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Record Funding Approved by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

For the seventh consecutive year, the board of directors of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has allocated over $1 million in funding for equine research. A total of $1,638,434 in 2021 will fund 12 new projects at 12 universities, 12 continuing projects, and two career development awards worth $20,000 each. The amount represents the most the foundation has ever allocated in a year and brings the foundation's totals since 1983 to more than $30.6 million. These funds have underwritten 396 projects at 45 universities. The foundation is the nation's leading source of equine research funding.

“We are heartened by the continued commitment of universities to supporting equine veterinary research throughout these difficult times and that we are able to distribute more funding than ever before, enabling us to help horses of all breeds and disciplines,” said Dell Hancock, chair of Grayson.

The diverse research includes the following new projects:
• Passive Immunization of Foals with RNA-AB against R Equi: Jeroen Pollet, Baylor College of Medicine
• Hyperthermia and Acidosis in Exertional Muscle Damage: Michael Davis, Oklahoma State University
• Developing an Improved Serological Test for Strangles: Noah Cohen, Texas A&M
• Mitigation of Equine Recurrent Uveitis through SOCS: Joseph Larkin, University of Florida
• Environmental Origins of Equine Antimicrobial Resistance: Brandy Burgess, University of Georgia
• Treatment of Joint Injury with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Thomas Koch, University of Guelph
• Optimizing Bone Growth to Reduce Equine Fracture: Mariana Kersh, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• New Generation Equine Influenza Bivalent VLP Vaccine: Thomas Chambers, University of Kentucky
• Injury Prediction from Stride Derived Racing Load: Chris Whitton, University of Melbourne
• Predicting Exercising Arrhythmias with Resting ECGs: Molly McCue, University of Minnesota
• Understanding and Preventing Supporting Limb Laminitis: Andrew Van Eps, University of Pennsylvania
• Diagnosis of Incipient Condylar Stress Fracture: Peter Muir, University of Wisconsin-Madison

In addition, the Storm Cat Career Development Award grants $20,000 to Dr. Callum G. Donelly of the University of California, Davis, who is considering a career in equine research and has a project titled “Proteomic Investigation of Equine Spinal Ataxia.” The Elaine and Bertram Klein Career Development Award grants $20,000 to prospective equine researcher Dr. Aileen Rowland of Texas A&M University, whose research focuses on the efficacy of xenogeny-free mesenchymal stem cells for osteoarthritis.

For more information on current research, visit Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

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NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop Joins TDN Writers’ Room

There's plenty to talk about in racing these days, and NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning to dig into a good deal of the sport's most pressing topics. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Waldrop talked about how to capitalize and sustain the positive handle trends of the past year, how to pay for the groundbreaking Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, what movement he expects on H-2B visas with a new administration and more.

“Looking back over the last quarter and even the last half of last year, we were trending five, six, seven percent up over the prior year,” Waldrop said of the increase in handle the sport has seen. “So those trends are very positive. I do think they are related to the fact that new people are coming into the business. They're seeing horse racing as a viable option for the first time. I think that is attributable to a lot of the marketing dollars that were spent in 2020 to get eyeballs on our racing for the first time. And I think that's the way we keep this going. We continue to show our races on television, get more people in front of TV sets, mobile screens, all the distribution channels that we have out there, which are many now and are growing. That's the way to continue to grow.”

“Another way that I think we have to look at in 2021 is to get on more sports betting platforms,” he continued. “Sports betting is spreading across the country. It's a huge and growing business. If we can just get 5% of the number of people who are now betting on these mobile sports betting apps, that would be a huge win for horse racing. And I think in 2021, this is the year to really focus on what we can do to to piggyback on the success of sports betting in this country. To grow our visibility even greater.”

Asked about the tricky issue of funding HISA, Waldrop said that replacing the inefficiencies of racing's current patchwork regulation system will lead to savings on its own.

“HISA and the Authority, is all about centralizing the administration of medication control and racing safety matters. Putting it into one office. There will be significant savings. There'll be efficiencies when you compare costs that we now have for 30 state agencies,” he said. “I think 10 years ago we were spending almost $30 million a year on post race drug testing. That's an astronomical number. I don't think people realized we were spending that much money on drug testing. We're spending more than that now under the 30 state agencies. The second thing to remember is that HISA contemplates a broader-based and more equitable contribution from all industry participants, so not just one group or one tax will be paying for the costs of regulation.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers reacted to a strong weekend of stakes at Fair Grounds, highlighted some key points from last week's exclusive interview with USADA CEO Travis Tygart and, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, analyzed the passage of a historical horse racing legalization bill in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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Aqueduct Cancels Thursday Card Due to Winter Storm

The New York Racing Association has canceled Thursday's eight-race card at Aqueduct due to a winter storm scheduled to impact the New York area throughout the day.

The National Weather Service has placed New York City under a winter storm watch beginning Thursday morning and extending through Friday afternoon. The NWS forecast, which aligns with NYRA's independent weather services, is calling for up to eight inches of snow causing hazardous conditions throughout the region.

Live racing at Aqueduct will resume Friday, Feb. 19 with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m.

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Woodbine to Host 2021 CTHS Yearling and Winter Mixed Sale

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) (CTHS), Ontario Racing Management (ORM) and Woodbine Entertainment have reached an agreement which includes the CTHS forming an industry relations sub-committee of its Board of Directors.

This new CTHS Industry Relations Sub-Committee (IRSC), will include representation from the CTHS, ORM and Woodbine with a mandate to work together for the betterment of the entire industry. Initial members of IRSC include Peter Berringer (President (Ont) and National Vice President, CTHS), members of the CTHS Board of Directors, Tom Via (Chief Operating Officer, Woodbine Entertainment) and Jonathan Zammit (Executive Director, Ontario Racing Management).

As part of the agreement, the CTHS will be provided administrative office space that has been relocated to the paddock at the west-end of Woodbine Racetrack. The 2021 CTHS Yearling and Winter Mixed Sale will be held in the Sales Pavilion on the Woodbine Backstretch (subject to the latest government restrictions regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic) later this year.

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