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Training Open As Laurel Cards Races For Saturday

Laurel Park will be open for training on Thursday and Friday, with the intent to run this Saturday, Apr. 29, Alan Foreman, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA), said by phone Wednesday afternoon.

Last Saturday's cancelled Apr. 22 card of 98 entries included a pair of $100,000 races in the Native Dancer S. and the Primonetta S., scheduled for the main track. This time around, the racing office has taken 116 entries over 11 races with the same slate of five stakes.

The decision to cancel last Friday into the weekend came one day after a horse had to be euthanized, while the another was vanned off and reportedly euthanized. Both ran over the dirt surface Thursday, Apr. 20 in the fourth and fifth races–making five fatalities within the month.

With numerous talks between the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the Stronach Group last weekend and into Monday, the two sides agreed, with the approval of the Maryland Racing Commission, to allow Laurel and Pimlico's former track superintendent John Passero to conduct his own third-party assessment of the track's suitability for racing.

“Mr. Passero made recommendations and adjustments based on his expertise and understanding of Laurel, and the horsemen respect those decisions,” Foreman said. “Training is open Thursday and Friday, and it is my understanding that he will be present to ensure that all goes well during that time.”

The Friday forecast calls for heavy rains that could derail the running of Saturday's card, but Foreman confirmed that Passero would be present into the weekend.

“If rain moves in, then we could have to postpone,” Foreman said. “There will not be training Saturday morning, and that will give him [Passero] time to issue further findings. There is an air of palpable confidence and we know this will lead to a positive situation for everyone. I only regret that we did not come to a decision sooner.”

Within the ranks of Maryland's horsemen others have expressed ongoing concern. Trainer Lacey Gaudet said, “I won't be participating in breezing or racing this weekend. The weather is also a factor in that, but everything is still awfully raw, and I just want to be confident before my stable moves forward. I can't thank all of my owners and clients enough for supporting that decision as a horseman.”

Laurel's 11-race card on Saturday also includes three turf stakes and an allowance one, which could be rained-off and moved to the main track, if racing is deemed safe to proceed.

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Progress At Laurel: Horsemen, Management Nearing Deal To Allow Passero To Examine Track

The impasse between Maryland horsemen and the Stronach Group regarding the condition of the main track at Laurel could be nearing a resolution as the two sides are close to an agreement to let John Passero examine the racetrack.

Passero is the former track superintendent at Laurel and Pimlico and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) has been insistent on letting him examine the track and have the final say regarding whether or not it was safe and, if not, what fixes were in order. The Stronach Group had brought in its own expert, Santa Anita track superintendent Dennis Moore, and were set to rely on his expertise.

Five horses have had to be euthanized this month at Laurel, including two who raced there last Thursday. After the Thursday breakdowns, Laurel management announced that racing would be canceled indefinitely. It is not clear yet when it will resume. A card scheduled for Thursday was scrapped due to a lack of entries.

Management has maintained that the track is safe, while the horsemen have taken an opposing view, at one point calling the situation a “catastrophic emergency.”

“We're trying to work through a few things,” said Tim Keefe, the president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “But we've almost come to an agreement with the Stronach Group to let our track advisor, John Passero, come in and do some work. Nothing is finalized yet.”

But Keefe said that the mere fact that The Stronach Group is considering letting Passero study the track is a step in the right direction.

“Yes, I am encouraged,” Keefe said “I thought we had come to an agreement (Sunday) night regarding John and I was thrilled. This has been a roller coaster of emotions over the last 12 hours. I was thrilled and ecstatic last night. I was discouraged this morning. But I am more hopeful now. If that makes any sense.”

Keefe said that even if Passero is put in charge of the project, the final say regarding a resumption of racing will rest with the Maryland Racing Commission. But, he said, Passero's recommendations figure to carry a lot of weight.

“The final says will come with the racing commission but I expect them to point blank ask John 'Do you certify that this track is safe to run over?' It's either going to be a thumbs up or a thumbs down,” Keefe said. “He could say it's not quite ready yet and here is a list of things that need to be done and looked at. Or he could say, 'Yes, I have done my work and the track is ok.' He's very hopeful and thinks he can get things moving in the right direction in a short period of time.”

The Laurel racing office was open Monday and taking entries for a Friday card, but Keefe said racing will not resume until the Maryland Racing Commission agrees to a resumption of racing. The racing commission has scheduled an emergency meeting for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Laurel to discuss the issue.

“When can we race again? It's up in the air,” Keefe said. “They're taking entries for Friday. But there will be no racing until the racing commission hears from John Passero or some other third party that the track is deemed safe. They will not let racing resume until they hear that.”

