StrideSAFE CEO David Lambert Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

As the sport continues in its efforts to drastically reduced the number of fatalities that occur in races and in morning training, there's little doubt that StrideSAFE is going to play an important role in preventing breakdowns.

StrideSAFE is a biometric sensor mechanism that slips into the saddle cloth to detect minute changes in a horses's gait at high speed. Those changes can, and often do, signal that a horse is in the early stages of having a problem that could lead to a fatal injury. If the StrideSAFE data is made available to trainers and veterinarians, they can use it to make decisions that very well could save a horse's life.

To learn more about StrideSAFE, we brought in its CEO Dr. David Lambert for this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to discuss how the technology works and what it can do to keep our horses safer. Lambert was the Green Group Guest of the week.

“We recognized early on that every horse has his own unique way of going,” Lambert said. “The sensors would pick up the same pattern for the same horse all the time. But if something were to go wrong with that horse, then that pattern changes and the sensors are able to pick that up. And so the preliminary work was to look at cases where we knew the horses had suffered a fatal injury and try to quantify the nature of the patterns that preceded the fatality. That was the basic research that we had to tidy up, and that's where we are now. We've got that pattern. We can identify each individual horse's style. We've got an elaborate model that can tell us when the changes that are happening in a horse's body are happening and putting them at greater risk of a fatal injury.”

How effective is it? Originally, horses were put into three categories, red, yellow and green. Red representing the horses at the highest risk of being injured, while green includes the ones at the least risk. They have since changed the categories with horses in category five the most likely to suffer a fatal injury.

“The animals that have the worst signal and are in category five, the worst data, are 300 times more likely to suffer a fatality than are the ones that get the normal signal,” Lambert said. “So we're able to quantify the amount of risk a horse is at once he's come out of a race. So the horse is wrong. Here he is. He's back at the barn. We get the results. And that horse, the data that horse showed us in that race tells us that he was he's now 300 times more likely to suffer a fatality. We give that to the trainer. This isn't an absolute.  But that horse is a seriously increased level of risk. And all we're asking the trainer to do is have a special look, bring your vets in, because the vets know where these fractures occur.”

While no one is doubting that StrideSAFE's information is accurate and can be vitally important, the racing industry has yet to embrace it. It has been used on a trial basis at some tracks, including the NYRA tracks, but is not yet in regular use at any track. Why?

“I think the answer to that is probably just human nature,” Lambert said. “When you come with any idea to a large group of people there are going to be those unusual folks who jump on it straight away. And then there'll be those who get used to it a little bit later. The establishment and the political players, if you like, the management level, are going to be slower still. They have a complex responsibility to the sport at large. They must be absolutely sure that something is valid before they allow it to happen. They can't go off, you know, with a knee jerk reaction jumping in and causing more harm than good. And then, of course, at the other end of that, there's always the soothsayers that just want no part of it.  And then all of them are bound by money. They might want to do it and can't afford it. So there's the whole spectrum of things that have, I think, been in evidence as we've tried to bring this forward. But slowly but surely we're making progress. People are getting on board. And I'm feeling pretty optimistic now that we're going to get this done.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored byhttps://coolmore.com/https://lanesend.com/ the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders,https://www.nyrabets.com/ WinStar Farm, XBTV.com, Stonestreet Farms, Lane's End andhttps://www.threechimneys.com/ West Point Thoroughbreds, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss discussed the remarkable safety record at the recently concluded Del Mar meet where not a single horses broke down during the running of a race. The discussion included a look at a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' who exited stakes races on closing weekend at Del Mar, where Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), the daughter of Hall of Famer Beholder (Henny Hughes), was a very impressive winner of the GI Del Mar Debutante. The team was not quite as bullish on the victory by Prince of Monaco (Speightstown), who was hard pressed to win the GI Del Mar Futurity as the 1-20 favorite. Randy Moss previewed the “Win and You're In” races to be held Saturday at Woodbine and will be broadcast by Moss and his team on NBC.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

The post StrideSAFE CEO David Lambert Joins The TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Additional Testing, Surveillance Among Breeders’ Cup’s Health And Safety Protocols

The Breeders' Cup will once again conduct the 2021 World Championships under industry-leading equine safety and integrity protocols. Breeders' Cup always strives to conduct best-in-class racing under the safest possible conditions to the benefit of horses, riders, participants, fans and bettors. Additionally, health and safety protocols will be in place to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 during the World Championships taking place Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar.

