Canterbury Park Earns Safety Re-Accreditation

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Sept. 4 that Canterbury Park has earned re-accreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. 

Canterbury Park received its initial Alliance accreditation in 2010. All accreditations and re-accreditations carry an effective period of two years. 

"Safety and integrity have always been important at Canterbury Park and I am very proud of the work our racing staff has done to earn re-accreditation by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance," said the track's vice president of racing operations Eric Halstrom. "Racing is on the rise in Minnesota and this provides assurance to horsemen that Canterbury Park places a very high priority on the safety of horses, jockeys and employees."

In the area of injury reporting and prevention, best practices identified included post-race veterinary inspections by official veterinarians, required post-mortem veterinary examinations, and regular meetings of an injury review committee.

In areas intended to create a safer racing environment, best practices cited at Canterbury included required safety vests for anyone mounted on a horse at any time, use of a padded starting gate, support of an on-site substance abuse and addiction treatment program, detailed catastrophic injury protocols, appropriate guidelines for infectious disease management, well-managed protocols for paddock and walking ring safety, sufficient oversight of the official veterinarian by the regulatory authority, and fair notice of house rules. 

In the area of equine drug testing and penalties, best practices identified included exogenous anabolic steroids regulation and testing protocols; Racing Medication Testing Consortium accreditation of the track's official testing laboratory, Industrial Laboratories of Denver, Colo.; and coordination of a medication and testing education committee.

Regarding the health and safety of jockeys, best practices recognized included appropriate funding of jockey disability support programs, specifically the Leg Up Fund for Canterbury-based riders and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. 

For aftercare and transition of retired racehorses, Canterbury achieved a best-practice rating for its rescue and rehabilitation program, which collects $2 per start from horsemen, an amount that is then matched by the track. 

Canterbury also was commended for best practices in protocols relating to security across several areas, including wagering incident investigation protocols and wagering pool due diligence (adopting of minimum standards for access into simulcast wagering pools).