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Rachel Martell Promoted To Operations Manager At Equine Analysis Systems

Equine Analysis Systems is pleased to announce the promotion of Rachel Martell to Operations Manager.

In this role, Ms. Martell will help maximize day-to-day efficiency in all aspects of operations and improve organizational processes. A familiar face to many consignors and farm managers in the industry, she will continue in her managerial roles in the technical department and maintain a presence at the major sales.

Equine Analysis President and Founder Dr. David Lambert states: “Rachel joined our team in 2015 and has grown to exceed all reasonable expectations. Her ambition and undeniable work ethic are valued assets to us all at Equine Analysis.”

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Rachel grew up surrounded by sport horses. She moved to Lexington, Ky. to attend the University of Kentucky where she developed an interest in racing. While attending school, Rachel took an internship position with Equine Analysis, assisting with both technical and office tasks. Upon graduation, she earned a full time position with the company as a veterinary assistant. Quickly recognized as valuable member of the team, Rachel was promoted to Senior Technician in 2019, helping coordinate farm visits, training new staff, and streamlining technical procedures.

Equine Analysis Systems has been a longstanding mainstay for clients in the racing industry and a strong presence at every sale. The company utilizes forty years of proven science to predict performance in the modern thoroughbred racehorse. Over the years, the company has identified top horses Tapit, Gun Runner, Covfefe and many more for clients. More about Equine Analysis Systems can be found at www.equineanalysis.com

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Blue-Ribbon Nominating Committee Formed To Select Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Board Members

Supporters of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) announced today the formation of a blue-ribbon nominating committee that will be responsible for selecting members of the board of directors of the HISA Authority as well as members of its two standing committees: Anti-doping and Medication Control, and Racetrack Safety.

The nominating committee was established through the collective efforts of leading Thoroughbred industry stakeholders, including Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Incorporated, Keeneland Association, and The Jockey Club. It is composed of seven independent members with diverse backgrounds: Len Coleman (co-chair), Dr. Nancy Cox (co-chair), Katrina Adams, Dr. Jerry Black, Gen. Joseph Dunford, Frank Keating, and Ken Schanzer.

The board of directors will consist of nine members, five of whom will be selected from outside the equine industry. Four members will be selected as representatives of various equine constituencies.

“The HISA will ensure that Thoroughbred racing is conducted with the highest integrity and safety standards under the aegis of the bill's established authority,” stated Co-Chair Coleman. “With this goal in mind, the aggregate expertise of the board of the authority and its standing committees must span a wide range of areas from equine health and track management to regulation and lab testing standards.”

“The nominating committee recognizes our responsibility to select the most qualified and dedicated individuals to comprise the board of the authority and its standing committees,” said Co-Chair Cox. “We are committed to this critical task and to the betterment of racing.”

The seven members of the nominating committee bring their own unique expertise and experiences to the role:

Len Coleman (co-chair) is the former president of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. Coleman joined Major League Baseball in 1992 as the executive director of market development. Previously, Coleman was a municipal finance banker for Kidder, Peabody & Company and served as commissioner of both the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and Department of Energy.
Dr. Nancy Cox (co-chair) is the vice president for Land Grant Engagement and the dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky. Prior to that, she served as associate dean for Research and director of the Experiment Station at the university. Cox championed the formation of the UK Equine Initiative (now UK Ag Equine Programs), recognizing the importance of the horse industry and its significance to Kentucky.
Katrina Adams is the immediate past president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), following two consecutive terms as the USTA's chairman and president. A successful professional tennis player, Adams was elected vice president of the International Tennis Federation in 2015 and was appointed as chairman of the Fed Cup Committee in 2016.
Dr. Jerry Black is a visiting professor at Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine and is an emeritus professor and Wagonhound Land and Livestock chair in Equine Sciences at Colorado State University. He is the former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and former chair of the board of trustees of the American Horse Council.
Gen. Joseph Dunford is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, and was the principal military advisor to the president, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council from Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2019. Prior to becoming chairman, General Dunford served as the 36th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Frank Keating is the former governor of Oklahoma. Prior to that role, his career in law enforcement and public service included time as a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, U.S. Attorney and state prosecutor, and Oklahoma House and Senate member. He served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury, associate U.S. attorney general, and general counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Ken Schanzer served as president of NBC Sports from June 1998 until his retirement in September 2011. He also served as chief operating officer. During Schanzer's tenure, he secured the television rights to the Triple Crown races and Breeders' Cup for NBC. Before joining NBC Sports, he served as senior vice president of government relations for the National Association of Broadcasters.

