NTRA Encouraged by Industry Progress on Safety

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association issued a statement Feb. 24 from CEO and president Tom Rooney in recognition of the historic safety milestone reached by the sport of Thoroughbred racing in the United States last year under the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority.

For the first time since the data has been tracked and recorded, the racing-related fatal injury rate at racetracks under HISA's authority fell below 1.00 per 1,000 starts for the 2024 calendar year, HISA announced.

"HISA has been a clear game changer for Thoroughbred racing and its programs are working," said Rooney. "It is important to not lose sight of progress in the pursuit of perfection but we have made tremendous strides toward increasing the safety and welfare of our horses and jockeys. This would not have been possible without the collaboration from all industry stakeholders as we all work together to keep moving the sport forward."

"On behalf of all of our member organizations, we commend Lisa Lazarus and her team on their work to date, while recognizing that there is still much to do together. We also want to thank the leadership in Washington that came together to help pass the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act that created HISA in 2020. The results from 2024 reinforce their decision to support that legislation and they also show how important it is for us to continue to support HISA and its mission."

In advance of this year's Triple Crown, the NTRA plans to relaunch its 2024 advertising campaign, "Safety Runs First." The campaign is designed to increase public awareness and appreciation of Thoroughbred racing's commitment, investment and progress in advancing equine and human safety throughout the sport.

The 2025 campaign will include broadcast, digital and social media elements, enhancements to the Safety Runs First website, and new content highlighting the Thoroughbred racing industry's progress and ongoing investment in keeping its athletes safe. It will also include materials for NTRA member organizations to use on their own channels.

"It is our collective responsibility to keep racing fans and the general public informed about the progress we've made," Rooney continued. "The Triple Crown season provides maximum visibility for us to promote the sport's ongoing commitment to progress and to highlight recent advances in keeping our athletes safe."