Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Working for More Changes

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition is working with state racing commissions to add new medication rules for horses about to deliver high-speed workouts, just one of several reforms the organization of leading tracks and industry groups is advocating. 

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition announced Oct. 22 the addition of eight medical and operational reforms to its platform in its latest move to ensure equine and human athletes race under the safest and most transparent conditions possible. The coalition's steering committee, which is made up of executives from Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar, Keeneland, the New York Racing Association, and The Stronach Group, voted unanimously to adopt the reforms with the ultimate goal of uniform implementation across racing jurisdictions.  

According to a release from the group, the coalition also recently participated in the drafting of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and continues to fully support its passage, which would codify a standard set of rules and protocols to make racing safer and more transparent across state racing jurisdictions. In addition to the national legislation, the coalition believes the work to advocate for these reforms at the state level must persist. 

"As today's announcement and recent progress make clear, the coalition's important work to ensure the well-being of our athletes has continued despite the challenging circumstances our industry and our nation have faced this year," said coalition strategic adviser Donna Brothers. "The new reforms will go a long way toward increasing our collective ability to identify at-risk horses before they set foot on a track and protect the integrity of our sport."

Besides advocating for new regulation of medications for horses about to breeze, the following reforms have been added to the coalition's platform: 

•    Strengthen race entry and eligibility requirements; 

•    Prohibit the administration of external treatments, therapies, and musculoskeletal manipulation within at least 24 hours of a race; 

•    Work with state racing commissions to implement a clenbuterol prohibition in racing and training; 

•    Strengthen requirements for removing horses from the veterinarians' list; 

•    Adopt a waiver claiming option for horses coming off an extended layoff; 

•    Require implementation of an emergency track warning system; 

•    Modify on and off gaps at tracks to increase horse and rider safety. 

"The industry must be wholly committed to horse safety and welfare in racing and training, and that includes the racing organizations," said Dr. Dionne Benson, the chief veterinary officer at The Stronach Group. "These additional reforms codify the measures many tracks have already undertaken to best protect our horses." 

"The ability to work with my colleagues and counterparts at other coalition tracks on a regular basis has enabled us to share best practices and build upon one another's experiences and findings related to Thoroughbred safety, which is evident in the reforms we announced today," said Keeneland's equine safety director, Stuart Brown. "This level of collaboration ensures that the uniform safety reforms that the coalition is advocating for are proven and effective solutions." 

"The safety of our athletes must be everyone's top priority, and the adoption of uniform rules and standards reinforces our commitment to the well-being of our horses," said Dr. Will Farmer, the equine medical director at CDI. "As our respective organizations advocate for or, where applicable, use house rules to implement the coalition reform platform, the collective culture of safety within our industry continues to grow." 

The coalition's advisory committee members—the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Thoroughbred Owners of California, along with industry supporter members Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Stonestreet Farm, and the University of Kentucky—supported the development of the reforms and will continue to be instrumental in the coalition's efforts to advocate for their adoption at the regulatory level.