The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission began implementing an Equine Safety and Welfare Plan in March of 2022, aimed at decreasing Thoroughbred fatalities across the state. Among the key points are: independent analyses of racing surfaces, expanded oversight of morning workouts, stricter eligibility to race standards, and a new hotline to accept anonymous tips on wrongdoing.
Just shy of 18 months later, the commission gave PennLive an update on the program's progress.
In the first six months of 2022, 33 Thoroughbreds died at Pennsylvania tracks. Over the same period in 2023, that number dropped to 28. This year's deaths include 20 at Parx and eight at Penn National; eleven occurred during races, while eight were during training, and the rest in other track locations like stalls.
Independent equine veterinarian Dr. Brian Langlois explained that five fewer deaths is not a statistically significant number, but there are concrete examples of the Equine Safety and Welfare Plan in action.
The increased oversight on morning workouts resulted in eight horses being deemed temporarily ineligible to race; stricter post-race supervision resulted in 36 horses being deemed temporarily ineligible to race (seven of those were retired from racing); 41 horses were excluded from racing based on findings during morning pre-race exams; 12 horses have been deemed ineligible to race in Pennsylvania after finishing 12 or more lengths behind the winner in five straight starts; and the integrity hotline has received 150 calls, two of which led to drug testing and penalties including a jockey suspension, and six of which remain under investigation.
There are two parts of the commission's plan which have not yet been implemented. First is a program to install a PET scan or MRI machine at tracks; the commission said this project is on hold until funding can be devised. Second is a pre-entry form which trainers would be required to submit to be allowed to race, including 30 days of medical reports; the commission is “exploring the most effective way to implement this measure.”
The PET scan is of vital importance in continuing to make progress on decreasing fatal injuries, according to Langlois. Another technological improvement which should be considered, he said, is the “Stride Safe” device which can measure changes in a horse's stride which may be invisible to the human eye.
The post Pennsylvania: Nearly 18 Months In, Equine Safety And Welfare Plan Shows Promise For Decreasing Fatalities appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
