In a couple of weeks, the racetrack safety regulations implemented by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will reach their first anniversary of practice (in most, but not all, states). Still, lots of people have questions about those regulations and how they're working on the ground.
Ann McGovern, who oversees the HISA Racetrack Safety Program, gave a presentation at this week's Track Superintendent Field Day at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The basis for her presentation was to field frequently-asked questions from track maintenance personnel about how HISA's rules impact them, but audience questions took the conversation far afield from just track surfaces.
We've reprinted a few of the key takeaways – both related to racing surface and other topics – from her presentation, in case readers have similar questions.
-Despite the requirement that all tracks have an on-site medical director overseeing care and organization of jockeys' medical needs, not every track has one yet. Per HISA 2000 series safety regulations, the medical director should be either a licensed physician or an athletic trainer who is responsible for coordinating emergency protocols and medical providers in case of a rider fall, overseeing annual physical exam and baseline concussion testing, and more. McGovern said that tracks are being permitted to use HISA's in-house national medical director in Dr. Peter Hester as a resource for now, but eventually everyone will need to have a medical director in place.
–Continuing education is required for all types of “covered persons” registered with HISA – and that includes racetrack equipment managers. Eventually, the Authority will have online modules available for CE for each type of licensee they register. For now, CE requirements may be satisfied by conference attendance or other types of training licensees are probably doing already. For track equipment managers, this may include a run-through of safety drills at the track as personnel practice for emergencies like equipment fires or downed horses.
-HISA has contracted with the Racetrack Surfaces Testing Lab to do pre-race meet inspections at each covered racetrack. The lab gives its report, which looks at cushion and base evaluations, geometry and sloping of the track, to both the Authority and to the racetrack. From there, track maintenance has a small number of measurements they're required to take of the track surface and report those to HISA. They're also free to use or consult their own experts for surface evaluation, just as they may have done before.
Many tracks are already taking more measurements than what's required by HISA, which just wants those measurements at quarter poles. McGovern said those facilities are free to go on doing that. They're also free to use whatever instrument they prefer to get those readings, and only need to note on their report what they used. HISA is just interested in getting some baseline data.
“We're not trying to standardize the racetracks,” she said. “We're trying to determine what's a standard safety guideline and then try to help you get to that guideline for your region.”
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-In cases of racehorse injury, a lot of people want to point to the racing surface as a culprit. McGovern said that it's complicated to assign blame. On one hand, we know that 85% of fatally-injured horses had evidence on necropsy of preexisting damage either at the site of injury or in the complementary leg. What we don't know is how much of a role the track surface played in the accumulation of that damage, or in its spilling over from damage to injury.
Experts believe that consistency over time and across the surface area of a track is safer for horses than inconsistencies, and that's part of what track superintendents are aiming for.
-One audience member asked how the vet records transfer process is going. HISA regulations state that a horse's medical records be transferred with them when they are claimed or change barns in order to reduce risk because a new trainer may be unaware of an old injury or treatment. McGovern said the Authority has been hearing that's not always happening. Some practicing veterinarians have consistently been unwilling to release those records for transfer.
McGovern said the Authority is “getting very close” to taking disciplinary action against habitually non-compliant veterinarians. HISA is aware of the identity of some vets who are not complying with this requirement, but she encouraged horsemen who are not getting records transferred to them to provide documentation to the Authority.
-A popular question at this and other gatherings has been whether HISA has authority over what goes on at training centers. McGovern said that “covered persons” (i.e., those who are licensed through the state racing commission and registered with HISA) and “covered horses” per HISA's definition are under the Authority's regulation wherever they're training. Even though a training center may be private property, the organization still has the authority to investigate activities by covered persons handling covered horses.
-What about 2-year-old in training sales?
McGovern said that in her own opinion, “It's a place that needs regulation, absolutely.”
But the HISA definition of a “covered horse” is one that has made its first recorded workout or first race start. Most horses at breeze show sales haven't registered an official workout yet, and none of them have started in a race so under the current definition, those horses and their training aren't under HISA's control.
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-And, what about corrective surgeries performed on foals and yearlings? McGovern said she wasn't sure what the future looked like for this area but it's something “we've had a lot of feedback about.” Similar to the question regarding 2-year-old sales, HISA currently does not have jurisdiction over medical procedures on Thoroughbreds who aren't yet “covered horses.” The organization also doesn't have the bandwidth to take on an additional area of regulation beyond what it's already handling, she said.
-What was the thought process behind the decision to move racing from Churchill to Ellis Park? McGovern said that HISA still has not found any problems with the racing surface and can find no fault with the Churchill track maintenance staff. HISA's experts came up with the same readings in their analysis that Churchill had been recording which showed that the track surface was consistent throughout, which serves to strengthen Churchill's assertion that their maintenance staff have done everything properly. Given the cluster of injuries though, McGovern said HISA “did not disagree” with Churchill's desire to move the race meet.
-Have animal rights organizations like PETA been driving the bus on HISA reforms?
“No rule has ever been put into effect because PETA's asked for it,” McGovern said. “I'm not even aware of one they've asked for. There's been no rule presented to us by PETA that we've acted on because they've asked. We're looking for industry [feedback], not from people who are outside the industry and don't know the big picture.”
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