Tag: Horse Care

As the horse racing world is still reeling from a cluster of horse deaths at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, officials at Pimlico have added a new layer of veterinary oversight for runners racing there this weekend.

Officials began taking out-of-competition samples from likely Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes starters roughly two weeks ago. All graded stakes entrants will also undergo pre-race TCO2 testing and officials have clearance to do pre-race competition sampling at any time for any entries on the Friday and Saturday cards. Pre-race samples may check for violations of the track's policy on therapeutic medications, which bans corticosteroid joint injections within 14 days of racing, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories within 48 hours of racing, and any medication within 24 hours of post time.

Additionally, Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group, said that all runners on the Friday and Saturday cards must get two veterinary authorizations before they run — one is an authorization from the trainer's private veterinarian, certifying the horse is safe to race, which is required of all runners in California and Kentucky, and the other is clearance from the regulatory veterinarian in the state where they were stabled prior to shipping in to Pimlico.

“We've had cooperation from our vets in California, vets in New York and Kentucky, basically anywhere these horses come from, we've had someone go out and examine them and jog them and ensure they're racing sound before they even make it to Maryland,” said Benson.

Horses in the Preakness, Black-Eyed Susan, and the UAE President Cup are observed by veterinarians during morning track work and will be examined by state veterinarians between three and four times at the barn in the days leading up to the race. Those exams began Wednesday.

“We are doing this to ensure those horses are fit throughout the entire week and look good every day coming into Preakness,” she said.

Benson indicated that after the high-profile breakdowns Derby week, track management expanded their plan from requiring both regulatory and private vet sign-off just on stakes horses to requiring those authorizations for all runners this weekend. She also said that The Stronach Group is working with industry stakeholders to get expanded safety protocols in place for all race days at its tracks, not just high-profile weekends like Preakness.

“We certainly do have veterinarians watching Pimlico and Laurel weekly, watching training,” she said. “Those things we do in California we're trying to get implemented nationwide.”

A big weekend like the Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness cards at Pimlico poses a particular challenge since roughly two-thirds of the horses running aren't local, and are therefore not familiar to the regulatory veterinarians in Maryland.

The Stronach Group, together with the California Horse Racing Board, added a number of new requirements for runners there after the high-profile equine fatalities spike in 2019, including increasing the required time for horses to be on-site pre-race, sign-off from private veterinarians before racing or training, and post-workout drug testing. Critics have pointed out that those policies were not implemented at its Maryland and Florida facilities, although during a spate of safety concerns at Laurel Park in late April, The Maryland Jockey Club said it would be “discussing plans for implementation” of those policies in Maryland.

When asked about the status of those policies in Florida, a spokesman released the following statement to the Paulick Report:

“First and foremost, we are hopeful that reforms offered up by HISA will finally be codified and implemented this month. We are also continuously working with our partners at Gulfstream and elsewhere to enact additional reforms already on the books in California. This will help save equine lives.”

Drug testing will continue to be handled by the state of Maryland for this year's Preakness, as the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit does not begin national drug testing protocols until May 22.

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While trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. remains indefinitely banned from Churchill Downs Incorporated racetracks, many racing fans have observed he has continued racing at Gulfstream Park near his South Florida base. Representatives from 1/ST Racing said May 18 that some of Joseph's trainees have been required to undergo additional layers of veterinary scrutiny as he remains under investigation by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

After two Joseph-trained horses suffered sudden deaths within a few days of each other at Churchill Downs in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby, the KHRC scratched his remaining entrants — including Derby hopeful Lord Miles — and launched an investigation into his operation. Churchill announced its private property ban on Joseph later the same day.

It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of sudden death in a racehorse, even after a necropsy has been completed. Experts say they're probably usually the result of a cardiac or pulmonary failure — which may or may not be exercise-induced and therefore difficult to detect when the horse is in the barn. Joseph has said he had no explanation for the statistically unusual deaths, but noted that both horses had previously been training at Keeneland.

A suspension from a regulatory agency like a racing commission is automatically reciprocated by other states, but the KHRC investigation continues and stewards have not yet issued a ruling against Joseph. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is also conducting an independent investigation to check for any rule violations but has also not yet reached a conclusion. Bans issued by a racetrack are done on a private property basis, and Aidan Butler, chief executive officer of 1/ST Racing and Gaming/The Stronach Group, said there's no obligation that another company reciprocate that decision.