Additional resources detailing Breeders' Cup's health and safety protocols for the 2021 World Championships can be found here.

EQUINE SAFETY, TESTING AND SECURITY

Breeders' Cup observes the most stringent medication practices and restrictions, pre- and post-race testing protocols, equine security and surveillance measures, veterinary exam requirements, injury management protocols and racing surface testing in the industry.

All Breeders' Cup runners are subject to:

  • Randomized out-of-competition (OOC) testing, which began around the world in June and concluded on Monday, November 1, resulting in the collection of over 300 blood and hair samples;
  • Expanded veterinary scrutiny in-stall and during training at Del Mar, Santa Anita and San Luis Rey Training Center;
  • Mandatory trot up observations of every horse prior to being permitted to enter a racing surface;
  • Comprehensive veterinary exams including diagnostics, if required, beginning Monday, October 25;
  • Surveillance following a mandatory equine security check-in on Tuesday, November 2;
  • An additional round of testing for performance enhancing medications and prohibited substances on all horses entered in a Championship race starting Tuesday, November 2, along with additional randomized onsite testing over the following days for a total of approximately 500 blood, hair and urine samples collected from all Breeders' Cup runners prior to the World Championships; and
  • Extensive post-race testing of the first four finishers as well as any other runner that did not perform as expected and others designated by the Stewards.

The Breeders' Cup's world-class veterinary team led by Dr. Will Farmer and Dr. Deborah Lamparater will work in conjunction with CHRB Equine Medical Director Dr. Jeff Blea and other official veterinarians to oversee and implement the comprehensive veterinary exam protocols. These include observing all potential Breeders' Cup runners in the stabling area, on the track and in their stalls leading up to the event in addition to a mandatory pre-race evaluation on Tuesday, Nov. 2 to ensure every runner is fit to race.

Moving forward, Breeders' Cup eagerly awaits the full implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in July 2022. The new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will ensure consistent, transparent and expeditious processes for testing, adjudication and the enforcement of uniform equine safety standards under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission.

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TRACK SURFACE SAFETY

Breeders' Cup has once again retained world-renowned racing surface experts, including Racetrack Safety Program Director Mick Peterson, Del Mar turf course superintendent Leif Dickinson and Del Mar racetrack superintendent Dennis Moore, to oversee testing and track maintenance in conjunction with Del Mar's expert racing surface team. Together, they will ensure consistency in both surfaces, measuring moisture content and footing across the surfaces and providing participants with real-time updates on track and turf conditions.

COVID-19 MITIGATION

The Breeders' Cup and Del Mar Racetrack have worked closely with local public health officials and infectious disease experts to implement health and safety protocols that will be in place to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 during the World Championships. The health and safety of fans, participants, athletes and the local community is Breeders' Cup's top priority.

Breeders' Cup and Del Mar have consulted with top experts to ensure the protocols in place are effective in mitigating the risk of COVID-19. Breeders' Cup works closely with Dr. Richard Greenberg – former Chief of Infectious Disease of the University of Kentucky and former employee of the Center for Disease Control – and Del Mar has been working closely with its medical advisor – Scripps Health's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ghazala Sharieff – and San Diego County public health officials, including Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten and Chief Resiliency Officer Gary Johnston.

Protocols for attending the 2021 World Championships include:

  • Unvaccinated individuals must wear face coverings indoors and outdoors when in close proximity to others. Face coverings should fully cover the mouth and nose and fit snugly against the sides of the face so there are no gaps.
  • Guests entering the facility or placing a bet are to practice physical distancing.
  • Guests are to refrain from congregating inside the grandstand and follow all posted signage and floor decals as well as any direction from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club & Breeders' Cup staff.
  • Del Mar Thoroughbred Club & Breeders' Cup staff have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the facility.
  • Hand-sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the grandstand and additional staff will be on-site for cleaning high-touch areas.
  • Media and guests with tickets located on the 6th Floor (Il Palio Restaurant and Skyroom Suite Dining) will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours.

