Tag: The Biz

Keeneland Library has scheduled a number of events for the remainder of 2023 to expand the reach of its groundbreaking exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, which highlights the lives and careers of 80 African Americans working in the Thoroughbred industry from the mid-1800s to the present. Activities include a traveling exhibit, a new book and Breyer model of pioneering Black jockey Cheryl White and an appearance by Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks, author of bestseller Horse.

The Library's free exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, which opened Feb. 23, features one-of-a-kind photographs from Keeneland Library collections that capture moments across a variety of careers of these horsemen and -women, while biographical vignettes honor their lasting legacies. Due to demand, the exhibit and its on-site youth and adult programs in the Library have been extended through Dec. 8.

In September, the Library's traveling exhibit will be launched in Lexington's East End neighborhood – site of the Kentucky Association track, which operated from the late 1820s through 1933 and the home of many Black horsemen and their families – with several educational programs and donated book events. The first host is the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, which will run the exhibit through Oct. 6.

“I am grateful to work with the Lyric,” said Roda Ferraro, Exhibit Curator and Incoming Library Director. “What better place to launch than in Lexington's East End, the home of the oldest Turf organization in the country and the historic epicenter for pioneering Black horsemen and their families that evolved around the Kentucky Association track after the Civil War.”

The next community site to host The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers will be the Central Branch of the Lexington Public Library, where the free exhibit will run Oct. 11 through Dec. 3.

Other The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers events

Now: Companion book available
The companion book to The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers is a chronicle of nearly 200 years of local history, featuring the contributions of more than 100 African Americans in Thoroughbred breeding and racing. From race track superstars to behind-the-scenes caretakers, the compelling volume showcases select stories of the countless African Americans who forged their way in Kentucky and beyond from the era of slavery to the present and made the racing industry what it is today.

The book is available at the Library and The Keeneland Shop (in store and online) for $10. All proceeds will benefit the Keeneland Library Foundation.

Sept. 11: Companion book release

Keeneland Library will begin to donate copies of the new companion book to community and industry organizations, including the Ed Brown Society, Legacy Equine Academy, Frankie's Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade, Locust Trace AgriScience Center, Phoenix Rising Lex, African Cemetery No. 2, Charles Young Center and the Lyric.

Sept. 15: LexArts Gallery Hop at the Lyric (5-8 p.m.)

Everyone is invited to celebrate the launch of the traveling exhibit in Lexington's East End. Incoming Library Director Roda Ferraro will deliver the evening's educational program, and the first  100 Gallery Hop attendees will receive a free copy of The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers companion book.

Sept. 19: “Meet the Authors” free event at Keeneland Library (6:30-8 p.m.)

This event features Pulitzer Prize nominee Sarah Maslin Nir and co-author Raymond White Jr. presenting their new book, The Jockey & Her Horse. Spotlighted on “Good Morning America,” the release, for readers 8 and up and horse lovers of all ages, shares the story of Cheryl White, the 17-year-old who made history as the first Black woman to ride and win a race in this country. Books will be available for purchase for $17. A brief program will be followed by a book signing. Event RSVPs to rferraro@keeneland.com.

Sept. 20: “Meet the Authors” free event at the Lyric (6-7:30 p.m.)

After an opening program in the Lyric's Community Room, attendees will have an opportunity to meet Nir and White. The first 100 attendees under the age of 18 will receive a free copy of The Jockey & Her Horse along with free General Admission passes to Keeneland's Fall Meet. The Library and authors will also visit East End community schools that day to connect upper elementary students to free copies of the inspiring story.

Oct. 21: Cheryl White Breyer Sets at Keeneland

During Sunrise Trackside, a free, family-friendly event at Keeneland from 8-10 a.m., Keeneland will spotlight Cheryl White's historic career as a jockey. Children will have a chance to try on a replica of White's silks, and fans will have a chance to win Keeneland Breyer sets featuring a figure of White, the model horse Jetolara (her first winning mount) and a copy of The Jockey & Her Horse.

