“It's an honor to be elected president of such an esteemed collective,” said Bond, who is the first woman ever to helm the organization. “THA is at the forefront of collaborative decision-making and policy implementation on issues such as racehorse aftercare, equine safety and welfare, and protecting the integrity of our sport. I look forward to leading the organization as it addresses the challenges that horsemen and women face on local, regional, and national levels.”

In other THA officer elections, Chris Block and David Richardson were named vice presidents; Michael Musto was named treasurer; and Bessie Gruwell will serve as secretary.

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As the national ombudsman, which is modeled after the World Anti-Doping Agency's Ombuds Program, Foreman's responsibilities include:

Serving as an impartial and unbiased resource for Covered Persons and other Thoroughbred industry constituents to provide confidential advice and assistance at no cost to them in relation to the ADMC Program and the Racetrack Safety Program, including with respect to the rights and obligations of Covered Persons under both Programs.

Accepting feedback and comments from Covered Persons and other Thoroughbred industry constituents with respect to the rules comprising both Programs and communicating such feedback and comments to HISA and/or HIWU.

Providing advice to HISA and HIWU about the content and interpretation of the rules comprising both Programs.

In addition to Foreman's current position with the THA, which he is maintaining, Foreman is recognized as one of the leading racing law and equine attorneys in the United States, with expertise in medication, drug testing, equine safety, and welfare. His law practice encompasses all aspects of equine and horse racing law, and he is counsel to many horsemen's and racing industry organizations, including the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, National Steeplechase Association, and the United States Equestrian Federation Drugs and Medications Program. He is co-vice chair of the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium. He chairs the Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities, co-authored the widely respected New York Task Force Report on Racehorse Health and Safety, and was recently named by Maryland Governor Wes Moore to the newly created Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority.

Foreman has informed HISA and HIWU that he will donate all compensation paid to him by both groups in connection with his duties as ombudsman to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

“HISA's commitment to fairness in racing includes ensuring every horseman is fully aware of our rules and processes,” said HISA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Lazarus. “I am grateful that Alan is assisting HISA and HIWU to help educate racing participants and listen and learn from them as we work together to implement HISA's regulations as evenly and effectively as possible.”

“The new ombudsman position will assist horsemen and other Covered Persons with navigating the ADMC rules, thus enhancing understanding and facilitating compliance under the ADMC Program,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “Alan's extensive experience in horse racing law, combined with a thorough understanding of HISA's rules, make him the ideal industry representative to take on this role.”

“I applaud HISA and HIWU for creating this important position and am honored that they have asked me to serve. It is vital for all Covered Persons and organizations to have a trusted advocate and resource for them in this new system, and I will do my best to be fair, objective, effective and meaningful. I hope this position helps to smooth the transition to our new regulatory system,” said Foreman.

Industry participants interested in utilizing the ombudsman service should reach out to Foreman via email or by phone at (410) 336-0525.

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As the THA points out, taken as a whole the penalty scheme under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is significantly more stringent than that imposed previously by state commissions.

These new sanctions pertain to medication positives and other anti-doping related infractions that come after May 22, when HIWU's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program went into effect.

Two of the pending final rulings issued on HIWU's website concern the possible possession of banned substances–namely the thyroid medication Levothyroxine. The other concerns the possible presence of cobalt, another banned substance, in a test.

The trainer facing possible sanctions for an alleged cobalt positive is Mario Dominguez. The horse in question is Petulant Delight. According to HIWU, the date of the alleged violation is May 24, the same day Petulant Delight won a claiming race at Parx Racing. HIWU provides no other details on the circumstances behind the alleged violation.

As the THA points out, all Anti-Doping violations “which include the Presence of, Use or Attempted Use of, Possession of, or Administration or Attempted Administration of a Banned Substance” carry a potential two-year suspension and a fine of up to $25,000.

Click here for a list of “Banned Substances” under the ADMC Program.

Provisional suspensions for these violations are imposed immediately and can only be lifted through a provisional hearing.

When it comes to the “Use or Attempted Use or Administration or Attempted Administration of a Controlled Medication Method”–like milk-shaking–the possible penalties are as follows:

1st Offense, 60 days, up to $5,000 fine or 5% of the purse, loss of purse

2nd Offense within a 2-year period, 90 days, up to $10,000 fine or 10% of the purse, loss of purse

3rd Offense within a 2-year period, 120 days, up to $25,000 or 25% of the purse, loss of purse

All “Controlled Medication Violations” result in the loss of the purse. Class A and Class B violations result in a suspension for a first offense, and more than one Class C offense in a two-year period will also result in a suspension.