ABOUT BREEDERS' CUP

Breeders' Cup Limited administers the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing's year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders' Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.

The 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, is scheduled to be held on November 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders' Cup on social media.

The post Additional Testing, Surveillance Among Breeders’ Cup’s Health And Safety Protocols appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup Outlines Championships Protocols

The Breeders' Cup outlines health and safety protocols for the 2021 World Championships, which take place Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

EQUINE SAFETY, TESTING AND SECURITY

All Breeders' Cup runners are subject to:

  • Randomized out-of-competition (OOC) testing (beginning internationally in June and concluded Nov. 1, resulting in the collection of over 300 blood and hair samples
  • Expanded veterinary scrutiny in-stall and during training at Del Mar, Santa Anita and San Luis Rey Training Center
  • Mandatory trot up observations of every horse prior to being permitted to enter a racing surface
  • Comprehensive veterinary exams including diagnostics, if required, beginning Oct. 25
  • Surveillance following a mandatory equine security check-in Nov. 2
  • An additional round of testing for performance enhancing medications and prohibited substances on all horses entered starting Nov. 2, along with additional randomized onsite testing over the following days for a total of approximately 500 blood, hair and urine samples collected from all Breeders' Cup runners prior to the World Championships
  • Extensive post-race testing of the first four finishers as well as any other runner that did not perform as expected and others designated by the Stewards.

The Breeders' Cup's veterinary team includes Dr. Will Farmer, Dr. Deborah Lamparater and CHRB Equine Medical Director Dr. Jeff Blea. Veterinary protocols include observing all potential Breeders' Cup runners in the stabling area, on the track and in their stalls leading up to the event in addition to a mandatory pre-race evaluation Nov. 2 to ensure every runner is fit to race.

TRACK SURFACE SAFETY

Breeders' Cup has retained a panel of racing surface experts, including Racetrack Safety Program Director Mick Peterson, Del Mar turf course superintendent Leif Dickinson and Del Mar racetrack superintendent Dennis Moore, to oversee testing and track maintenance in conjunction with Del Mar's racing surface team. Together, they will ensure consistency in both surfaces, measuring moisture content and footing across the surfaces and providing participants with real-time updates on track and turf conditions.

COVID-19 MITIGATION

The Breeders' Cup and Del Mar have worked closely with local public health officials and infectious disease experts to implement health and safety protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 during the World Championships. Among the experts enlisted to provide effective protocols have been set in place include Dr. Richard Greenberg–former Chief of Infectious Disease of the University of Kentucky and former employee of the Center for Disease Control; Scripps Health's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ghazala Sharieff; Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten and Chief Resiliency Officer Gary Johnston.

Protocols for attending this year's event include:

  • Unvaccinated individuals must wear face coverings indoors and outdoors when in close proximity to others. Face coverings should fully cover the mouth and nose and fit snugly against the sides of the face so there are no gaps.
  • Guests entering the facility or placing a bet are to practice physical distancing.
  • Guests are to refrain from congregating inside the grandstand and follow all posted signage and floor decals as well as any direction from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Breeders' Cup staff.
  • Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Breeders' Cup staff have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the facility.
  • Hand-sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the grandstand and additional staff will be on-site for cleaning high-touch areas.
  • Media and guests with tickets located on the 6th Floor (Il Palio Restaurant and Skyroom Suite Dining) will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours.

For complete resources detailing Breeders' Cup's health and safety protocols for the 2021 World Championships, click here.

The post Breeders’ Cup Outlines Championships Protocols appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Concerns Over Track Conditions, Veterinary Shortage as Turf Paradise Meet Looms

Once again, issues of horse and rider safety at Turf Paradise were a bone of contention during the latest Arizona Racing Commission meeting Thursday, due to a shortage of attending veterinarians at the track and concerns over the overall state of the facility.

The upcoming Turf Paradise meet is scheduled to start on Nov. 5 and run through May 7 next year. There are roughly between 664 and 700 horses currently stabled and training there, with around 1,500 eventually anticipated.

