HISA Names Anjali Salooja As New Director Of Operations And Compliance

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has named Anjali Salooja Director of Operations and Compliance, the organization said in a release Thursday.

Salooja will oversee all compliance systems and procedures for the organization, ensuring HISA remains compliant with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act at all times. She will also provide daily operational and long-term planning support for new initiatives designed to promote equine and jockey health and safety.

“We couldn't be more pleased to welcome someone of Anjali's talent and experience to HISA,” said CEO Lisa Lazarus. “Her expertise in leading organizational operations and implementing national safety protocols make her an excellent fit to help us further HISA's goals.”

In her most recent role, Salooja served as the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. She oversaw the NBA's Anti-Drug Program and player health and safety efforts for its affiliate leagues, leading coordination with players, medical advisors, coaches, trainers and league staff. Prior to that, Salooja practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton and worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs.

“I look forward to helping further HISA's mission by ensuring operational excellence across the growing organization,” said Salooja. “With continued coordination and partnership between the HISA team and racing participants, we can make integrity and safety the top priority in Thoroughbred racing across the country.”

Salooja is an admitted attorney to the New York State Bar Association and a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

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Churchill Downs Details Enhanced Security, Safety And Integrity Measures

Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Ky., re-emphasized its annual enhanced security measures for horses competing in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) and ongoing safety and integrity measures included in its “Safety from Start to Finish” program.

In addition to all other applicable state laws and track policies, Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (“KHRC”) have teamed to mandate the following protocols for horses competing in the Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks:

EQUINE SAFETY & WELFARE

  • Churchill Downs and 14 KHRC veterinarians will closely monitor and observe Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants before, during and after training and in their stalls beginning on Monday, April 26;
  • A Churchill Downs and KHRC veterinarian will be present trackside at all times when horses have access to the track;
  • Prerace exams will be performed by KHRC veterinarians starting at 6 a.m. ET on race day. In-stall exams include a general health evaluation and palpation and flexion of the horse's legs. Veterinarians will also observe horses out of their stalls, at a trot, to further assess soundness and fitness to race;
  • A team of eight KHRC veterinarians will be positioned around the racetrack should there be a need for an immediate response. Additionally, three KHRC veterinarians will be in the paddock when horses are saddled for the Kentucky Derby (two for all other races);
  • Three state-of-the-art Kimzey Equine Ambulances will be at Churchill Downs on race day, positioned at the one-mile chute, quarter pole and the backstretch for immediate response; and
  • A board-certified veterinary surgeon and veterinary anesthesiologist will be present should there be a need for immediate critical care response. Additionally, the Equine Medical Center will serve as a triage facility, with x-ray equipment for patient evaluation.

JOCKEY SAFETY & WELFARE

  • Immediate online access to jockey medical histories for emergency medical personnel;
  • Injured jockeys that require external medical evaluation will be transported by ambulance to the designated hospital directly from the incident; there will be no ambulance transfers. Also, there will be Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians (“EMTs”), nurses and doctors dedicated to jockey care; and
  • Formalized concussion policies which includes more thorough jockey education, baseline concussion testing, onsite evaluation after a fall and additional return-to-ride requirements.

RACING INTEGRITY

  • Horses participating in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby shall be on the grounds no later than 11 a.m. ET on Monday, April 26, and Tuesday, April 27, respectively – more than 100 hours before each race – and shall remain on the grounds until after the running of the race, pending an unforeseeable emergency;
  • Kentucky Derby participants will have 24-hour barn security by Jefferson County Sheriffs starting at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 27, through 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 1;
  • Horses shall stay in their assigned barns and stalls on the grounds, which will be monitored at all times by Jefferson Country Sheriffs and additional security personnel;
  • Entry-exit logs will be maintained by security personnel starting at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 27, for all Kentucky Derby horses. All persons – including grooms, veterinarians, trainers, assistant trainers, farriers, owners or other connections – must have a valid KHRC license before permission is granted to enter a stall, engage in contact with the horse or perform any service for the horse. Such persons will be logged in by security personnel with the reason for their visit;
  • All equipment, feed, hay bales, etc., are subject to search and seizure, as provided by law, by both Churchill Downs Racetrack and the KHRC;
  • Horses participating in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will be escorted by security personnel to the paddock. When schooling, they will receive priority for paddock schooling;
  • Horse identification will be performed by two Churchill Downs Racetrack horse identifiers at the barn on Thursday, April 29, and again on race day in the saddling paddock; and
  • All jockeys will be subjected to magnetic wand scans prior to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other random races.

