July, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pennsylvania Commission: ‘Promising’ Early Results From Equine Safety And Welfare Plan

On Friday, the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission reported on progress of its Equine Safety and Welfare Plan, a list of tangible steps to increase protections for horses racing at Pennsylvania's six tracks. The measures, which the commission began implementing March 1, 2022, included an Integrity Hotline for reporting suspected illegal or unethical behavior.

“Early results from the hotline and other measures have been promising and reinforce the thorough consideration that went into developing the action plan,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, who chairs the commission. “Implementing the strategy will be a long-term effort. The commission is committed for the long haul to protecting the integrity of the sport and the safety and welfare of the horses and participants.”

The development of an equine fatality database was among the plan's 10 measures. Thoroughbred fatalities from April 1 – June 30 were 30 in 2021 and 17 in 2022. Fatalities to date in 2022 include 10 at Parx Racing in Philadelphia, five at Penn National in Dauphin County, and two at Presque Isle Downs in Erie County.

Harness racing fatalities included three in 2021 and two during the same period in 2022 – one at The Meadows in Washington County and one at Pocono Downs in Luzerne County.

Other new measures included an independent, third-party analysis of the racing surfaces at each track. No racing surface issues were flagged as a result of the analysis.

As a result of increased commission veterinary oversight of morning workouts, eight horses were placed on the veterinarians' list and deemed ineligible to race. As a result of enhanced post-race supervision and stricter criteria, 17 horses were placed on the veterinarians' list and six horses were retired from racing.

Five horses were deemed ineligible to race in Pennsylvania based on the new rule providing for the disqualification of any horse that finished 12 or more lengths behind the winner in five consecutive starts.

The Integrity Hotline received 51 calls from March 1 through June 30. Every call is investigated and referred for action as warranted. Ten calls are pending investigation and 41 alleged issues have been closed. No fines or penalties have been issued as a result of issues alleged in calls.

Allegations at Thoroughbred tracks accounted for 32 calls, including unethical conduct by race officials and horsemen, use of illegal devices by a jockey, unethical treatment of horses, unauthorized ingress or egress by horses, wagering irregularities, and monetary disputes.

Among 17 allegations made regarding Standardbred race tracks were incorrect decisions by judges, unethical conduct by horsemen and training center officials, unethical treatment of horses, licensing concerns, and administration of performance enhancing medications.

Two calls without a specific location included an allegation of unethical treatment of horses, and a question about standardbred racing.

Tips can be reported to the hotline anonymously at any time by leaving a detailed message at (717) 787-1942.

More information about the Pennsylvania State Horseracing Commission can be found at agriculture.pa.gov.

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Henry Cecil Open Weekend Returns in September

Following a record 2021 season, the Henry Cecil Open Weekend will be held Sept. 17-18 at Newmarket. Each September, racing and equine enthusiasts descend on British racing's headquarters for a behind-the-scenes look at Britain's best-known racing yards. Last year featured several training yards, including George Boughey and Harry Eustace, Charlie Fellowes, James Ferguson, Roger Varian and Simon & Ed Crisford. The highest number of yards opened to the public in 2021, and record crowds raised £60,000 for the event's chosen charity partners. The 2022 Henry Cecil Open Weekend will continue to support the racing industry and its workforce whilst also supporting the local community.

Money raised this year will be donated to the long-term charity partner and main beneficiary Racing Welfare, as well as the National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket Day Centre and the Newmarket Heath Ambulance, a fundraising initiative to purchase a quick response unit for work riders on Newmarket Heath.

“Last year we saw huge numbers of visitors to Newmarket during the Henry Cecil Open Weekend. It was fantastic to see and for everyone to experience all that our town has to offer,” said Charlie Fellowes, Chairman of The Henry Cecil Open Weekend. “A huge thank you must go to all those who continually support the event and enable the Open Weekend to happen. A particular thanks to all the trainers, racing staff, volunteers and participants, without whom the event would not be possible.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit The Henry Cecil Open website.

The post Henry Cecil Open Weekend Returns in September appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Study Finds Show Judges Reward Pudgy Ponies

Horses, like their canine and human counterparts, have become heavier in recent years. A new study has found that this “plumper” look has been rewarded in the show ring, with judges choosing to place overweight equines over their skinnier counterparts.

Dr. Shannon Pratt-Phillips researched the topic at the 2021 USEF Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Prat-Phillips noted that this trend is worrisome in that extra weight can increase a pony's risk of equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis. Extra weight also adds stress to joints.

Pratt-Phillips and a colleague evaluated 337 medium and large ponies for body condition score and cresty neck score before the ponies entered the show ring to model (an in-hand competition where the entire horse can be viewed without a saddle). The ponies are given scores from 0 to 100 by three judges.

The researchers compared the judge's overall scores to the body condition and cresty neck scores. The overall average showed that most ponies were overweight, with a 6.7 on the body condition score (out of 9). The average cresty neck score was 2.8 on the 5-point scale. This information indicates that most of the ponies at USEF Pony Finals are at risk of developing laminitis.

Comparing condition scores to model scores, it became apparent that overweight ponies were rewarded in the show ring: there was a significant relationship between body condition score and overall model score. Fatter ponies had higher model scores.