Click here for a list of Controlled Therapeutic Medications.

The possible penalties for Controlled Medication violations are as follows:

Class C

1st Offense, up to $500 fine, loss of purse

2nd Offense within a 2-year period, 15 days, up to $1,000 fine, loss of purse

3rd Offense within a 2-year period, 30 days, up to $2,500 fine, loss of purse

Class B

1st Offense, 15 days, up to $1,000 fine, loss of purse

2nd Offense within a 2-year period, 30 days, up to $2,500 fine, loss of purse

3rd Offense within a 2-year period, 60 days, up to $5,000 fine, loss of purse

Class A

1st Offense, 60 days, up to $5,000 fine or 5% of purse, loss of purse

2nd Offense within a 2-year period, 90 days, up to $10,000 fine or 10% of purse, loss of purse

3rd Offense within a 2-year period, 120 days, up to $25,000 fine or 25% of purse, loss of purse

According to the THA, HIWU chief of science, Mary Scollay, advises trainers to give the barn, tack room and feed room a regular thorough cleaning. Ensure that all medications are properly labeled and stored, and remove any banned substances or expired medications from the premises.

Contact Scollay if you have a question about any supplements you may be using. You can text her a photo of the label to (859) 489-7677 to help determine if it is considered a banned substance.

Click here for more information about dietary supplements.

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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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While many in the racing industry lamented the breakdown in negotiations between the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to implement a drug enforcement program, Foreman said he was bullish on HISA's separate safety program, set to take effect July 1.

“The HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program relates to medication, while the Safety Program relates to every other aspect of the health, safety and welfare of the horse and rider,” he explained. “I think that's the most important part of the HISA program, because horses breaking down on the track is our worst nightmare, and horses aren't dying because of medication. When horses break down, it's multi-factorial. For example, we just did our review of the breakdowns in the mid-Atlantic region for the past year. Maryland was having its lowest incidence of breakdown in its history until the track went bad and failed at Laurel in October, and we had a cluster of eight breakdowns in a span of three weeks. We got right on it, but it blew the numbers. So there was a racetrack surface issue. Not a medication issue, not a training issue. The value of the HISA safety program is to work with everyone on racing surfaces and identifying horses at risk so they don't get on the track when they shouldn't be. That program and the uniformity that HISA is going to bring is why it got our support.”

The conversation later turned to the legal back-and-forth involving Baffert over the past year, with Foreman saying, “When we talk about HISA and the manner in which our rules are adjudicated, it isn't so much that our underlying rules are problematic, it's the enforcement process and the way justice is meted out and people can game the system. At the end of the day, I think it all went downhill after Bob's press conference. The rumor was that there had been a positive test at the Derby, and there was no confidentiality so he actually got out in front of the story. But when he came out and said he had no idea how it could have happened, and within five days, the story came out as to how it happened, he was boxed into a corner and he wasn't prepared to accept responsibility and take the punishment. So this has played out in a sense where there's no exit strategy, from either side, frankly. Churchill, by taking the action it did and making very clear that it wasn't backing down, started to press the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to move more expeditiously. And here we are now, but it just took way too long, and that's not acceptable to anybody.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, XBTV, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers raved about a tremendous weekend of racing and gave their early impressions on the prospective GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks fields after the final round of prep races. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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But rather than head immediately to a physician in that same state, the jockey hopped the border to ride at Laurel Park. After taking his mounts at the Maryland track, the rider swung by the office of Kelly Ryan, co-medical director for the Maryland Horsemen's Health Program.

“He said, 'I need to see the doctor because I need a note so I can get cleared to go back and ride,'” explained Ryan, who declined to name the jockey and original racetrack due to the sensitivity of the situation. “He could have been riding with a concussion and nobody knew.”

The point of this anecdote wasn't to skewer the jockey but rather to highlight a broader and rather more insidious problem: That while huge strides have been made in the arena of equine health and safety in recent years, when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of the folks steering them, the industry leaves much to be desired.

More pointedly, there's a glaring hole that needs to be filled with an easy-to-use, legally compliant and uniform system across the country to track, store, manage, and share vital information pertaining to jockey health. Which is where a system called HeadCheck Health, pioneered and developed for use between Maryland and Delaware, is seeking to act as a plug.

“This is a very important need. It's a very big need,” said Ryan, who added that for too long, the industry has been making excuses instead of fixing the problem. “We're giving them a reason to stop making excuses.”

Ryan isn't overselling the need. Roughly 45% of sports related brain injuries are related to equine sports, while 7% of falls result in concussions.