MEDICATION

  • The KHRC has conducted out-of-competition blood samples of horses competing in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, as well as undercard graded stakes, before entries are taken and will send them to Industrial Laboratories in Wheat Ridge, Colo., for immediate testing. Other jurisdictions, including Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland and New York, obtained out of competition samples on behalf of the KHRC from horses that are not stabled in Kentucky;
  • Daily veterinarian's record of all medications and treatments given to any horse on the grounds must be submitted to the KHRC Chief Veterinarian within 24 hours of administration;
  • All practicing veterinarians of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses will be identified by KHRC no later than 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 25;
  • Security personnel will monitor all treatments performed by veterinarians. Materials used for medication administrations may be retained by the KHRC for possible testing;
  • Veterinarians will not be permitted in the stalls of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants within 24 hours of the race unless accompanied by a KHRC investigator;
  • No medications are permitted within 24 hours of the race. In the event of a medical emergency, the Stewards will authorize treatment and the horse will be scratched; and
  • Five teams of KHRC veterinarians will collect blood samples for TCO2 (a.k.a. “milkshake”) and testing 30 minutes prior to the horses' scheduled departure for the paddock.

PATRON SAFETY 

  • A total of 33 Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (“EMTs”), 11 nurses and four doctors will be onsite;
  • There will be five First Aid Stations located around the facility: Executive Gate, first-floor Clubhouse, Jockey Club Suites, Finish Line Suites and Infield;
  • A minimum of 14 ambulances (an EMT and paramedic in each ambulance) will be onsite. Several others will be on standby within the area for immediate response if necessary; and
  • More than 30 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and public safety partners will be onsite to further the level of security for all patrons in attendance.

The aforementioned measures coincide with Churchill Downs Racetrack's “Safety from Start to Finish” program that was launched by Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) in March 2009 to formalize its comprehensive approach to continually improve the safety of the horses and human beings who work, train and compete at all CDI racing venues.

Key features of the “Safety from Start to Finish” program at Churchill Downs Racetrack include:

  • Independent, standardized third-party engineering analysis, testing and monitoring of track surfaces;
  • Postrace drug testing performed by a Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (“RMTC”) accredited laboratory; each sample is analyzed for more than 1,500 substances;
  • The banning of anabolic steroids;
  • The prohibition of “milkshaking,” which results in excessive levels of total carbon dioxide in Thoroughbred racehorses;
  • Prohibiting the transport of horses from CDI facilities for slaughter;
  • Permanent revocation of stall and competition privileges for any owner or trainer who sells a horse for slaughter stabled at a CDI track;
  • Revocation of stall and competition privileges for any owner or trainer convicted of animal abuse;
  • The banning of unsafe horseshoes, including front shoe toe grabs longer than two millimeters;
  • The use of low-impact riding crop with restricted usage rules;
  • The presence of on-site medical personnel, equipment, and state-of-the-art equine ambulances;
  • Immediate online access to jockey medical histories for emergency medical personnel;
  • $1 million in catastrophic injury insurance coverage per accident for jockeys paid for by CDI;
  • Mandatory and uniform reporting of equine injuries to The Jockey Club's national Equine Injury Database System, thereby assisting in the compilation of comprehensive data and facilitating statistical analysis to improve safety around the country;
  • Professionally designed and installed safety rails on the inside of the dirt and turf course;
  • Mandatory usage by all jockeys, exercise riders, assistant starters and other on-track personnel of safety vests and safety helmets that meet internationally acknowledged quality standards;
  • 3/8-inch foam padding on all parts of the starting gates;
  • Inspection of all horses by regulatory veterinarians prior to and following all races;
  • Review of security procedures around the barns and other racetrack backstretch areas;
  • Protocols for the treatment of horses that have been injured during racing or training, to ensure the most humane treatment possible;
  • Encouraging anyone that suspects any wrongdoing or witnesses improper conduct at all CDI tracks to speak up immediately via the independent and national office of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau's Integrity hotline at (410) 398-3647 or integrity@trpb.com; and
  • Certification by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Safety & Integrity Alliance program of all CDI tracks.

