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Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Approves 2023 Funding

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has authorized expenditure of $1,498,077 to fund 12 new projects and nine continuing projects at 13 universities, as well as two career development awards in the coming year. The 2023 slate of research brings Grayson's totals to more than $34.1 million to underwrite 426 projects at 45 universities since 1983.

“The Grayson Foundation is dedicated to tackling a variety of equine health challenges, which is clearly reflected in our selected projects for this year,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson. “Our research projects and career development awards wouldn't be possible without the kindness of our donors, and we thank them for their understanding of the significance of equine veterinary research.”

Details on the new projects are available here.

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Racing Resumes At Laurel Park On Thursday; Commission Meeting Stresses Need For Continued Communication

Live racing will return to Laurel Park this Thursday, Dec. 16 for the first time since Nov. 28, the Maryland Racing Commission confirmed during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday.

The main track at Laurel was closed for an examination on Nov. 29 after an alarming number of fatalities – four from racing injuries and three while training – occurred between Nov. 6-28. The Maryland Jockey Club followed that inspection by cancelling racing and suspending morning workouts to allow for repair of the surface.

It was the second time in 2021 that racing at Laurel was halted because of track conditions. The first occurrence was in April after a spike in musculoskeletal injuries, which led to racing being shifted to Pimlico on an emergency basis. Track ownership undertook a multi-million dollar track renovation project that wasn't completed until August, with racing resuming at Laurel in September.

With help from noted trackmen Dennis Moore from California, Glen Kozak from the New York Racing Racing Association, and former MJC track superintendent John Passero, Maryland Jockey Club officials explained at last week's meeting that the most likely explanation for the cluster of fatalities was that water seeped into a seam in the base material of the stretch before that base material was able to cure, causing a slight depression. That has been repaired, and several additional changes have been made.

“We've been out every single day, day and night, to make sure that we have the best racing surface possible,” said Laurel's track superintendent Chris Bosley. “There's been a huge learning curve with this material and this track from when it was put in in July to where we are now.

“Everyone knows that this is a different material, different track, and everything is brand new on this racetrack. We're getting as much information as possible, and we're not going to stop until this thing is perfect, and then we'll do everything we can to keep it perfect.”

Laurel's main track reopened for workouts on Dec. 10, with 55 horses working Friday, 123 on Saturday, 56 on Sunday, 20 on Monday and another 15 on Tuesday.

“We've seen a drastic improvement in the track cushion,” said Mike Rogers, president of racing at the MJC. “The feedback that we've been getting is very positive.”

Horsemen's representative Tim Keefe echoed those sentiments on Tuesday's call: “We're definitely seeing a different racetrack out here… I think everything's moving in the right direction.”

Several jockeys also joined the call to praise the improved track surface, including Xavier Perez.

“The difference in the surface of the track is 20 times better than it was,” he said. “My opinion is that the track is just perfect.”

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With all parties on the call agreeing that the track surface was safe for racing to resume, the Maryland Racing Commission made no action to prevent Laurel Park from doing so on Thursday. Cards for Thursday, Dec. 16 and Friday, Dec. 17 have already been drawn.

Rogers went on to stress the importance of continuing open lines of communication between all parties.

“If we don't know it, we can't address it,” said Rogers.

A presentation from Dr. Thomas Bowman, chair of the MRC's Equine Health, Safety and Welfare Advisory Committee, continued that theme.

“Transparency and trust and communication have not always been a part of the culture on the racetrack,” Dr. Bowman said. “I have gotten an absolute thrill out of serving in this capacity because every person I have talked to has gone out of their way to at least appear to be cooperative. There doesn't seem to be any indication in my mind that there is any party or parties who aren't willing to step up.”

That said, Dr. Bowman doesn't believe that the process by which information from the trainers and exercise riders and jockeys gets to the MJC officials and the trackmen is sufficient.

“We're trying to come up with a system that will allow the horsemen and the riders and the vets to all have input, and that that input is collected on a regular basis, and put in the responsible hands… If we had had a collection system, possibly we could have avoided this tragedy in the first place.

“I don't think this is the end of this process, I think this is the beginning. It's a work in progress… It appears to be a watershed moment in the way that this has changed.”

The Maryland Racing Commission meets again on Jan. 4.

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Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Establishes ‘A. Gary Lavin Chair’; Oaklawn Park Donates $250,000

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today the creation of an endowment to support a full-time position, the “A. Gary Lavin Chair,” in recognition of Dr. Gary Lavin's contributions to the foundation and equine health. Lavin died at age 83 in February.

“Dr. Lavin made innumerable contributions to Grayson over the last 40 years, including time spent as a valued member of both our board of directors and research advisory committee (RAC),” said Dell Hancock, chair of Grayson. “He was instrumental in the reorganization of our research approval process, which resulted in the development of the research advisory committee we use today. Dr. Lavin believed that the veterinary community should be involved in Grayson's work, and we are proud to honor him with this position, which will facilitate a veterinary relationship with the foundation that he believed was so important.”

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Oaklawn Park will be supporting this new role with a lead gift of $250,000.

“We are grateful to Oaklawn and the Cella family for their demonstrated commitment to equine health in helping to fund this position,” Hancock said.

“For three generations, the Cella-Lavin families have been working together in the best interest of the Thoroughbred,” said Louis Cella, president of Oaklawn. “We all have such great memories of Doc. It is a great honor to kick off this campaign to create the A. Gary Lavin Chair.”

Responsibilities of the A. Gary Lavin Chair will include RAC member recruitment, orientation, and management; management of grant applications, reviews, deadlines, and conflict eliminations; fundraising; and publicity.

“My father was a lifelong advocate of equine health and longtime supporter of Grayson, and my family is proud to see his legacy continue through this new position,” said Kevin Lavin, vice chairman of Grayson. “We are appreciative of the support that it has already received and thankful to the Cella family for their initiative in the fundraising effort.”

Those who are interested in supporting the endowment can designate donations to Grayson as being specifically for the A. Gary Lavin Chair position.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation's leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. Since 1983, the foundation has provided more than $30.6 million to fund 397 projects at 45 universities in North America and overseas. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.

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Is There Such A Thing As Too Many Carrots?

Many horse owners and caretakers offer their horses treats as a reward or as a sign of affection, and most horses willingly eat the more-traditional treats of apples and carrots. But is there such a thing as too many treats? Can feeding too many harm a horse's health?

Some horse owners feed up to 10 gallons (or more) of carrots to their horses with no ill effects, reporting that the carrots add weight and are a good water substitute. Kentucky Equine Research notes if the horse doesn't have metabolic issues, there is most likely no harm in feeding that quantity of carrots, but there is concern as to if the horse is obtaining all the dry matter and nutrients needed for a healthy diet.

Carrots are primarily water (85 to 90 percent), so they do assist in keeping a horse hydrated. Assuming one five-gallon bucket of carrots is a meal, the horse would be consuming just 1.5 pounds of dry matter, of which 25 percent is water-soluble carbohydrates. As the horse takes a while to eat through the bucket of carrots, the nearly six ounces of sugar and three ounces of soluble fiber from the carrots slowly enters his bloodstream.

The high amount of water could make the horse's manure loose and provides him with a lot of calories, so he may pack on the pounds. Additionally, the horse's coat may develop an orange tint as some of the beta-carotenes are absorbed as carotenes by body tissues. Carrots do not contain significant amounts of other nutrients.