In a recently published four-year jockey injury study helmed by Ryan encompassing 590 race days and 5,611 races, there were 204 injuries involving 184 separate incidents and 131 separate falls. Out of the 22 head injuries that jockeys suffered during that time, eight were concussions, which worked out to a ratio of 0.18 concussions per 1,000 mounts.

Mix into the ingredients wildly varying concussion protocols, medical staff and medical models from track-to-track, and it soon becomes apparent why proponents of HeadCheck Health are keen to sing the system's praises. “This is going to make collecting information so much easier,” said Ryan. “It's a game-changer.”

HIPAA Compliant

Founded about eight years ago, HeadCheck Health works with all sorts of other sports teams like rugby, football, and hockey–some of them at the elite, Olympic-level–where the risk of concussion is ever present.

“We've gone through it and we know how to make things work,” said Eric VanderHelm, an account manager at HeadCheck Health, who has worked with Ryan and her colleagues to build a platform catering to the specific needs of horse racing.

Importantly for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, there are various levels of access into the system that differentiates what jockeys and medical personnel–like those from the emergency medical services field, athletic trainers and medical directors–can see in the system, and what clerks of scale, stewards and other regulators are able to view.

The main dashboard provides a simple outline of which jockeys are eligible to ride, and their current health status if not. This is the sort of information anyone acting as a concussion spotter at a track has access to.

Specific health-related information, however, is locked to the jockey and medical experts. And what does this cover? Turns out, a fair bit.

There's an electronic form to input the results of a Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) test, which is a standardized way to evaluate sports-related head injuries.

Other digital forms include an accident report, and a digital clearance note with time stamps. Jockey physical cards–typically a slip of paper riders routinely lose–can also be inputted electronically into the system.

See a more complete presentation of the system here:

The overarching purpose of the app is to streamline and centralize the collection of vital jockey health data and make important details (ranging from information pertaining to suspected or diagnosed concussions to missing physical notes) available to those who need to see it–jockeys especially, said Ryan.

What's more, “The system is fully HIPAA compliant,” promised VanderHelm.

Jockey Health Information System

Some in the industry who read this will no doubt be familiar with a similar system already in place.

The Jockey Health Information System (JHIS) was launched by The Jockey Club–and integrated into their InCompass system present at nearly all U.S. tracks–some 12 years ago.

But it would be fair to say that the JHIS hasn't been enthusiastically embraced as originally intended. Indeed, the Jockeys' Guild was able to verify only that Keeneland and Churchill Downs are currently utilizing the system.

“It hasn't gotten the support that we would have liked,” admitted Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild.

Complicated HIPAA laws have made implementation difficult. And while the original intent of the JHIS was for approved medical personnel to input the information, said Meyocks, the huge disparities in medical staffing levels between tracks led to the riders taking on much of that responsibility themselves–a dynamic replete with potholes associated with language and technology barriers, and good old-fashioned apathy.

Varying concussion protocols at different tracks also hindered the effectiveness of the JHIS, with some tracks still to implement them.

Indeed, the ARCI has a model rule regarding concussion protocols, requiring a track to have on-site trained personnel to diagnose and assess concussions, for example, and established return-to-ride guidelines.

But according to Jockey's Guild attorney Mindy Coleman, Maryland, Delaware, Colorado, Washington State, and Oklahoma are the only states where these model rules have been both adopted and enforced, while NYRA is working with New York Institute of Technology to adopt concussion protocols as a house rule.

“If everybody's serous about concussions, which I think they should be if they're worried about liability, I think it would be in the industry's best interest to come up with something, whether it's through InCompass or HeadCheck,” said Meyocks.

The Future

HeadCheck Health–a much more sophisticated and dynamic tool than the JHIS, say its proponents–isn't yet the finished article, with technical wrinkles still being ironed out.

Nevertheless, the individuals behind it are now looking to start expanding the system beyond the Maryland and Delaware borders.

As they do, they, too, face some of the same issues that hampered the rollout of the JHIS, namely the Swiss cheese distribution of trained medical staff across the nation's tracks. But HeadCheck Health has the potential to circumvent some of these barriers.

For one thing, it opens the door to things like baseline concussion testing via telehealth consultations, meaning that a trained physician could perform a virtual assessment on a jockey in a completely different state (provided that physician is licensed in the rider's state, explained Ryan).

Importantly the software can be tailored to the individual needs of a track or jurisdiction, said VanderHelm. “It's a matter of them telling us what they need to have in the system to make sure it's compliant, but we can tweak it to make it work.”

Ryan sees other uses for HeadCheck Health. With a centralized database detailing falls and injuries, for example, it could also be used to run important data, potentially identifying trends to make tracks safer, she said.