When looking solely at the large ponies, any pony with a body condition score below 6 did not garner a model score above 245/300, with an average closer to 225/300. Ponies with a body condition score of 8 or higher had top scores of 235/300, so grossly obese ponies were not rewarded in placings.

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The scientists conclude that no matter the pony's conformation, fatter ponies scored better. The duo is concerned that owners and trainers will attempt to add weight to their ponies to try to place better in competitions, putting pony welfare at risk.

Pratt-Phillips recommends that judges and stewards become more educated about body condition scoring and have potential penalties for overweight equines, the same as are in place for equines that are too skinny – often these animals are excused from competition.

South Africa Aims To Grow Participation Of Female Jockeys With Lifetime Weight Allowance

Female jockeys in South Africa will now receive a lifetime weight allowance of 1.5 kg (about 3.3 lbs), beginning on Aug. 1, 2022, according to a ruling issued last Friday by the country's racing regulator, the National Horseracing Authority. The NHA was widely criticized across social media for its decision.

On Monday, the NHA posted an editorial on it's website defending the new weight allowance. Penned by NHA chief executive Vee Moodley, the editorial follows below:

The first view points to the fact that in all elite sports, female athletes are at a physical disadvantage. While recognizing that physical strength is not the be all and end all in racing and that the ability of the horse, technical expertise and race management are all major factors, the difference between winning and losing often rests on fine margins and the physical element cannot be ignored.

To discuss strength then we should acknowledge that pound-for-pound muscle in men and women has almost the same strength. The crucial variable is the quantity of muscle on the frame of both sexes – not the quality of that muscle.

Testosterone is the hormone crucial to building muscle on the bodies of both sexes. Men typically produce 10 times more testosterone than women, hence building more muscle on their bodies. However, in a career that often forces men to keep their weight artificially low the strength levels between a very lightweight man versus a physically fit woman with good nutrition could be much more similar than you might typically find in other sports.

Research has shown that males have ten times more testosterone than females and demonstrate a 10-12 percent performance gap between elite men vs elite women. However, this performance gap is based on maximum power output in non-weight category athletes where both muscle mass and fat mass are not managed within small margins. When looking at the pound to pound of muscle between elite males and females in endurance sports where muscles are small and lean and body fat is low, performance gaps in strength between genders become smaller. However, differences in VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption) still exist between male and female athletes at endurance levels.

The core issue is the lack of opportunities for female jockeys.

There are two schools of thought as to why this is the case. The counter argument is that female riders have proved to be the equal of men when given the chance, but have been denied equality of opportunity in terms of numbers and quality of rides by an anti-female bias that has prevented female jockeys from progressing up the ranks.

In recent years, there has been much progress in the understanding of what makes a good jockey. There has been a move away from the view that it's purely about strength, and a more realistic view that multiple skills of balance, agility and the ability to read a race – otherwise known as good horsemanship or horsewomanship. We believe men and women have these skills in equal measure.

Giving women jockeys a 1.5Kg allowance could prove to be a great opportunity if it means owners and trainers put more females on their horses in races. This is because they will gain important 'match practice,' which every jockey needs to develop their race riding skills. However, this could equally be a regressive step if it entrenches the view that women are not as good as male jockeys.

In France, taken at face value, the headline figures suggest that in terms of meeting the objective of providing more opportunities for female riders, the allowance has been a resounding success. A year after the allowance was introduced, the number of rides offered to female jockeys in France increased from about 6 percent to 16 percent and the winning strike rate from under 5 percent to just over 9 percent. This compares to an overall winning strike rate for male jockeys of 9.78 percent. In light of these statistics, there would appear to be little doubt that France Galop has been proved right in introducing the allowance.

Whilst acknowledging that the overall numbers of female rides has increased, there is still a discrepancy in the quality of rides being offered. It is pointed out that opportunities still remain limited for female riders in the better-quality races in France and the weight allowance has not had the same impact on providing equal opportunity as it has at the lower levels of racing.

Looking at the South African context and the transformation in terms of female riders, the picture is extremely bleak. Much of this issue is being laid squarely at the doors of the South African Jockey Academy.

When one considers the topic of transformation in the South African context, we just need to look at the jockey log and see the number of jockeys from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who rank it the top numbers of achieving jockeys.

If one looks at the number of female jockeys that the Academy has attempted to train, we do not believe that the statement above is altogether correct and perhaps there are other questions that need to be discussed as to why the same success in transformation, that has been achieved at previously disadvantaged groups, the same transformation success has not been achieved within the female jockeys. Opportunities?!

Since 1988 there have been 41 female apprentices who have been accepted into the Academy, of which 12 have qualified. The average working lifespan of female jockeys is 8 years with a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 14 years. The average lifespan of male jockeys is in excess of 30 years.

Based on the above, and in order to ensure transformation of the jockeys ranks, the 1.5Kg will hopefully have the desired effect of growing the female participation in our jockeys ranks in South Africa and thereby creating sustainability of their participation.

This amendment has followed due process, which includes ample consultation, and it must be reiterated that in terms of the Constitution and the Rules of the NHA the National Board has the ultimate authority to sign, approve and promulgate any rules amendments.

This is part of a five-year plan of a whole range of transformational initiatives to attract, promote and retain female jockeys, amongst other strategies.

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