There have been several equine safety initiatives that have been implemented at Churchill Downs within the last two years. Below are the changes and how they affect horsemen:

  • DR. FARMER HIRED AS EQUINE MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Announced in November 2019, Dr. William E. Farmer DVM oversees equine safety and care at all CDI racetracks. Previously, he served as official veterinarian for the California Horse Racing Board and out-of-competition coordinator and consulting veterinarian for Breeders' Cup Ltd. He is charged with development, implementation of and ensured enforcement of equine health and safety policies for CDI.
  • INVESTEMENT IN STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUINE MEDICAL CENTER: An Equine Medical Center and Quarantine Facility (three new isolated barns) opened in 2020 following an $8 million investment. The Equine Medical Center can be used for every-day equine therapeutic purposes as well as immediate and advanced onsite care in the event of injury. The Quarantine Facility permits horses from other countries to fly direct to Kentucky and eliminate long, taxing van rides when racing at Kentucky venues. It also provides a world-class facility for isolating, monitoring and treating horses who may suffer from contagious equine diseases.
  • COMMITMENT TO INDUSTRY RESEARCH: Churchill Downs Incorporated committed $100,000 of additional financial support to fund key scientific research projects geared toward improving the safety and welfare of race horses, particularly with respect to improving treatment options for joint and leg injuries.
  • PASSAGE OF HORSERACING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY ACT: Churchill Downs Incorporated worked with other industry leaders to pass the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate in December 2020 and signed into law. The bill calls for a phase-in period, and effective July 1, 2022, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority will be in place and responsible for developing and implementing a horseracing anti-doping and medication program along with a racetrack safety program for covered horses.
  • ADVOCATED FOR ADDITIONAL EQUINE MEDICATION REFORMS: Churchill Downs advocated with applicable regulatory authorities for increased withdrawal times for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cortico-steroids so that horses can be more adequately evaluated during pre-race veterinary examinations. CDI also continued its strong financial support and advocacy for high quality drug testing as well as the mission of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium to extend its accreditation program to measure not only the capabilities of testing labs but to also verify what testing is being performed.
  • HORSEMEN-VETERINARIAN AGREEMENT: This must be signed by the trainer and veterinarian and submitted to the Stable Office upon arrival. This agreement will cover all CDI properties and will be in effect until the end of the Turfway Park 2022 meet.
  • MEDICATION-RESTRICTED RACES: Pursuant to KHRC regulation 810 KAR 8:050 all 2-year-old races and stakes races will be conducted Lasix-free.

    —  810 KAR 8:050 SECTION 6: (A): A two (2) year old or stakes horse shall not be administered any drug, medication or other substance, including furosemide, with twenty-four (24) hours of the post time of the race in which the horse is entered. Participation by the horse shall not affect the status of the participating horse on the official authorized bleeder medication list. (B): The implementation and enforcement of the prohibition in paragraph (A) of this subsection shall begin on 1): Jan. 1, 2020, for all two (2) year olds; and 2) Jan. 1, 2021, for all horses entered to run in a stakes race, including the races comprising the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the races designated as graded stakes races by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