Proponents of the system also downplay the costs. “It's really not very expensive–I haven't faced any pushback on the financial investment,” said Andy Belfiore, project manager with Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “I think people are more concerned about personnel, who's responsible for entering the medical information.”

In other words, for the system to work as effectively as it could and should, it needs buy-in from all stakeholders. “The heart of doing that is going to be up-front,” said Belfiore. “Once you've got those jockeys entered into the system, it becomes a much easier task for everyone.”

Which is why some industry figures are looking at the recently inked Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) as a potential compliance vehicle for HeadCheck Health that's broad-based and enforceable.

“The HeadCheck Health program developed through Dr. Ryan's leadership in Maryland represents the ongoing effort to prioritize health and safety for horse and rider. 1/ST RACING has led nationwide reforms and is pleased that our industry is moving towards uniform regulations,” wrote Steve Koch, The Stronach Group's senior vice president of racing, in a statement.

“As we look to the future, it is reasonable to anticipate that that HISA would use a program like HeadCheck Health, that focuses on head health for jockeys, as a foundation for establishing and expanding a program of this nature across U.S. racing jurisdictions.”

Note: The Association of Racing Commissioners International is hosting a briefing on the HeadCheck Health system Monday, Mar. 15 at 1 p.m. ET. Register for the briefing here.

Anyone interested in the HeadCheck Health program can contact Kelly Ryan at: kdryan13@gmail.com.

The post HeadCheck Health Aims For Blanket Jockey Health Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our friend, colleague and mentor John Forbes.

Born to a family of horsemen, John was the consummate horseman. He was old-school. He was devoted to the horse, the industry and its people. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He demanded of the industry that which he expected of himself—honesty, integrity, hard work and an unrelenting determination to protect the health, safety and welfare of the horse, the integrity of our sport and the welfare of those who worked on the backstretch. He was a generous, compassionate and decent man. He was beloved and respected by everyone who knew and worked with him.

In 1987, John asked his friend Alan Foreman to help form a new horsemen's organization that would be progressive and strengthen the voice of horsemen in the industry. Rick Violette joined the effort thereafter and the THA was born. But for John, there would not be a THA, and the record of the THA's impact on the industry can easily be measured since that time. There is not an issue involving the health, safety and welfare of the horse and the integrity of our sport that doesn't have John's fingerprints on it. In recognition of his lifetime of service to horsemen, the industry and the THA, we proudly honored him with our President's Award in 2018.

Just as important, John was a giant in New Jersey racing. He loved Monmouth Park and was devoted to its survival and success. He was New Jersey's greatest trainer, and when he retired from training, did what he could to ensure Monmouth's survival, including constructing and operating a world-renowned miniature golf course on the property that hosted 2 US Opens and earned him a spot in the Pro Mini Golf Hall of Fame. We think it fair to say that but for John Forbes, there would be no Thoroughbred racing industry in New Jersey.

Our deepest condolences to Vicki, John T, Anne and Carrie, his colleagues Mike Musto and Dennis Drazin, his trainer/partner Pat McBurney and his multitude of friends. We will miss him and pledge to honor his memory.

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THA Chairman Alan Foreman said: “For the past year, the THA has been actively involved with industry leaders in seeking solutions to our medication issues and in enacting rules, policies and protocols to enhance the health, safety and welfare of our horses.

It has been our widely-expressed view that the original Horseracing Integrity Act, as proposed, should encompass mandatory equine safety and welfare standards for all racetracks and horsemen, and the creation of an investigative and enforcement arm of the industry.

While we have yet to see the proposed legislation, it appears that in his Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, Senator McConnell has substantially incorporated our views. We intend to continue to be a constructive participant since the legislation, if enacted, will require substantial industry support and assistance.

Our Association has been a national leader in promoting equine health and safety protocols through the Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities and we expect to continue in that role.”

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Do stakeholders in American Thoroughbred racing really understand the state of the business as it relates to wagering? Do the horsepeople's representative groups, HBPAs and THAs, groups that have a hand in approving contracts to permit wagers on their races, understand it? Do the boards of major industry organizations? Does Kentucky, whose economy is so intricately tied to the proliferation of Thoroughbred racing?

If so, there is no conceivable way that our sport would find itself in the position it does.

Industry organizations boards and the directors of representative groups of horsepeople surely have the desire to act in the best, long-term interests of the sport and their membership. But have they been given, or do they understand, the full picture as it relates to racing's most natural source of sustainable income – wagering?

All signs point to no.