That day, The Keeneland Shop and Keeneland Library will host a signing with Raymond White Jr. from 1-3 p.m. Cheryl White Breyer sets and copies of The Jockey & Her Horse will be available to purchase.

Nov. 18: An Evening with Geraldine Brooks at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion (6:30-8 p.m.)

Keeneland Library will host Pulitzer Prize winning-author Geraldine Brooks, who will discuss her popular 2022 novel, Horse, which is centered on the famous 19^th century Thoroughbred Lexington and his enslaved groom. Brooks conducted research for the critically acclaimed book at Keeneland Library. Details to follow on Keeneland.com/library.

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On Sept. 7, officials from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) together with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) held the first in a series of videoconferences aimed at answering horsemen's questions about the new national regulations.

Although billed as a town hall, the presentation involved officials fielding questions about anti-doping and medication control that had been submitted to the organizations in advance.

Here are a few takeaways from this week's presentation:

-HIWU officials reiterated the organization's policy on atypical findings, which form a different category of drug testing results than what fans and trainers have encountered in horse racing before.

Violations of medication policy detected in blood or urine samples are most commonly called adverse analytical findings and signify that an overage of a controlled medication or presence of a doping agent have been found.

However, HISA models its medication and testing policies after the Federation Equestre International (FEI) which governs a wide range of non-racing equestrian sports worldwide. The FEI has a category of sample results called atypical findings, and that has been adopted into the racing sphere now. Atypical findings are prohibited substances that may come from plants that are commonly grazed or harvested to make feed or bedding. Previously, these would have been referred to as environmental contamination but would have gone through the same arbitration process as an overage of Bute, for example.

If HIWU gets an atypical finding in a test, it launches an investigation into the potential sources of the substance and may itself request analysis of the split sample. It notifies the responsible person and asks them to provide information about how the horse may have come into contact with the substance through hay, feed, or bedding. From there, HIWU issues a decision about the finding based on whether it has discovered compelling evidence for the source of the substance. If they can determine where the substance originated, they'll deem it a negative finding and drop the case; if they have reason to suspect the horse's contact with the substance wasn't through plant material, they could consider it either a positive for a banned or a controlled medication.

A list of medications that may trigger atypical findings (and their violation category if they are not determined to come from environmental contamination) is available here.

The results of atypical findings are not made public the way adverse analytical findings are, so we don't know what substances have been discovered and determined to be environmental contamination. HIWU said there have been somewhere between 15 and 20 of these cases since they began drug testing in May.

Human medications (legal and illicit) will not be considered environmental contamination under the definition of atypical findings, because that exposure doesn't come from feed or bedding that the trainer has limited control over. A horse's exposure to a human medication is viewed as something that can be avoided with proper controls in the barn. That means the mounting list of metformin positives that are on the public disclosure section of HIWU's website are not considered environmental contamination and are not classified as atypical findings.

-Horsemen asked for clarification on electrolyte administration policies. Dr. Mary Scollay, chief of science for HIWU, gave the following guidelines:

Oral administrations, including pastes, use of a drench, or top-dressed electrolytes on feed, may be given up to 24 hours before post. Intravenous administrations of electrolytes may also be given up to 24 hours.

Nasogastric administrations of electrolytes may not be given closer than 48 hours pre-race.

Salt blocks and mineral blocks in stalls are fine to use at any time, as are electrolyte solutions that are placed in water buckets.

 

-Test barn policies have been a source of confusion and tension among trainers who worry the policies have changed from the state system or aren't being adhered to fully.

Gloves are required for test collectors taking a urine sample for a horse. They are not required for veterinarians pulling blood for a test. Gloves can make it more difficult for the vet to handle the collection equipment, but there's also less concern of contamination from the sample collector and blood, according to HIWU chief of operations Kate Mittelstadt. The blood collection is a closed system, with the needle for the vial going straight in and not coming into contact with human hands.