  • SHOCKWAVE THERAPY TREATMENTS: Effective with the opening of the Churchill Downs Racetrack backstretch for the 2021 year, all prescribed shockwave treatments for horses stabled at Churchill Downs Racetrack MUST be administered at the Equine Medical Center. Practicing veterinarians will have access to the Equine Medical Center daily from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. All treatments must be recorded on the Shockwave Treatment Log located at the Equine Medical Center along with a veterinarian's report submitted to the KHRC. Trainers violating this rule are subject to revocation of their stall privileges.
  • PRE-ENTRY EXAM: Pursuant to KHRC regulation, all horses must have an exam performed by a trainer's veterinarian within the three (3) days preceding a race entry. This exam is to be documented by the trainer's veterinarian and he/she will include their findings on their daily treatment records submitted to the KHRC.
  • PRE-WORK EXAM: All horses stabled at Churchill Downs Racetrack or Trackside must have an exam performed by a trainer's veterinarian within the five (5) days preceding a timed workout, per Horsemen-Veterinarian Agreement. This exam is to be documented by a trainer's veterinarian and turned in to both KHRC and CD Equine Medical Director.
  • IN-TODAY SIGNAGE: All horses entered to race must be clearly identified starting at 7:30 a.m. on race day with an “In-Today” sign. Trainers should hang these signs on the stall door or adjacent to the stall. This is separate from the KHRC Lasix tag hung following Lasix administration. Extra signs are available in the Stable Office.
  • ENTRY RESTRICTIONS: All first time starters 4-years-old and older or 3-years old and older with no race within 365 days are required to have an exam and published five furlong work in 1:03 or faster approved by the CDI Equine Medical Director PRIOR to entry. In addition, horses that have not raced within 120 days but less than 365 days must notify the CDI Equine Medical Director PRIOR to entry to schedule an exam.
  • WAIVER CLAIMING RULE: Allows a trainer to enter a claiming race, but be ineligible to be claimed providing the horse has been laid off and has not started for a minimum of 180 days since its last race, and the horse is entered for a claiming price equal to or greater than the price at which it last started.

CDI tracks continue to work with Dr. Mick Peterson, the director of the Ag Equine Programs at the University of Kentucky's department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering who is widely considered the world's foremost racing surfaces researcher, to routinely conduct engineering analyses and tests of their respective racing surfaces for safety and consistency. CDI has worked with Dr. Peterson to evaluate its racing surfaces since formally launching the “Safety from Start to Finish” program in 2009.

Through the “Safety from Start to Finish” program, CDI, its employees and its horsemen raise money and awareness for Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which accredits and funds aftercare programs that help care for and find new homes and careers for retired racehorses.

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Four-Year Jockey Injury Study Helps Plug Data Gaps

When Kelly Ryan, primary care sports medicine physician for Medstar Health and co-medical director for the Maryland Horsemen’s Health Program, discusses with her peers in the sports medicine world her work attending to injured jockeys, she’s often met with the sort of wide-eyed puzzlement usually reserved for rare finds.

“Every single bad case that we have is almost one in a million–like no other sports medicine doctor has ever seen this type of injury before,” Ryan said. “They’re all very unique and every single one of them could be a case study because of the level of trauma that they endure.”

This probably doesn’t qualify as revelatory for those within the sport accustomed to the sort of bone-crushing acts of stunt riding seen weekly on the track.

But what the industry should be chafing against is the hitherto dearth of hard data that might help explain how and why these accidents happen, especially when compared to efforts within many other sports–those far less dangerous than racing–to understand the cause and effect of injury to athlete.

Which is why Ryan hopes that a four-year study she helmed into jockey injuries in Maryland–one published last month–will help to plug that gap.

“The important thing about injury data is if we can find patterns, then we can hopefully try to prevent further injuries, make some modifications,” Ryan said.

Between September of 2015 and May of last year, Ryan and her colleagues logged all injuries–falls and otherwise–that 670 participating riders sustained when riding at Laurel Park, Pimlico and Timonium.

The study encompassed 590 race days, 5,611 races and 45,284 mounts. There were 204 injuries involving 184 separate incidents and 131 separate falls.

An “incident” is defined as this: “An event that occurred involving the jockey that required enough of a concern or risk of resultant injury that the rider needed an evaluation and injury report to be completed by the racetrack physician.”

In a nutshell, the study can be boiled down to a number of key details. In all, 76.3% of falls and 79.3% of incidents resulted in an injury of some degree.

Jockeys fell on average 2.9 times per 1,000 mounts and suffered on average 4.5 injuries per 1,000 mounts.

When it comes to injury type, the vast majority–nearly 80%–were soft tissue related. Hematomas, contusions and bruises were the most common, followed by strains and sprains, then fractures, abrasions and finally lacerations.

Over a quarter of incidents resulting in injury required further medical care in a hospital or another medical facility. In 2.5% of injuries, the jockeys required surgery.

Looking at the study findings, what are Ryan’s main recommendations to improve the overall quality of care given to stricken riders? She has three of them, including how each racetrack needs to have a set of clear concussion protocols in place.

Out of the 22 head injuries that jockeys suffered during the four-year study, eight were concussions, which works out to 0.18 concussions per 1,000 mounts. Six of the concussions came from a fall and two from horse headbutts.

