The California Horse Racing Board is working with The Jockey Club's InCompass Solutions to create an automated system that will correlate official workouts at California racetracks and training facilities with confidential veterinary submissions for the purpose of verifying compliance with CHRB Rule 1878.
Rule 1878 states in part that “a horse shall not be permitted to workout (unless) the horse has been examined by the trainer's attending veterinarian during the seventy-two (72) hours immediately preceding the workout for the express purpose of evaluating the horse's fitness to work out.”
Furthermore, “The evaluation shall be recorded in the Veterinarian Report in accordance with section 1842.”
Daily workout reports and veterinary confidentials are located in two separate databases. Currently, CHRB personnel must go through those databases manually to determine whether a horse had been examined prior to exercising. An integrated system via InCompass will streamline that process and ensure greater compliance with Rule 1878.
“The CHRB is fully committed to constantly improving animal welfare, which is the point of Rule 1878,” said CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney. “Like many of our regulations, this particular one is trailblazing. As we endeavor to perfect the process, we encourage other regulatory bodies to consider adopting similar protections.”
The CHRB's announcement comes in the wake of news of an investigation which discovered that over 500 of trainer Dan Blacker's workers did not have the required exams. The investigation was launched following the fatality of unraced Blacker trainee Animae after a workout at Santa Anita on July 1, 2023. The 2-year-old filly suffered a fatal musculoskeletal injury to her pelvis and vertebrae, according to CHRB records.
An investigation into the filly's fatality found that she did not have an examination by Blacker's attending veterinarian entered into the Equitaps database during the seventy-two (72) hours immediately preceding that July 1 official workout. In fact, three of the four official works for Animae did not have a vet exam listed.
As a result, an audit was conducted on all horses trained by Blacker from Jan. 1, 2022, through July 1, 2023. Of the 789 official workouts listed for Blacker's trainees, 527 did not have a veterinary exam completed during the 72 hours preceding the work.
Mike Marten, spokesman for the CHRB, reported that the CHRB has filed 18 complaints over the workouts aspect of Rule 1878 since it went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Stewards have primarily opted to fine violators of the rule, with amounts ranging from $100 up to $1,000 for multiple violations.
The post California Horse Racing Board Working To Automate Verification Of Pre-Work Vet Exams appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
