Thoroughbred Safety Coalition | Horse Racing Free Tips

Panza Leaving NYRA Role As Senior VP Of Racing Operations

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that Martin Panza will depart from his position as Senior Vice President of Racing Operations at the conclusion of the Belmont Park fall meet on Oct. 31.

Since joining NYRA in 2013, Panza has been responsible for the leadership and oversight of racing functions at NYRA, including the overall development, planning, and execution of NYRA's premier stakes offerings and daily racing programs.

“Martin has successfully maintained the history and traditions of New York racing while also modernizing the program to adapt to changes in the sport and the overall industry,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “His contributions have strengthened thoroughbred racing here in New York and across our sport. During his tenure, Martin has established a talented racing office team that will serve as the foundation for continued success. We extend our thanks to Martin for his years of service to NYRA and wish him the best as he enters a new phase in his career.”

Panza successfully led NYRA's efforts to create significant events by bundling major stakes races into either a single day or across a series of days. The strategy resulted in blockbuster Travers and Whitney days at Saratoga Race Course, and the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and Stars and Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park. Panza was also instrumental in the creation of the Turf Triple Series, which emulates the American dirt classics to shine a spotlight on the finest 3-year-old turf runners on the male and female side.

“I would like to thank my colleagues at NYRA and the NYRA Board of Directors for their dedication to this organization and the sport, which has allowed us to innovate together to enhance NYRA's world class racing product,” said Panza. “I'd also like to thank the horsemen, jockeys, and horseplayers who support our racing on a daily basis throughout the year.”

NYRA's organizational commitment to safety and integrity now sets the industry standard. Panza played a leading role in the formation of a coalition of leading Thoroughbred racing associations and organizations committed to phasing out the use of Lasix. Subsequently, NYRA and its coalition partners eliminated the use of Lasix in all 2-year-old races in 2020 followed by all stakes races in 2021. As a result, the three Triple Crown races are now contested without the use of race day medication.

Panza served as chair of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety Committee, establishing the NTRA Code of Safety Standards in the process. NYRA was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which was launched in 2019 to create and implement a series of significant safety, medication, operational, and integrity guidelines across Thoroughbred racing to ensure the well-being of horses and jockeys while increasing transparency and accountability.

Over the last eight years, NYRA has embarked on a sustained effort led by Panza to recruit prominent international horses and trainers to compete on the New York circuit. Driven by the interconnected nature of the sport, as well as the increasing popularity of turf racing, this initiative has generated an increase in global interest in NYRA and strengthened the foundation of New York racing.

“I've been lucky to have learned the craft from some of the best in the business,” Panza said. “It's a responsibility to share that knowledge with the next generation, and I look forward to watching the NYRA racing office flourish and succeed for many years to come.”

Panza sits on the board of the NTRA, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the Racetrack Medication and Testing Consortium and the Thoroughbred Racing Association. He also serves on the advisory board of the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program.

In addition, Panza has served on a number of racing committees and organizations, including the American Graded Stakes Committee, the Breeders' Cup Selection Committee, and the North American Ratings Committee.

The post Panza Leaving NYRA Role As Senior VP Of Racing Operations appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Fair Compromise’: With Jockeys’ Guild On Board, Kentucky Commission Approves New Whip Rules

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission gave unanimous approval Tuesday to the new whip rules agreed upon by the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and The Jockeys' Guild last month, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Kentucky's Legislative Research Commission is expected to recommend the new whip rules for approval later this year, so they could go into effect in late 2021.

The new rules are as follows:

A limit on overhanded strikes to a total of six throughout the race. Riders are required to give the horse a chance to respond after two. Overhanded uses may not include the rider raising the whip above the helmet.
Underhanded or backhanded use may begin in the final 3/8 of a mile. These uses will not count toward the six strike limit.
Showing the horse the whip or tapping the horse on the shoulder will remain acceptable if both hands are on the reins
Stewards can impose either a $500 minimum fine or a three-day minimum suspension. If the violation is egregious and intentional, they could impose both. Mitigating factors could include the rider's history with whip violations, and the number and types of use beyond the above restrictions

“We know this rule is a fair compromise and in the best interests of our industry,” Terry Meyocks, the chief executive officer of The Jockeys' Guild, told the KHRC after Tuesday's vote.

Kentucky Committee, Jockeys Come Together On New Whip Rules

After discussions with the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and The Jockeys' Guild, the rules committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously passed changes to the state's whip rules on Monday afternoon.

The whip rule has been up for discussion for some time in Kentucky. In June 2020, a joint meeting of the rules committee and the safety and welfare committee brought forth proposed changes from the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an industry group that includes Churchill Downs and Keeneland. Those rules would have limited overhanded strikes to five in the stretch but permitted underhanded strikes at the start of a race. The guidance also allowed a rider to use the whip as necessary to course correct in an emergency, but suggested riders may be required to pull a horse up if they exhausted their strike limit during a corrective incident.