Horses are supposed to be assigned their own bucket to drink from in the test barn, and those buckets are to be thoroughly disinfected between horses, according to Mittelstadt.

If a horseman witnesses practices inconsistent with this policy, Mittelstadt said they have a few options. Ideally, it's best if they flag their concerns to someone in the moment. They can notify the sample collection personnel on site, and the sample collectors are given a number they can call at HIWU to clear up any confusion. That call-in number is supposed to be staffed any time a test barn would be in operation for post-race sample collection. There is also a supplementary report form that either the horsemen's representative or the test barn employees can fill out to accompany the sample to report anything they think could be relevant in the testing process, including concerns about contamination. Alternately, the horseman can call HIWU and request an investigation.

Test barn personnel have all been trained by HIWU but for the most part are either still employed or contracted by the same employer they had before the switch, whether that's the track or the commission.

 

-The target timeframe for test sample returns is five business days for post-workout or vet's list workout samples. Post-race samples may take ten business days. Split samples are to take no more than 15 days.

These timeframes haven't always been adhered to, but Mittelstadt said the organization is making “significant improvements” on making sure labs stick to those timeframes.

The post HIWU Catches Trainers Up On Environmental Contamination, Electrolytes, And Test Barn Policy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Invincible GG (IGG), the innovative brand developing AI-powered virtual sports, launched the Owner's Club website and its NFT Storefront.

Here, horse racing and skill gaming enthusiasts can acquire IGG's unique AI-powered NFT horses to compete in this unique mobile skill game. Invincible GG is the first company to converge mobile skill gaming, NFT gaming, and gambling in a way that is legal and compliant with U.S. and international gaming regulations. Their patented technology redefines competitive gaming through real money and skill-based contests, placing players in command of AI-powered entities securely stored on the blockchain, seamlessly melding strategy and gaming intelligence.

Within Owner's Club, players will have the limitless opportunity for live player-vs-player (PvP) competitions with intelligent horses that are managed and controlled by their owner-players, who compete in real-time based on innate abilities, genetic traits, learned skills, and owner-employed tactics. Owners must develop their horses to excel at specific distances, on dirt or turf surfaces, and in various race conditions to find financial success. These elements of true skill gaming are the key differentiator of the gaming platform.

Each horse's core abilities are developed by players through the course of gameplay to allow specialization of each horse and to become strong competitors in specific types of races. A horse's core attributes, including speed, stamina, and acceleration, comprise how a horse will perform in a race. The genetic factors of a horse, as well as the care, feeding, and training it sustains through its player-owner, are also contributing factors to the outcome of each race.

Owner's Club horses are AI-powered entities that can be acquired in-game, as NFTs in our Owner's Club Marketplace, or via breeding. Standard or premium in-game horses can be acquired for in-app currency inside the game's mobile store. Standard horses can be trained, learn vital racing skills, be minted as NFTs, and eventually bred. Premium horses come fully trained and are ready to race competitively but cannot be minted. NFT horses can be acquired through drops or auctions on the Owner' Club marketplace.

Players can sign up today to receive exclusive rewards and join the waitlist for our Maiden NFT drop. The maiden drop will contain a “Superfecta” selection of 1,234 AI-NFT horses of different grades, including a percentage of our highest quality and extremely rare NFTs.

Owner's Club will offer scheduled and broadcast races to casinos, tracks, and venues with legal wagering through licensees. The racetracks will replicate historic venues with capabilities of 24/7 racing. The game provides an accessible, immersive horse racing experience for fans and players to engage in through training and racing virtual horses and horse ownership while also connecting with other enthusiasts and players within the community.

“We are excited to launch Owner's Club and provide a new and unique way for fans to experience the sport,” said Invincible GG CEO Jonathan Strause. “Our platform makes horse racing accessible to all and allows players to truly own their horses and experience the thrill of horse racing in an unprecedented way. We believe that our Owner's Club gaming ecosystem will set a new standard for mobile skill gaming and engage a new generation of horse racing fans as well.”