While Moore is among the most respected track superintendents in the business, Keefe said his members are more comfortable with Passero because he worked on the Maryland tracks for years.

“John Passero was in Maryland many years ago when he worked for the DeFrancis family,” he said. “A lot of the long-time horsemen here knew John from back then. They had a very good rapport with him and he had good results when he was here. He is old school. Certainly all the testing and all the laboratories and all the analysis they do, they are great tools. But in the case of John, there's nothing quite like getting out there and getting your hands dirty and walking on the racetrack and getting a real good feel for things. That kind of old-school mentality resonates with a lot of trainers here.”

HISA released the following statement Monday: “On April 20, HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus asked HISA Director of Equine Safety & Welfare Dr. Jennifer Durenberger to travel to Laurel Park to support Maryland horsemen and Laurel Park staff in assessing the circumstances surrounding a series of recent equine fatalities. Dr. Durenberger is now in the process of reviewing the information she gathered during her visit as well as available data regarding the veterinary condition of the horses. HISA Director of Racetrack Safety Ann McGovern is also collecting data and consulting with experts regarding the condition of the racetrack surface and whether it poses any risk to horses and riders. This review is ongoing, and HISA has not reached any conclusions regarding the potential causes of the recent fatalities. Once this thorough review has been completed, HISA will issue its findings and set forth any potential next steps. As always, HISA's primary goal is to optimize the safety of horses and riders, and that objective will be prioritized above all else in this review and in any subsequent actions”

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Steve Koch to Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association

Longtime Thoroughbred industry executive Steve Koch has joined the senior management teams of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association and Florida Equine Communications.

Koch will assume responsibilities in July for all operations and systems related to the FTBOA and FEC offices, meeting rooms, library and museum facilities. Koch will also coordinate a soon to launch, in-house video and broadcast production partnership and tenant relationship and will generally assist the management team in increasing awareness, economics and programs for the FTBOA membership and Florida Thoroughbred industry.

“It is an exciting time to join the FTBOA,” Koch said. “This new position combines my lifetime experiences in Thoroughbred breeding and racing and I am proud and looking forward to being part of an already strong and growing organization and dynamic Florida industry.”

Koch has held prior positions as vice president of Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance and was most recently a senior vice president for the Stronach Group.

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Equine Industry and Animal Welfare Organizations Announce Collaborative Effort to Ban Horse Slaughter

Edited Press Release

A diverse group of equine industry and animal welfare organizations have announced the “Final Stretch Alliance to End Horse Slaughter”–a collaborative effort to permanently ban the slaughter of American horses.

In an open letter to congressional leaders, including US Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and US Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the alliance urged federal lawmakers to pass the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R.3355/S.2732) to permanently ban horse slaughter in the US and end the export of American horses for slaughter in other countries.

The supporting members of the “Final Stretch Alliance to End Horse Slaughter” include: The Jockey Club, the U.S. Trotting Association, the Stronach Group, the Breeders' Cup, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, The Jockey's Guild, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the Maryland Horse Council, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation, and many other industry voices.

Despite congressional efforts that have effectively blocked the operation of horse slaughterhouses on US soil since 2007, tens of thousands of American horses continue to be shipped to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses that supply other countries with horsemeat. With the Triple Crown horse racing season underway and public attention on equine sports, equine industry and welfare groups are calling on federal lawmakers to take action during this critical moment by passing the SAFE Act to end this sad chapter in American history.

In the open letter, the groups highlight a recent poll indicating that an overwhelming majority of Americans (83%) oppose horse slaughter. The letter explains how, despite robust, innovative partnerships between equine industry and welfare groups to support horses transitioning between careers, the looming threat of the horse slaughter pipeline continues to significantly harm industry, enthusiasts, and adoption organizations:

“Racing industry groups have demonstrated real leadership in committing resources for aftercare and career transition programs, instituting and enforcing track policies against sale to slaughter, and spearheading state and federal policies prohibiting horse slaughter. These programs are critical, but until the law shuts down the slaughter pipeline itself, no horse, no matter how beloved or decorated, will be truly safe.”

The SAFE Act would close this legal loophole to stop the funneling of American horses to slaughter for human consumption abroad. Introduced by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, the SAFE Act is currently sponsored by nearly half of the US House of Representatives.

“Despite the overwhelming desire among Americans to see horses protected from harm, tens of thousands of horses are transported out of the US each year to be killed abroad,” said Cathy Liss, AWI's president. “Racehorses continue to fall victim to this grisly and predatory trade, so we appreciate the leadership and collaboration of key stakeholders in the racing industry to shutter the slaughter pipeline once and for all. As trusted companions, horses enrich our lives in countless ways; passing the SAFE Act is paramount to ensuring their welfare and safety.”

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