The next order of business for the nominating committee is to develop a list of candidates to comprise the board of the HISA Authority and its standing committees. The board will solicit input from equine constituencies, and interested parties who would like to suggest recommendations may do so at horseintegrityandsafety@gmail.com.

The HISA, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on September 9, 2020, will focus on the integrity of Thoroughbred horse racing and the safety of Thoroughbred racehorses and jockeys by requiring national, uniform safety standards that include anti-doping and medication control and racetrack safety programs. Identical legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) and Paul Tonko (NY-20). It was passed in the House on September 29, 2020.

The HISA Authority will be an independent, non-governmental regulatory body, run by an independent board, responsible for improving current regulations and bringing a new level of transparency to Thoroughbred horse racing.

The Anti-Doping and Medication Control standing committee and the Racetrack Safety standing committee will each be composed of seven members. For both committees, the majority of the members will be independent and selected from outside the equine industry. A minority will be industry members selected to represent the various equine constituencies.

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Economic Indicators: September Derby Bolsters Monthly Handle

Equibase, LLC released its monthly report on Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing this Monday, Oct. 5. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Equibase is currently providing monthly reporting of its Economic Indicators Advisories. The Advisory is typically disseminated on a quarterly basis to provide key metrics used to measure racing's performance throughout the year.

The Kentucky Derby's delayed date on the first Saturday in September caused a significant wagering jump for the year-over-year comparisons to the same month in 2019, an increase of 29.64 percent. Churchill reported a significant decrease in Kentucky Derby day wagering, however, down nearly 50 percent compared to the race held on the first Saturday in May in 2019.

Churchill Downs attributed the decline in handle for this year's Derby Day program to the lack of on-track wagering, fewer horses per race including in the Kentucky Derby race, and a prohibitive favorite in the Derby.

Overall, wagering in 2020 is down just 2.86 percent through September, a jump from the difference of -6.20 percent reported at the end of August. Average daily wagering continues to show a positive trend as well, up 36.10 percent through the first nine months of 2020 compared to the first nine months of 2019.

September 2020 vs. September 2019
Indicator	September 2020	September 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$1,039,737,336	$801,998,134	+29.64%
U.S. Purses	$110,251,841	$118,229,293	-6.75%
U.S. Race Days	365	412	-11.41%
U.S. Races	3,101	3,329	-6.85%
U.S. Starts	24,447	25,231	-3.11%
Average Field Size	7.88	7.58	+4.02%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,848,595	$1,946,597	+46.34%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$302,060	$286,964	+5.26%

3rd QTR 2020 vs. 3rd QTR 2019
Indicator	3rd QTR 2020	3rd QTR 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$3,293,292,589	$2,921,407,748	+12.73%
U.S. Purses	$305,013,587	$349,865,237	-12.82%
U.S. Race Days	1,208	1,411	-14.39%
U.S. Races	9,989	11,097	-9.98%
U.S. Starts	76,402	80,738	-5.37%
Average Field Size	7.65	7.28	+5.13%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,726,236	$2,070,452	+31.67%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$252,495	$247,956	+1.83%

YTD 2020 vs. YTD 2019
Indicator	YTD 2020	YTD 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$8,348,815,108	$8,594,182,019	-2.86%
U.S. Purses	$629,176,645	$893,867,369	-29.61%
U.S. Race Days	2,509	3,515	-28.62%
U.S. Races	20,895	28,554	-26.82%
U.S. Starts	164,476	210,977	-22.04%
Average Field Size	7.87	7.39	+6.53%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,327,547	$2,445,002	+36.10%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$250,768	$254,301	-1.39%

* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

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‘We Can’t Ride Them To Their Full Potential’: Santa Anita Jockeys Struggle With New Whip Rules

Following the first day under new whip rules at Santa Anita Park, several jockeys shared their continuing frustrations with the Daily Racing Form.

The California Horse Racing Board regulations include:

Riders cannot use the crop more than six times during a race, excluding showing or waiving the crop or tapping the horse on the shoulder.
Riders cannot use the crop more than two times in succession (within the six-time limit) without giving the horse a chance to respond before using the crop again.
The crop must be used in an underhanded position with the crop always at or below the shoulder level of the jockey.

“We can't ride them to their full potential, even if it's a light overhanded tap left-handed,” Drayden Van Dyke told drf.com. “People have to understand to get that whip over to your left hand, there are certain techniques you have to do. Underhanded bars you from being able to do it as quickly. This is a game when every millisecond matters. I think it's really discouraging.”

“In my professional opinion, it's not going to work,” Hall of Famer Mike Smith said. “If you're on a deep track and they're tiring, it doesn't work. It'll cost somebody second money, a win, or third money.”