The Jockeys' Guild had pushed back on that proposal, requesting the maximum number of over-handed strikes increase to six. A subsequent committee meeting in September resulted in a move to focus sanctions on suspensions rather than fines for violations of the new rules.

On Monday, all parties expressed their support for the following:

A limit on overhanded strikes to a total of six prior to the 3/8 pole, while giving the horse a chance to respond after two strikes. Overhanded uses may not include the rider raising the whip above the helmet
Underhanded or backhanded use only in the final 3/8 of a mile
Showing the horse the whip or tapping the horse on the shoulder will remain acceptable if both hands are on the reins
Removal of the word “strike” to refer to the use of the whip in order to improve pubic perception
Stewards can impose either a $500 minimum fine or a three-day minimum suspension. If the violation is egregious and intentional, they could impose both. Mitigating factors could include the rider's history with whip violations, and the number and types of use beyond the above restrictions

Jockeys' Guild president and CEO Terry Meyocks said he is hopeful the same language will be taken to other members of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which includes The Stronach Group, NYRA, and Del Mar, for use at those facilities.

“Having different rules in so many various states is not good for anybody,” said Meyocks. “Ideally, if the KHRC were to adopt this rule then we could work on a uniform rule throughout North America.”

“We're not going to let 'perfect' get in the way of 'really good,'” said Mike Ziegler, senior vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs and Coalition representative of the new draft of the rules.

There will be ample notice given to riders 30 to 60 days of the new rules being implemented to give them time to change their riding style before they could become subject to penalties.

KHRC executive director Marc Guilfoil noted the parties had received input from legislators, who had advised them that previous versions of the whip reform rules were not likely to pass. Meyocks said that he was advised the Guild would need to be willing to compromise to find a rule that would be approved.

The post Kentucky Committee, Jockeys Come Together On New Whip Rules appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Thoroughbred Safety Coalition: HISA ‘The Beginning Of A New, Safer Era For Our Storied Sport’

To all of the hard-working individuals who make up the Thoroughbred community and the fans who share in our love for the horses that set our sport apart from all others:

As one of our nation's oldest and most celebrated pastimes, racing's traditions run deep. However, the most durable traditions are the ones that evolve and improve with time. Amid the pageantry and beauty, we've faced challenges around equine safety and racing integrity throughout our history, which is why leaders across the Thoroughbred industry came together to make the changes necessary to bring our sport into the 21st century and secure its future for generations to come. Leaders in Thoroughbred racing agree with those who have argued for greater transparency and more rigorous safety standards, and are united in choosing to prioritize, above all else, the safety and well-being of our equine athletes.

Through the collaborative work of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition (the Coalition), its members, and broader efforts by leading organizations across the Thoroughbred industry, including The Jockey Club, we worked with lawmakers to help pass The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which was signed into law on December 27, 2020.

Under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (the Authority) will implement consistent, transparent, and enforceable rules across all state racing jurisdictions. These efforts will be divided into an Anti Doping and Medication Control Program, which will be executed and enforced in partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Authority (USADA), and a Racetrack Safety Program. Most of the medication, organizational and operational reforms that the Coalition and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) have adopted and continue to advocate for will likely serve as a basis for these programs. Additionally, the Authority will work with state regulators and horsemen's groups to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective approach to implementing the new programs.

The passage of HISA represents a monumental turning point for our traditionally decentralized industry, and we hope it will go a long way in increasing public confidence in the sport. Even stakeholders who historically sought to avoid government intervention in racing are embracing HISA because they understand that it represents a roadmap to a safer sport and will modernize the industry through strengthened accountability measures.

HISA has given all of us a mandate to build on the unprecedented display of unity that brought us to where we are today. The formation of the independent Authority as a vehicle to establish and implement uniform medication rules and racetrack safety standards will codify the culture of safety and integrity that the Coalition was founded to strengthen and protect. The Coalition, The Jockey Club, the NTRA and our respective members are proud to have played a role in this industry-wide effort that will improve our sport. Now, we must work together to support HISA's continued success and the success of Thoroughbred racing for generations to come.

This is the beginning of a new, safer era for our storied sport, and our work has only just begun. We can't think of a greater task to undertake.

Sincerely,

American Association of Equine Practitioners

Aqueduct Racetrack

Belmont Park

Breeders' Cup Limited

Churchill Downs, Incorporated Colonial Downs Racetrack

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Fair Grounds Race Course

Golden Gate Fields

Gulfstream Park

Keeneland Association Inc.

Kentucky Thoroughbred Association Laurel Park

Monmouth Park

National Thoroughbred Racing Association

New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)

Parx Racing

Pimlico Race Course

Presque Isle Downs

Santa Anita Park

Saratoga Race Course

Suffolk Downs

The Jockey Club

Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association

Thoroughbred Safety Coalition

Turfway Park

1/ST RACING

The post Thoroughbred Safety Coalition: HISA ‘The Beginning Of A New, Safer Era For Our Storied Sport’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post