Based on historical records, we believe there has only been one catastrophic injury among the 1,710 horses that have competed during the 134 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, but even one is too many. - Bob Evans, president and chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
For those who have followed this site to any extent, it should be clear that I have a particular interest in racetrack “house rules,” a supplementary form of regulation implemented by private racetracks.
So when I received Churchill’s press release this morning detailing the new safety measures to be implemented at all CDI tracks by 2001 and at Churchill itself by the first Saturday in May, I was pretty interested (and also admittedly thrilled at receiving a press release from Churchill, regardless of why I might have received it).
These new safety measures, known as “Safety from Start to Finish,” are described in the release as including “unprecedented standardized
third-party testing of track surfaces and comprehensive testing of all winning horses for more than 100 prohibited drugs.”
Here’s Churchill’s list of these sweeping safety measures, which will be in place at Churchill Downs by Derby day (the reason I listed some of them in bold is explained below):
• Independent, standardized third-party testing and monitoring of track surfaces;
• “Supertesting” of all winning horses for more than 100 performance-enhancing drugs;
• Age restrictions requiring Thoroughbreds to be at least 24 calendar months of age before becoming eligible to race;
• The freezing and storage of equine blood and urine samples to allow for retrospective testing;
• The banning of steroids;
• Limits on the number of horses allowed to compete in certain races;
• The prohibition of “milkshaking”, which results in excessive levels of total carbon dioxide in Thoroughbred racehorses;
• Prohibiting the transport of horses from CDI facilities for slaughter;
• The banning of unsafe horseshoes, including front shoe toe grabs longer than two millimeters;
• The use of low-impact riding whips with limited usage rules;
• The presence of on-site medical personnel, equipment, and state-of-the-art equine ambulances;
• Immediate online access to jockey medical histories for emergency medical personnel;
• $1 million in catastrophic injury insurance coverage for jockeys;
• Mandatory and uniform reporting of equine injuries to the Equine Injury Database System, thereby assisting in the compilation of statistics and trends to improve safety conditions around the country;
• A professionally designed and installed safety rail on the inside of the dirt course;
• Mandatory usage by all jockeys, exercise riders and other on-track personnel of safety vests and safety helmets that meet internationally acknowledged quality standards;
• 3/8-inch foam padding on all parts of the starting gates;
• Significant financial support for equine retirement programs;
• Inspection of all horses by regulatory veterinarians prior to and following all races;
• Review of security procedures around barns and other racetrack backstretch areas;
• Continued maintenance of protocols for the treatment of horses that have been injured during racing or training, to ensure the most humane treatment possible; and
• Mandatory, independent, and complete necropsies of any horse that dies as a result of an injury sustained while racing or training at Churchill Downs.
If many of these regulations sound familiar, then you’ve either read my most recent post, or, like me, have printed out your own copy of the NTRA’s Safety and Integrity Alliance pledge and its initiatives (although that might just be me). By my glancing review, most of the Safety from Start to Finish initiatives comport with the Alliance initiatives. It looks like, as Alex Waldrop mentioned to my equine law class, Churchill will certainly be qualified for the accreditation program this year.
Also by my glancing review (if you see a mistake, feel free to tell me), those rules in bold are areas where Churchill has gone above and beyond the NTRA mandates. My comments are as follows:
First, CDI is joining Suffolk Downs, the Magna tracks, and others in banning the transfer of horses from CDI tracks for slaughter. It will be interesting to see whether this applies to direct or indirect participation in the slaughter chain, and what sanctions CDI intends to apply.
Second, while the number of horses in races will be limited, this rule does not apply to the Kentucky Derby field, which will remain at 20 horses.
Third, the “supertesting program” and the freezing and storage of samples are huge steps in bringing drug testing into the 21st century. One thought I have is that, while I’m glad that all winners will be subject to the supertesting program, I think random testing would further supplement this goal – if the results were reported.
Fourth, the age-limit rule, requiring that horses actually be 2 years old to race, rather than just “Thoroughbred” 2 years old. I’m not sure exactly how many Thoroughbreds this will affect – most are born so early in the year that they will be 24 months of age before they start (although they will probably be in training before that). But I’m not sure that anyone could argue that keeping a horse from subjecting its growing bones to the pounding rigors of a race at least until they’re 2 is a bad plan.
Lastly, the initiative that interests me the most – “Independent, standardized third-party testing and monitoring of track surfaces.” The press release expands on this:
CDI is expanding its existing testing of track surfaces to implement regular, standardized, third-party testing of its racetracks, including a battery of laboratory tests of track surfaces and ground-penetrating radar to ensure track consistency and integrity. CDI has secured the services of the world’s top track surface researcher, Dr. Mick Peterson, a University of Maine professor of mechanical engineering who has developed an innovative robotic hoof device that duplicates the force and speed of a horse as it runs on a racetrack. Data generated by these and other tests will help to ensure that CDI tracks maintain safe and consistent track surfaces for both horses and jockeys. The Company is also a founding member of and financial contributor to the new Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, which is identifying safe practices for the future by facilitating and advocating measurements of track safety effectiveness.
This plan, perhaps above all else, is what Churchill Downs can point to on Derby day when the public asks, “What about Eight Belles?” And it’s a heck of a lot to point to – ground-penetrating radar? Check. An innovative robotic hoof device that mimics the hoof of a running horse? Check. A new testing lab for racing surfaces? Check.
Additionally, according to Jim Gates, general manager of Churchill Downs and the leader of Safety from Start to Finish, “[w]e also have recognized that we need to do a better job of communicating to our fans and the general public what our industry has done and is doing to maximize safety. To that end, we have created an interactive, educational ‘Safety Center’ that is currently on display at Churchill Downs’ Gate 17. The Center utilizes audio, video and actual material and equipment samples to educate racetrack guests about the numerous policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety, security and well-being of horses, riders, and on-track personnel.
All of the initiatives listed above are laudable.
But in a time when bolstering the public image of racing is perhaps more vital than ever, the surface safety initiative and the interactive “Safety Center,” focused as they are on that “one catastrophic injury among the 1,700 horses that have competed during the 134 runnings of the Kentucky Derby,” – focused on Eight Belles - might just be the most important to the sport.
More information about the Safety from Start to Finish program can be found here.