Visit the Owner's Club website to sign up to be a part of the NFT lottery and follow on X, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and Discord for the latest news and game updates.

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 The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has formed a new Track Surface Advisory Group, the members of which will be deployed by HISA to analyze dirt, turf and synthetic surface consistency at Thoroughbred racetracks across the U.S.

“This Group is crucial to ensuring that HISA can support local experts working to make the surfaces on which Thoroughbreds compete as safe as possible,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “HISA is committed to using all resources at its disposal to help tracks under our jurisdiction meet our Racetrack Safety standards. This group of track experts will be instrumental in our ability to protect equine athletes from potential injury caused by surface inconsistencies.”

The volunteer Advisory Group will be available to conduct on-site racetrack inspections as needs arise. They will examine conditions on the ground as well as historic and pre-meet inspection data compiled by the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL). The Group will make recommendations as needed to improve the consistency and maintenance of racing surfaces. Members of the newly formed Track Surface Advisory Group were already deployed to Saratoga Race Course to conduct a thorough review of the dirt and turf surfaces there in late August.

Going forward, the Group will advise HISA on track surface issues year-round and provide recommendations to HISA's Board of Directors as needed.

The Advisory Group is comprised of seven seasoned track superintendents whose expertise spans dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces. The individuals include:

Jim Pendergest, Chair, Director of Racing Surfaces, Keeneland; General Manager, The Thoroughbred Center.

Pendergest has supervised installation of six racetracks, 10 training tracks and more than 20 equine arenas in the U.S. and Canada including installation of the Keeneland all-weather surface in 2006 and the Keeneland dirt surface in 2014.

Leif Dickinson, Turf Superintendent, 1/ST Racing / Gulfstream Park / Palm Meadows Training Center

Dickinson oversaw the installation of two new turf tracks at Santa Anita and a new turf track at Del Mar with the first successful use of fiber reinforcement on both surfaces. He received his Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from the University of Maine and is an ISA certified arborist.

Sean Gault, Retired Director of Thoroughbred Racing Surfaces, Woodbine Entertainment Group at Woodbine Racetrack

Gault oversaw Woodbine's two turf tracks, the main Tapeta track and both training tracks. He was also responsible for the installation of the new inner turf track in 2018. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph.

Glen Kozak, Vice President of Facilities and Racing Surfaces, NYRA

Kozak leads facility and track operations for NYRA properties, which include Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course, Aqueduct Racetrack and others. Prior to joining NYRA, Kozak worked for the Maryland Jockey Club as vice president of facilities and racing surfaces.

Jake Leitzel, Manager of Racetrack Maintenance, Penn National

Leitzel provides guidance and training to racetrack superintendents at all Penn Entertainment Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racetracks.

Dennis Moore, Track Superintendent, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club; Racing Surface Consultant, 1/ST Racing

In addition to his current roles, Moore has also overseen track surface operations at Hollywood Park, where he was instrumental in the development of the synthetic track maintenance procedures, and at Remington Park, where he oversaw the installation of the first synthetic racing surface in the U.S. in 1987.

James “Jamie” Richardson, Track Superintendent, Churchill Downs

Richardson previously served as track superintendent at Oaklawn Park. Prior to that, he was track superintendent for the Maryland Jockey Club at Timonium and also worked on opening Colonial Downs while employed there for 10 years.

Mackenzie Rockefeller and Kaleb Dempsey will provide support to the Advisory Group, including via data analysis, testing equipment operations, material testing and historical data comparison. Rockefeller and Dempsey both work for the RSTL and have extensive backgrounds in track surface testing, research and diagnostics.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

When the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law, it charged the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA is implementing, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect on July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which went into effect on May 22, 2023.

The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.

The ADMC Program includes a centralized testing and results management process and applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms are administered by an independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU oversees testing, educates stakeholders on the Program, accredits laboratories, investigates potential ADMC violations and prosecutes any such violations.

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