Another of Ryan’s recommendations is for racetracks to “implement” sports medicine professionals into their operations, as is the case in Maryland.

“A lot of the other racetracks in the U.S., some of them don’t even have any medical providers, let alone a sports medicine-trained physician,” she said, pointing out how tracks are now typically awash with veterinarians, “but there’s really not much for the people.”

And finally, “make sure to improve emergency action protocols and make sure jockeys get the level of care that they need immediately,” Ryan said. Not only that, ensure that these protocols “are prepared, practiced and streamlined in the case of an actual emergency,” she added.

How likely is an emergency? Twenty jockeys were taken immediately to a hospital by ambulance during the four-year study, while 21 injured riders were transferred to another facility for evaluation at an orthopaedic clinic, urgent care centre or imaging centre.

Of the nine surgeries performed on injured riders, two were cases of internal bleeding from a lacerated spleen (one that had complications missed on initial evaluation). Other surgical cases included a fractured fibula, along with two shoulder and two hand injuries.

The unusual catalogue of injuries that jockeys often suffer makes it imperative they receive specialized attention from an expert who understands the long-term stresses that injury will be put under–something that happens too infrequently, Ryan explained.

“You want a hand specialist for their hand–you don’t want a general orthopaedic surgeon. If you tear your ACL, you want not just a regular general orthopaedic, you want them to go to see someone who does 300 ACLs a year,” she said. “[Jockeys are] professional athletes–their career depends on it.”

One fascinating feature of the study is how it breaks down injury occurrence to location on the track, with slightly more than 14% of injuries unfolding on the homestretch, 8.2% happening immediately post-finish and 6.8% near the finish line.

The most dangerous area by far, however, is the starting gate. Roughly 41% of all injuries occurred either entering or leaving the gate, or else in the contraption itself.

As such, this is another opportunity for the industry to take stock and examine the whys and wherefores of injury occurrence around the starting gate. “Can we improve the process by better training the horses, the assistant starters and the jockeys?” she said, pointing out that questions need to be asked of whether the gates themselves are contributing to the problem, and whether starting stalls used in other countries could benefit U.S. shores.

Which brings the conversation neatly back to the issues of piecemeal jockey injury data collection, and a glaring opportunity for the industry to implement safety changes built on hard fact rather than supposition.

“If we had this kind of data from other racetracks, then we’d be able to compare it,” said Ryan. “What are you doing that works? Why are your numbers better? How come this track has lower numbers–does it have to do with the gate? Does it have to do with the training?”

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BHA Revises Stop Race Procedure

A new stop race procedure, to take effect on Jan. 4, was revealed by the British Horseracing Authority on Monday. The revised procedure was developed by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in conjunction with the Racecourse Association (RCA) and the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and have been made to ensure the procedure is as clear and safe as possible for riders, racecourse staff and for those on course.

The changes are as follows:

  • The stop race flag has been re-designed from yellow to orange and yellow quarters, to be as visible as possible and consistent with other racing jurisdictions
  • The stop race procedure now explicitly requires multiple flags to be deployed, either in multiple locations or multiple flags in one location if that is all that is possible
  • Fox 40 whistles will continue to be used, but there will now be no additional verbal instructions to ensure only the sound of the whistle can be heard
  • There will be tailored announcements via the public address system to ensure there is as much clarity as possible for those on course and broadcasters

The stop race flag will continue to be used by starters and advanced flag operators to ensure there is consistency for riders and that deployment of the stop race flag means they must cease riding. To view the current procedures, click here and to view the new procedure, click here.

“It is of paramount importance for the safety of all those involved, whether riding in the race or officiating the stop race procedures, that there is absolute clarity about what to do when the stop race flag is deployed,” said BHA Head of Raceday Officials Cathy O’Meara. “Under these revised procedures there will be one type of highly visible flag, deployed either in multiple locations or multiple times in one location, and one sound, to denote that riders must stop riding.

“We’ve also added in more clarity for those watching on course or via broadcasters, to ensure communication is clearer in the event of a void race. Working closely with the RCA and PJA has allowed us to come up with new procedures which we believe will work for everyone, and above all ensure that all the relevant parties are clear about what to do if a race has to be stopped.”

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