The Breeders' Cup, one of Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious international events, today announces a new partnership with Guardian Security, Kentucky's premier security company dedicated to providing around-the-clock security services, to enhance equine safety and security measures for the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The new agreement reaffirms Breeders' Cup's ongoing commitment to ensuring the highest level of equine safety and integrity standards.
Under the new partnership, Guardian Security will provide 24-hour equine surveillance in the days leading up to, during and following the upcoming World Championships, set to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. on Nov. 6-7. During this time, over 100 dedicated security officers will be deployed to support the Breeders' Cup Equine Security Team with daily operations by monitoring the activity in the barns, keeping daily logbooks of who enters a stall and bolstering overall stable and racetrack security, to ensure the enforcement of the most comprehensive and exceptional safety and integrity protocols onsite. The combined expertise of the investigative professionals that comprise Breeders' Cup Equine Security Team, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Investigator team and Guardian Security will provide a safe and level playing field for all participants.
“Protecting the welfare of our horses has always been an utmost priority,” said Dora Delgado, Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer. “We firmly believe in the continued enhancement and enforcement of the security standards in Thoroughbred racing, and we hope to set the new benchmark in equine care through our partnership with Guardian Security.”
“Our goal at Guardian Security is simple – to provide world-class safety and security measures that guarantee the most seamless and high-quality horse racing experiences,” said Jeff Blanton, Chief Operating Officer of Guardian Security. “Breeders' Cup has long been known for its exemplary equine welfare protocols, and we're honored to be working with them to build upon this strong foundation and create the safest and fairest World Championships yet.”
The partnership follows a series of recent efforts to bolster equine safety standards for Breeders' Cup races and events. In March 2020, the Breeders' Cup Board committed to adopting new rules aimed at establishing higher safety and veterinarian evaluation protocols during horse races, as well as continuing to follow globally established practices such as pre-and-post-race testing, comprehensive prohibitions on anabolic steroids and other controlled substances, frequent veterinarian exams and race surface testing. Breeders' Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization that aims to maintain the safety of both equine and human athletes, and augment existing protections through unified industry efforts to develop new reforms.
For more information on Breeders' Cup's equine welfare and safety standards, please visit BreedersCup.com/safety. To learn more about the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships, please visit BreedersCup.com/2020.
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