1/ST has, however, required that Joseph horses that have been training in Kentucky pass additional blood and physical tests before they may be entered at races at their tracks.

Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer at The Stronach Group, said the track operator required Joseph to do blood tests checking complete blood count, selenium levels, and cardiac troponins, as well as looking at blood clotting time and checking for any rodenticide exposure. (Rodenticide was discovered in trace amounts on necropsy of two horses who suffered sudden death in California in 2013.) Additionally, a board-certified internal medicine veterinary performed echocardiograms on those horses at rest, during a gallop, and during breezing.

“Several of the horses were required to wear what's called a holter monitor overnight just to make sure there were no irregularities in heart rate or rhythm overnight when we weren't watching the horses,” said Benson. “Mr. Joseph was very cooperative with all of that. We've had eyes on everything and the reports we've gotten back from the cardiac specialist were that horses did not have any increased risk of having heart issues based on the testing that was performed.”

In the days since Churchill announced its ban on Joseph on May 4, he has started 17 horses at Gulfstream Park. He has another 15 entries there between May 18 and May 21. According to their recent workout histories, none of them are coming from his string at Keeneland or Churchill Downs, but have instead been based either at Gulfstream or nearby Palm Meadows.

Joseph runs more horses at Gulfstream than any other trainer. From the start of the 2021-'22 championship meet at Gulfstream through the conclusion of the 2022 fall meet, he had 665 starts at the South Florida track.

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Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month is recognized nationwide to bring attention to the importance of mental healthcare. Among the many therapies available to those with mental health struggles is equine assisted therapy, a horsemanship-based program that provides support to patients.

Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue, located in Dover Plains, New York, is one of several programs across the country that offers equine assisted therapy, utilizing horses like stakes-winner Montauk Traffic to create a meaningful and healing connection with the organization's clients.

The late-running Montauk Traffic, who was campaigned by trainer Linda Rice and owner Chris Fountoukis, won 4-of-10 starts led by a victory in the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield in 2020 at Aqueduct Racetrack. An injury in the summer of 2021 marked the end of his racing career and destined him for a quieter life without any further riding. But despite his physical limitations, Montauk Traffic has excelled at a newfound second career as a therapy horse.

Retired to the organization in the fall of 2021, Montauk Traffic now works closely with Lucky Orphans' clients, teaching them patience and general equine husbandry skills as they work through an array of psychological challenges, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit disorder, and autism, among others. The New York State Department of Health notes that each year, more than 1 in 5 New Yorkers display symptoms of a mental disorder.

Deanna Mancuso, founder and executive director of Lucky Orphans, said Montauk Traffic, or “Monte” as he's known around the barn, has turned into an exceptional teacher and listener.

“He's a little different than some other horses when you think of horses with second careers,” said Mancuso. “He has a fairly active career here and just the other day he spent two hours with some college psychology students. He is also part of the volunteer training to teach new volunteers about horse safety and communication. He's very responsive and super sensitive, so he's a great part of our program.”

Lucky Orphans, one of 81 organizations accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), was founded by Mancuso with the mission, “people helping horses help people.” Mancuso, who previously ran a for-profit boarding center, was frequently asked to take in horses in need of proper sanctuary, and decided in 2013 to convert her business into a 501(c)3 non-profit equine rescue.

With her herd of rescued horses, Mancuso began to develop programs based on lessons taught to her by her grandfather, lessons that made her realize how her organization could help not just animals, but people, too.

“My grandfather was in the Korean War and when he returned home and suffered from PTSD, he said it was always a horse who brought him out of his darkest times,” Mancuso recalled. “Before he died of pancreatic cancer, he bought me a horse to help me through my dark times. All of our programs are based around that model of horses helping people get through anything.”

Monte is one of 49 horses, 20 of them thoroughbreds, that call Lucky Orphans home. He was placed there through the efforts of his former connections and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's (NYTHA) TAKE THE LEAD program, which provides funds for veterinary exams and assistance in placing horses in new homes and careers once their racing careers have ended.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and its horsemen are dedicated supporters of both the TAA and NYTHA's TAKE THE LEAD programs, with every owner competing on the NYRA circuit donating $10 per start to the TAA and 1.5 percent of the purchase price of all claimed horses on the circuit to TAA and TAKE THE LEAD. Since 2014, this program has raised nearly $2 million collectively in support of aftercare.

