Tag: dr. will farmer

Breeders’ Cup Officials Say 100 Percent Of Starters Have Gotten At Least One Out-Of-Competition Test

For the second time in series history, 100 percent of the Breeders' Cup runners loading into the gate this weekend will have undergone at least one out-of-competition test (OOCT). Last year was the first time Breeders' Cup officials expanded the OOCT program broadly enough to catch every entrant. This year, Breeders' Cup Out-of-Competition Program Director Dr. William Farmer said 10% of starters got more than one OOCT, 20% of entries were subjected to paired hair and blood testing, and 25% of samples were submitted to random bisphosphonate testing.

A total of 300 individual samples across 20 different facilities were tested. As reported earlier this week, one OOCT came up positive for stanozolol, resulting in the scratch of Princess Secret from the Juvenile Fillies.

OOCT began in June in the United States. Breeders' Cup was able to send testers to collect samples from internationally-based runners during the year, with the exception of those in Ireland. Those horses were sampled upon their arrival into the United States with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials.

Breeders' Cup took over its own OOCT in 2017, in the wake of the 2016 scandal over Masochistic's positive OOCT for stanozolol. Before that time, OOCT went through the local commission and results were not always released to Breeders' Cup officials before the races. After the Breeders' Cup took over testing, the authority expanded its ability to test more horses, taking the percentage of horses covered from 40 percent of runners to 100 percent in 2019.

This year's figures were revealed at the annual health and safety media briefing Wednesday morning. Also at that briefing, Dr. Deborah Lamparter, co-leader of the Breeders' Cup veterinary team, highlighted a few key changes to pre-race veterinary monitoring. After last year's high profile breakdown of Mongolian Groom, a review of veterinary procedures conducted by Dr. Larry Bramlage resulted in six suggestions for improvement. According to Lamparter's report, several of those have been implemented this year.

Breeders' Cup veterinarians are teaming up with Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians to keep two sets of eyes on each horse for examinations that will take place throughout the week in addition to the exam on the morning of the horse's race. Those veterinary teams have studied each horse's pre-race exam history as it has been entered into InCompass software, which shares veterinary notes across jurisdictions. This week's exams will include palpation of legs as well as jogging in the barn area.

Horses entering the track for morning training at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland are required to jog in a line for veterinarians, with vets standing in front, behind, and off to the side of the horse for its jog. If the horse successfully passes the jog, it can go on with its regularly-scheduled exercise. The jogs are videoed and available for review later. A veterinarian will be watching video streams of morning workouts in addition to the veterinarians on the ground observing morning work, and vets will have access to videos of works taken by the track and various media outlets to review later.

If veterinarians find anything of concern, they will request the trainer have diagnostics done on the horse.

“After all of those reviews, if the horse is deemed unfit to start, a official KHRC veterinarian will recommend the horse be scratched,” said Lamparter.

Surface experts report Keeneland's surfaces seem to be in good shape as the weekend approaches. Jim Pendergast, Keeneland track superintendent, reported that testing of the dirt and turf indicate the depth of cushion and track composition are all good. The track maintenance crew will take 45 moisture measurements and 45 going stick measurements each morning to check the surface and determine ratings for the surfaces. Currently, Pendergast anticipates the turf track, which is holding onto moisture from rain several days ago, will be listed as good by the start of the weekend.

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Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Adds New Reforms To Platform

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition announced on Thursday the addition of eight medical and operational reforms to its platform in its latest move to ensure that equine and human athletes are racing under the safest and most transparent conditions possible. The Steering Committee, which is made up of executives from the Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Association, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Stronach Group, voted unanimously to adopt the reforms with the ultimate goal of uniform implementation across racing jurisdictions.

The Coalition also recently participated in the drafting of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and continues to fully support its passage, which would codify a standard set of rules and protocols to make racing safer and more transparent across state racing jurisdictions. In addition to the national legislation, the Coalition believes the work to advocate for these reforms at the state level must persist.

“As today's announcement and recent progress make clear, the Coalition's important work to ensure the wellbeing of our athletes has continued despite the challenging circumstances our industry and our nation have faced this year. The new reforms will go a long way toward increasing our collective ability to identify at-risk horses before they set foot on a track and protect the integrity of our sport,” said Coalition Strategic Advisor Donna Brothers.

The following reforms have been added to the Coalition's platform:

  • Strengthen race entry and eligibility requirements;
  • Work with state racing commissions to apply racing regulations surrounding prohibited substances and restrict selected therapeutic substances in proximity to high-speed works;
  • Prohibit the administration of external treatments, therapies and musculoskeletal manipulation within at least 24 hours of a race;
  • Work with state racing commissions to implement a clenbuterol prohibition in racing and training along with reporting/procedural requirements as outlined by the RMTC;
  • Strengthen requirements for removing horses from the Veterinarians' List;
  • Adopt a waiver claiming option for horses coming off an extended layoff;
  • Require implementation of an emergency track warning system; and
  • Modify racetrack on and off gaps to increase horse and rider safety.

“The industry must be wholly committed to horse safety and welfare in racing and training, and that includes the racing organizations,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at The Stronach Group.  “These additional reforms codify the measures many tracks have already undertaken to best protect our horses.”

“The ability to work with my colleagues and counterparts at other Coalition tracks on a regular basis has enabled us to share best practices and build upon one another's experiences and findings related to Thoroughbred safety, which is evident in the reforms we announced today,” said Dr. Stuart Brown, Equine Safety Director at Keeneland. “This level of collaboration ensures that the uniform safety reforms that the Coalition is advocating for are proven and effective solutions.”

“The safety of our athletes must be everyone's top priority, and the adoption of uniform rules and standards reinforces our commitment to the wellbeing of our horses,” said Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director at Churchill Downs Incorporated. “As our respective organizations advocate for or, where applicable, use house rules to implement the Coalition reform platform, the collective culture of safety within our industry continues to grow.”

The Coalition's Advisory Committee members – the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), along with Industry Supporter members Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Stonestreet Farm and the University of Kentucky – supported the development of the reforms and will continue to be instrumental in the Coalition's efforts to advocate for their adoption at the regulatory level.

The Coalition Steering Committee continues to convene on a regular basis to discuss issues and ideas relating to equine safety and the integrity of the sport. These meetings bring together Thoroughbred racing's most prominent tracks and organizations in the U.S. in a manner that is unprecedented – but much needed – in the racing industry. The collaborative framework built by the Coalition has also enabled members to work together, in coordination with other stakeholders, to support the racing and local communities and to bring back live racing safely and responsibly amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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