Gravitas Of Integrity The Focal Point During Investigator Conference At Keeneland

[Wandering Eyes]

With a view overlooking the massive renovation of the Keeneland paddock, professional equine investigators soaked up the latest techniques in the trade and engaged some of the most pressing issues across racing during the first day of the 29th annual Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) Training Conference on Monday.

The ORI is a member organization which is composed of investigators who hail from jurisdictions across the U.S. and includes an international cadre as well. The conference's purpose is to create a resource where these shoe leather detectives can safely exchange ideas in a series of professional sidebars and listen to a range of speakers who present on cutting-edge topics. Beyond the training, even more significant is the support that fellow investigators provide to one another as they aim to better protect equine athletes.

Emphasizing the gravitas of integrity across jurisdictions, this year's two-day Keeneland conference drew 110 attendees. Sponsored by entities from the Breeders' Cup and The Jockey Club of America to individual track operators like NYRA and PENN Entertainment, the event was chaired by Dr. Stuart Brown, Keeneland's director of equine safety.

“The ORI structure really promotes these guardians of this great sport and it is a pool of knowledge for those in attendance,” said Dr. Brown. “The combined expertise in this room really reflects what this organization has steadily built for nearly three decades.”

Kentucky Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) opened the conference and welcomed the participants.

Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) | Katie Petrunyak

“This industry runs deep and my family has been intimately tied to the sport here at Keeneland” he said. “Our intention when we created the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act was always about uniformity,” he said. “I am confident that we are headed in the right direction and as you look around this room, I am pleased to see how investigators come together.”

The agenda covered a variety of equine-related initiatives on the first day.

Lisa Lazarus, the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority's (HISA) chief executive officer, offered a rundown of current operations and she emphasized during her talk the essential role played by investigators employed by state racing commissions.

“At the beginning we were just getting into how it was all going to work with state regulators and their investigations, but it has really gelled and we have hit our stride,” Lazarus said. “The trust continues to be strong and we just broke that big Pennsylvania investigation. That was absolutely through collaboration and the efforts of those professionals at the state level.”

Giving an international perspective was Head of Raceday Stewarding & Integrity France Galop Samuel Fargeat, who gave a survey of how he and his team regulate some 226 racecourses across France.

Covering a hot-button issue in American Quarter Horse racing, Dr. Angela Pelzel-McClusky who is a National Equine Epidemiologist with the USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services, covered how identification and testing of exposed horses to equine infectious anemia (EIA) cases in the United States can destroy a backside and beyond.

ORI Program | Katie Petrunyak

“Tracing how these cases develop comes to us through research and it is an intricate process,” said Pelzel-McClusky. “EIA cases can balloon very easily. Strengthening our ties to local investigatory agencies will help us identify poor practices, so we can stamp out a debilitating disease like this one.”

Kyle McDoniel, president and chief operating officer of Equibase, discussed some of his company's initiatives in rolling out a new biometric data collection system that is a fingerprint for how any horse moves.

The Monday slate included a talk about jockey health and wellness, which was introduced by HISA's National Medical Director Dr. Peter Hester.

Finally, a dual-presentation on how investigators ensure equine safety and security on major racing days was made by Breeders' Cup Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer Dora Delgado and Dr. Will Farmer, Churchill Downs's equine medical director.

“When we created the Breeders' Cup Equine Security Team, we had the very best come from across the country to work with us during what is a major week of racing,” Delgado said. “They know horses and trainers from their own jurisdictions, and in turn they take information home. The whole process fosters fraternity and such a positive move for this industry through networking.”

During the evening, the group held its awards banquet where the organization's lifetime achievement prize–named for longtime investigator John F. Wayne–was earned by Chris Gordon, the Head of Security & Investigations for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. An ORI raffle was held in support of Keeneland's Backside Chaplaincy with investigator Billy Fryer donating a Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle and program signed by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez.

ORI's 29th meeting continues from Keeneland on Tuesday, Mar. 4.

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