Safety Committee. An updatewas also provided on the Equine Injury Database(see next page). The afternoon was composedof three panel discussions concerning RacingEquipment and Safety, Racetrack Environmentand Safe Training Practices, and TransitioningThoroughbreds to Second Careers.

On June 29, participants assembled into fourworkgroups to focus on specific issues in closed discus-sions and to develop objectives to improve welfareand safety. There were 68 participants at the sum-mit, representing a prominent cross section fromthe Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.

“Summit participants have provided a road map forthe future by identifying important areas for furtheranalysis by the industry’s stakeholders,” said MattIuliano, executive director and executive vicepresident of The Jockey Club. “The Jockey Cluband our Thoroughbred Safety Committee willonce again strive to collaborate with like-mindedorganizations to implement the recommendationsemanating from the summit in a prompt and com-prehensive manner.”

The summit concluded with a panel discussion con-cerning implementation of safety and soundnessrecommendations, moderated by Jim Gagliano,president and chief operating officer of The JockeyClub.

The implementation panel included representativesof the National HBPA, Keeneland, Associationof Racing Commissioners International, theKentucky Horse Racing Commission and theNational Thoroughbred Racing Association. Allexpressed support for the concept and institutionof an interstate racing regulatory compact, whichhas been discussed within the industry in recentmonths.

“We have demonstrated to those who watch oursport closely that we can make reforms as an indus-try,” said Gagliano. “We should be proud of thesteady progress we’ve made but we need to keep atit. We need to use any mechanism we can, whetherit’s model rules, a regulatory compact, the NTRASafety and Integrity Alliance or rules put in placeby organizations such as Breeders’ Cup or theGraded Stakes Committee of the ThoroughbredOwners and Breeders Association, to effectchange.”

Equine Injury Database: Year of ReviewDr. Tim Parkin, noted epidemiologist from theUniversity of Glasgow’s Faculty of VeterinaryMedicine, presented a preliminary analysis ofracing fatalities in North America from datacompiled in the Equine Injury DatabaseTM.

A fatality statistic of 2.04 fatal injuries per 1,000starts was based upon a year’s worth of data begin-ning November 1, 2008, from 378,864 total startsin Thoroughbred flat races at 73 racetracks thenparticipating in the Equine Injury Database.

The conclusions presented by Dr. Parkin included:

• The incidence of fatality in 2-year-olds for the one-year period was significantly lower than that of older horses, 3 years of age and up

• The incidence of fatality in fillies, mares and geldings for the one-year period was significantly lower than that of intact males

• The incidence of fatality for the one-year period was not significantly different for horses racing atdifferent distances or carrying different weights

• The incidence of fatality for the one-year period was not significantly different for dirt, synthetic and turf racing surfaces, or condition of the dirt and turf racing surfaces

“This preliminary analysis just scratches the sur-face,” said Parkin, who serves as a consultant on theEquine Injury Database. “As the number of startsrecorded in the database continues to grow, more

We would like to thank the following for their participation in the Equine Injury Database.The racetracks and associations below participate in the EID and represent 88%

of flat and steeplechase racing days in the U.S. and Canada.

complex statistical analyses can focus upon multiplevariables studied in concert to better understand themyriad of factors which may contribute to fatal andnon-fatal injuries. In addition, differences that may nothave achieved statistical significance after one year ofdata collection may do so with additional observationsrecorded in the database.”

“The work presented represents a starting point, nota destination,” said Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medicaldirector for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commissionand a consultant on the Equine Injury Database. “Thisbegins to answer the question of what is happening.The ‘how’ and ‘why’ remain to be determined.”

“The creation and existence of the Equine InjuryDatabase serves as a shining example of what can beachieved when industry stakeholders work togetherunder a shared goal to improve the health and safety ofour equine athletes,” said Matt Iuliano, the executivevice president and executive director of The JockeyClub. “Dr. Parkin’s work illustrates the importance ofa database such as the Equine Injury Database,

supplemented with other information to support ourdecision makers with good science for analyzing andsolving problems facing our industry. We look forwardto the continued development and integration ofadditional information resources to assist our industryleaders.”

The Jockey Club, through two of its for-profitsubsidiary companies, InCompass and The Jockey ClubTechnology Services Inc., has underwritten the cost todevelop and operate the Equine Injury Database as aservice to the industry. By agreement with the partici-pating racetracks, from time to time The Jockey Clubmay publish certain summary statistics from the EquineInjury Database, but will not provide statistics thatidentify specific participants, including racetracks,horses or people. The Equine Injury Databasecontains a suite of reports for racetracks to analyzedata collected at their respective facilities.

A regularly updated list of racetracks participating inthe Equine Injury Database can be found at

jockeyclub.com/initiatives.asp.

Albuquerque DownsAqueductArapahoe ParkArlington ParkAssiniboia DownsAtlantic CityBay MeadowsBelmont ParkBeulah ParkCalderCanterbury ParkCharles Town Churchill Downs Colonial DownsCrooked River Roundup Del MarDelaware ParkDelta DownsEastern Oregon Ellis ParkEmerald DownsEvangeline Downs

Fair Grounds Fair Meadows @ TulsaFairmount ParkFairplexFerndale Finger LakesFonner ParkFort ErieFresnoGillespie County FairGolden Gate Fields Grants PassGulfstream ParkHarney County Hastings ParkHawthorneHialeah ParkHollywood ParkHoosier ParkIdaho DownsIndiana DownsKeeneland

Kentucky DownsLaurelLone Star ParkLouisiana DownsManor DownsMeadowlandsMonmouth ParkMontana Downs, Great FallsMontana Downs, Western

Montana FairMountaineer ParkNational Steeplechase Assn.Northlands ParkOak TreePenn NationalPhiladelphia ParkPimlico Pleasanton Portland Meadows Prairie MeadowsPresque Isle DownsRemington Park

Sacramento Sam HoustonSanta Anita Santa Rosa SaratogaSolano Stockton Suffolk DownsSunland ParkSunRay ParkTampa Bay DownsThistledownTillamookTimoniumTurf ParadiseTurfway ParkWill Rogers DownsWoodbineWyoming DownsYavapai DownsZia Park

Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit821 Corporate Drive, Lexington, Ky. 40503(859) 224-2850 • ebowen@jockeyclub.com

www.grayson-jockeyclub.org

Editors:Cathy McNeeleyEd BowenShannon Luce

Racing Officials Accreditation Programhorseracingofficials.com

Board Meeting – August 31

Continuing Education Courses

Sept 16 – NSA Steward Seminar, Fair Hill, MD

Oct 11-12 – USTA, Columbus, OH

Nov 8-9 – Delaware Park

Nov 15-16 – University of Louisville

Accreditation Schools

Oct 11-19 – USTA, Columbus, OH

Jan 24-30 – Flat Racing School, Los Alamitos

Groom Elitegroomelite.com

Groom Elite 101

Penn National – Sept 13-16, 20-23, 27-28

Calder – Sept 27-29, Oct 4-6, 12-14, 18-20

Groom Elite 201

Hoosier Park – Sept 7-8, 13-14, 20-21

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Associationtoba.org

Sept 10 – National Awards Dinner at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, KY

Thoroughbred Racing Associationstra-online.com

Sept 20-22 – International Simulcast Conference, Clearwater Beach, FL

National Thoroughbred Racing Associationntra.com

Oct 19 – Professional Education Seminar, Keeneland Sales Pavilion, Lexington, KY

(For Trainers, Track Medical Directors, Regulatory and Association Veterinarians, Farriers,

Racing Officials, Aftercare Organizations; contact chamilton@ntra.com)

Upcoming Events

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