While Monte has become an invaluable asset to Lucky Orphans' programs, it was not always apparent the son of Cross Traffic would settle well into a quieter routine on the farm. Mancuso said it took plenty of handling and desensitizing to get Monte adjusted to life as a therapy horse.

“Looking at him and how powerful he was on the track is exactly how he is on the farm,” said Mancuso. “He went through a bit of a change and he kept acting like, 'When's the next race?' After he was gelded, he was unpredictable and had some behaviors that made us wonder where he fit into the program. We worked with him and got him to settle, and now he's so social and curious, intrigued by people and whatever is going on.”

The time Mancuso and the volunteers spent with Monte proved well worth the effort. While all the program horses are capable of supporting and teaching Lucky Orphans' clients, Monte in particular has struck a chord with many. As a stakes-winning racehorse who overcame injury to live a meaningful life in retirement, Monte and his story provide even the most withdrawn clients with hope and inspiration.

“Here you have this amazing athlete who was eligible for the Breeders' Cup, had so many come-from-behind victories, and had to retire,” said Mancuso. “This really resonates with our veterans – being at your prime and then having setbacks that they do not know how to process. These horses are amazing for that because they shift gears so much in retirement. He provides a level of support that they need.”

Mancuso said Monte is a prime example of the way thoroughbreds can happily transition to second careers beyond riding and jumping.

“A lot of people think we have a lot of limitations here because we don't ride them, but we enjoy these horses so much,” said Mancuso. “To share what they can do for our clients is really life changing.”

Monte participates in introductory education where new clients learn about general horsemanship and equine behavior, which leads into individually tailored program sessions.

“We have our clients tell us about themselves, we set goals, and then we teach about safety with the horses,” said Mancuso. “Depending on the goals, we'll then set up with activities that includes grooming of the horses, leading them through obstacle courses, or having them open up and communicate with the horse. Even if we can't hear them, it gets them talking out loud. It's customized to each client and the sessions end with a discussion about what they've learned and assignment of homework around that.”

Mancuso explained that the program's success can be attributed to the deep-rooted connections between horses and humans, and that to care for them is to care for each other.

“Horses have built who we are as a society,” said Mancuso. “Aftercare is so important as it shows our responsibility to the animal. It's an invaluable thing, and to see what the thoroughbred industry is doing for aftercare is priceless for the people and the horses.”

Lucky Orphans, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is accredited by the Academy of Prosocial Learning, Natural Lifemanship, and Arenas For Change. For more information and to make a donation, visit https://www.luckyorphans.org/. 

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Officials in New Mexico have suspended trainer Raul Velarde Vega for a minimum of five years and fined him $10,000 over concerns about the condition of a horse he entered in a race this spring, according to a ruling dated May 12.

Vega had been summarily suspended earlier this year after his trainee Cause For Love Too was scratched from a race at Sunland Park on March 21. According to New Mexico Racing Commission executive director Izzy Trejo, racing officials became concerned when the filly arrived at the paddock.

Photographs of the filly show that she had significant protrusion of ribs and large wounds with areas of raw skin on her hindquarters, on either side of her tail.

Trejo said that after her scratch in the paddock, Cause For Love Too was sent to the test barn, where staff took photographs to document her condition. Due to an ongoing shortage of regulatory veterinarians at Sunland, the filly had not had a pre-race inspection done the morning of the race, so her appearance in the paddock was the first time officials had seen her that day.

The May 12 ruling indicated that Vega will be eligible to reapply for a trainer's license on or after March 24, 2028. If he does apply at that time, he will be required to go before the commission to get approval for reinstatement, and will be required to retake and pass the New Mexico Racing Commission's trainer's test before reinstatement.

Vega has until May 22 to appeal the decision.

Vega has trained 91 Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred winners from 847 starters in a career that stared in 2013. Last year was his most prolific season, with 205 Quarter Horse starts and 70 Thoroughbred starts. He is a stakes-winning trainer of Thoroughbreds and a multiple graded stakes-placed trainer with Quarter Horses. Last year, Vega ranked 35^th in the nation by earnings for Quarter Horse racing.

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