Churchill Announces Safety Initiatives Ahead of Derby

Churchill Downs announced April 18 significant initiatives to improve safety protocols and procedures ahead of the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

According to a release, these initiatives highlight the company's strong and ongoing commitment to equine and jockey safety.

Churchill Downs is investing $8 million to build a state-of-the-art equine medical center and quarantine facility, along with related capital improvements on the backside of the Louisville racetrack. The equine medical center, which is slated to open in March 2020, will be used for everyday equine therapeutic purposes as well as immediate and advanced on-site care in the event of injury. Churchill will also have a temporary equine medical center in place for the upcoming Kentucky Derby.

The quarantine facility will permit horses from other countries to fly directly to Kentucky and eliminate long, taxing van rides when racing at Kentucky venues, the release stated. It will also provide a world-class facility for isolating, monitoring, and treating horses who may suffer from contagious equine diseases.

Churchill will hire an equine medical director to oversee safety and care at all CDI properties. This position will be responsible for implementing and enforcing all equine safety protocols and procedures, investigating and documenting all safety incidents, and collecting and analyzing race data in order to implement evidence-based best practices across Churchill Downs' properties. The equine medical director will also be externally focused to better educate owners, trainers, and others in the industry about safety practices.

Churchill also mentioned in the Thursday release the decision to join the coalition of racetracks advocating for reforms to race-day medication practices.  

"While the therapeutic use of Lasix on race days is the subject of significant debate with recognized equine experts and veterinarians on both sides, Churchill Downs unequivocally supports (a) the elimination of Lasix for 2-year-old horses by 2020 and in all stakes races beginning in 2021 and (b) the immediate reduction in the maximum dosage of Lasix from 10 cc to 5 cc for all horses who race at U.S. tracks," the release stated. "Churchill Downs will advocate in the strongest possible terms with Kentucky regulators and the regulators of other U.S. racing jurisdictions to achieve this result, and it is our intention to run the 2021 Kentucky Derby without the permitted use of Lasix."

Churchill will also advocate for additional equine mediation reforms. The track will advocate immediately with applicable regulatory authorities for increased withdrawal times for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cortico-steroids so that horses can be more adequately evaluated during pre-race veterinary examinations.

"We will also continue our strong financial support and advocacy for high-quality drug testing as well as the mission of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium to extend its accreditation program to measure not only the capabilities of testing labs but to also verify what testing is being performed," the release read.

Churchill also announced its intent to create an independent, national Office of Racing Integrity, working with other industry leaders to immediately form and fund the new organization dedicated to developing and sharing best practices and research in horse racing.

"The national organization will also extensively advocate with state regulators for fair, robust, and uniform regulation of the industry to better protect horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, fans, and the betting public," the release stated. "We will announce an executive leader for the organization and its initial membership in the coming weeks."

Churchill will move toward adopting international standards for crop use, the release said.

"While the low-impact riding crop is an essential aid to safe horsemanship, its use should be humane and limited to safety, course correction, and responsible encouragement," the release stated. "Once Kentucky regulators update the applicable regulations, we will immediately adopt the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities model rules that govern the use of the low-impact riding crop worldwide. Churchill Downs racetrack will be among the nation's first tracks to adopt these standards. We support, and will advocate for, the IFHA model rules in all U.S. racing jurisdictions."

Churchill will also formalize concussion protocol to maximize jockey safety.

"While Churchill Downs has a proven record of delivering immediate care to riders via on-site doctors and nurses, we are taking additional steps to formalize our concussion policies," the release read. "This includes more thorough jockey education, baseline concussion testing, on-site evaluation after a fall, and additional return-to-ride requirements."

Over the next three years, Churchill will install expanded camera surveillance across approximately 55 acres of the Louisville oval's backside, including the installation of 24-hour surveillance cameras in every barn, stall, and common area to better ensure the physical safety and security of horses, personnel, and visitors.

Churchill has committed $100,000 of additional financial support to fund key scientific research projects geared toward improving the safety and welfare of racehorses, particularly with respect to improving treatment options for joint and leg injuries. These measures will build upon Churchill's robust "Safety from Start to Finish" program, which first launched in 2009 and is updated each year.

"All of us in the industry care deeply about the safety and well-being of racehorses, and we know how much they mean to the people who love and care for them," said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. "As the host of the Kentucky Derby and a key leader in the racing industry, Churchill Downs has a heightened responsibility to implement the world's best practices for caring for racehorses at our facilities. We also have a responsibility to educate and advocate so that others do so as well.

"Over the last several years, the landscape for animal welfare and safety practices has changed for the better, and we will continue to embrace this progress and move forward with advancements to improve the health and welfare of our equine as well as human athletes. Our leadership and commitment to these important issues will never waver."