This TIF Special Report outlines a problem which has grown increasingly noticeable. Unfortunately, it is a problem that was detailed in a report commissioned by the NTRA's Wagering Systems Task Force, published in 2004. The report is a blueprint on how to avoid the exact situation racing is in today, though which few seem to recognize.

In brief, deals enabled by tracks and distributors of their signals with high-volume betting shops (HVBS) such as Curacao-based Elite Turf Club, have promulgated a great disparity between racing's largest bettors and the rest of the sport's bettors. This has a crushing financial effect on recreational horseplayers, racing wagering's largest customer base, while stunting growth of the sport's middle and upper-market players who are left to compete on a distinctly unlevel playing field.

In raw figures, wagering on American racing is down roughly 27 percent in the last 17 years, but over the last decade, the figures seem relatively flat. Judging the performance and state of wagering based on these numbers alone reveals almost nothing.

Play from HVBS customers, a group whose overall numbers reach into the dozens, has grown from roughly four percent of handle in 2002 and more than seven percent in 2003 to maybe 30 to 35 percent of overall play in 2019. The estimate of 30 to 35 percent is based on a combination of private expert assessments and a review of behavior in wagering pools. Some think this estimate is slightly high, but believe it is rapidly reaching that point. The exact figures are known by tracks and those who enable HVBS play, but major industry organizations, which include representative groups like HBPAs and THAs, do not seem to know.

Many in racing think of the bettors they see AT the track, or their experiences with betting via a retail advanced deposit wagering outlet (ADW) like TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, or the rapidly growing NYRA Bets. The only trait these entities share with players from HVBS is that they are betting on the same races. Everything else is different.

HVBS players operate what are, essentially, the equivalent of profit maximization machines.

These are not individuals who bet big to impress anyone. They bet big because their own systems, developed and honed over years – the math – tells them to do it. Those bets, and the rebates they receive, will maximize profits. They are the most efficient operators in a sport that is notoriously replete with inefficient market behavior.

They don't lose, and if you try to reduce their rebates, they will turn to another source for betting.

HVBS play makes them the least profitable participants, as it relates to their contributions to purses, across racing wagering. As HVBS play grows, profits shrink, the net amount returned to racing declines.

Racing's most loyal, passionate customers, its recreational ones, contribute the most to the sport as a percentage of their overall play. Of prime concern is the portion of non-HVBS play which is decreasing. Since the publishing of the Wagering Systems Task Force Report in 2004, we estimate non-HVBS wagering in America has reduced 63 percent.

Now, take note of this element of the WSTF Report, again – with figures from 2004.

“There has emerged…a major gap within the retail distribution of Thoroughbred racing in the portion of handle going to purses and other track expenses associated with putting on live racing. On average, purses ($1 billion) are 6.7% of aggregate U.S. handle ($15 billion). Under the current pricing structure, however, a rapidly growing distribution channel, [that which we recognize in this report as commissions from high-volume betting shops], contribute materially less than this amount – from 3-5% of their handle – to tracks for purses and other track expenses associated with putting on live racing.

“All other distribution channels contribute materially more than this amount when one combines revenues going to host tracks, to guest tracks and/or to in-state hosts – at least 8%, and more typically 10-13%. So the gap is at least 3% but more typically 6%. There are two principal effects of interest. First, the distinct gap in overall support of live racing is a key component – and probably the key component – of rebates made available by the advantaged entities to high volume bettors. Second, the growing (and resulting) shift in handle toward these entities necessarily reduces track revenues and purses relative to aggregate handle.”

It was not addressed in 2004, and the gap has widened ever since. Action is needed.

This WSTF Report made three key recommendations to the greater industry. First, increase handle – that has NOT happened. Second, tracks should vertically integrate, that is, become online betting providers, control the tote companies, manage the levers in the greater value chain of the sport. This HAS happened.

The third recommendation, which has not been implemented, was presented as follows:

“Establish the most attractive blend of economic incentives to participation for both informed bettors and recreational players…Economic theory suggests that the higher effective takeout rates on all other bettors would decrease their participation in Thoroughbred racing, all else equal.

“The imbalance, we believe, is rooted in current [2004] technology that makes handicapping information and pool data available on demand and the process of placing bets almost instantaneous, but which cannot then redistribute updated pari-mutuel pool information on a real-time basis. Longer term, the solution lies in improving technology for all bettors.”

This report is meant to leave industry stakeholders, and particularly the boards of major industry organizations which includes representative groups of horsepeople, with a single call to action. Recognize that the situation, as outlined, is problematic, get answers to the key questions we suggest, discuss this more than it has ever been discussed before, and then move on to finding a way to operate successfully and sustainably, in the future.

CLICK HERE to download the entire TIF Special Report as a PDF

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