But according to Sue Gale, the Arizona Department of Gaming's chief veterinarian, those horses are attended by a shortage of active veterinarians.

“The main concern that we have, found out that several veterinarians that practice on the backside were not returning to Turf this year,” said Gale, about the venue switch from the recently concluded Arizona Downs meet to the upcoming Turf Paradise meet.

Gale stressed that this shortage applies to attending veterinarians only, not official veterinarians, and she doesn't envisage the scarcity would necessitate a halt to racing.

Nevertheless, Gale added, “it would be a good idea to put some information out to the various practicing vets in the area because certainly there is an opportunity to pick up some work.”

Several stakeholders raised during the meeting concerns over the general condition of the track surface and facility itself–an ongoing problem highlighted by a 2020-21 Turf Paradise race-meet marred by a high number of equine fatalities.

During the whole of 2020 and as of Aug. 19, 2021, 67 Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses have suffered equine fatalities at Turf Paradise–18 during morning training, 31 during racing, and 18 due to other circumstances–according to a TDN public records act request.

During Thursday's meeting, Gale provided a state-wide update on equine fatality numbers.

According to Gale, there have been 15 race-day fatalities in Arizona so far this year: Two at Arizona Downs (which ran June 1 through Sept. 15) and 13 at Turf Paradise.

This works out, Gale added, to a rate of 1.94 fatalities per 1,000 starts–currently lower than the 2020 statewide rate in Arizona of 3.11.

The 2020 national average was 1.41 per 1,000 starts.

In discussing some of the factors underpinning these numbers, Gale zeroed in on two key variables. The first concerned a lack of comprehensive historical record keeping in evaluating horse soundness.

“We have been doing pre-race exams,” Gale said. “However, we have not been maintaining the records and not making full use of the history of the horses in order to direct greater scrutiny to those horses that might be at higher risk.”

The second concerned a lack of thorough and consistent track surface maintenance standards.

“This requires looking at the composition of the surface, the consistency of that, the depth of the cushion of the surface, the moisture content and what maintenance is done,” said Gale.

During the public comment period, several industry stakeholders took aim at the track conditions and safety protocols at Turf Paradise.

These criticisms included a shortage of outriders and compromised rail support beams that could prove potentially dangerous in the event of a horse collision.

“This surface is not right,” warned trainer Kevin Eikleberry. “We have some purse money–we should have a very good meet. But if we have a racetrack like we have right now, we will not. We will have more breakdowns than we can handle.”

Turf Paradise general manager, Vincent Francia, didn't directly address these criticisms.

Earlier in the meeting, however, Francia explained that much of the work has been completed to prepare the facility for the start of the meet. This includes an apparent fix to a problem with the facility's water trucks, said Francia.

“Should something give us a challenge with one of our water trucks, we have plans to make sure water is put on the track,” said Francia.

When pressed by one of the commissioners, Rudy Casillas, the gaming department's deputy director, explained that the department routinely visits Turf Paradise to conduct inspections, and provides the operators with “updated information” about their findings.

“We've given Turf [Paradise] up until the 20th to get certain things completed and repaired,” Casillas added. “We will continue to monitor as we go forward.”

During the meeting, Leroy Gessmann, the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's executive director, broached the impending implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), and its potential effects on the state industry.

His presentation hit many of the key topics of conversation around the federal bill, including the currently unanswered question of cost, and the status of the various lawsuits against HISA.

“USADA will take over the testing,” Gessman said, of the United States Anti-Doping Agency. “If there is a bad test, they are going to take over the hearings, so, the hearings won't be done any longer by your stewards for Thoroughbreds.”

(TDN recently reported that there'll likely be a tiered approach in the beginning, with the severity of the infraction governing which set of regulatory personnel–either the state stewards or USADA's–will handle such a hearing)

“HISA has put together a committee, I believe it's two or three people, that have started going around to different jurisdictions to meet with the commissions and are giving them a preview of all this information,” said Gessman.

“I would say someone will be contacting the department shortly and you guys will be getting a visit on how things are going to go,” he added.

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