Breeders’ Cup Outlines Safety Protocols

[Wandering Eyes]

The Breeders' Cup has released an outline of its safety and integrity protocols ahead of the upcoming championship weekend at Del Mar in a press release issued Wednesday.

Out-of-competition testing for the event began in July with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, in collaboration with the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Team, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, HISA, and the California Horse Racing Board, conducting OOC testing for banned substances of potential contenders.

Del Mar Track Superintendent Dennis Moore and Turf Course Superintendent John Beggin have worked closely with Dr. Mick Peterson, Program Director of the University of Kentucky Racetrack Safety Program, to ensure the most consistent racing surfaces possible at the track. Additionally, TurfTrax software has been employed to measure the condition of the turf track.

Beginning in early October, the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Panel has assessed the records of more than 220 potential contenders, including veterinary and treatment records, training and racing patterns, and physical examinations of select horses conducted by regulatory veterinarians in the applicable racing jurisdictions around the world. At the close of pre-entries Oct. 20, medical records for all domestic contenders were requested from HISA and reviewed by the Review Panel a second time. For international contenders, the previous 30 days of medical records were requested and submitted for review.

Mandatory 24-hour surveillance for all runners began at 11 a.m. PT Oct. 28 and every Breeders' Cup runner is subject to:

• Comprehensive on-site veterinary exams, including jog-up exams and the use of diagnostic technology as needed
• Additional physical examinations and the use of the AI-powered SLEIP app to analyze the horse's gait, at the determination of the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Team
• In-stall and on-track veterinary oversight during training and schooling
• Mandatory jog-up exams before entering any racing surface at Del Mar
• HISA-mandated pre-race veterinary examinations in the barn and veterinary monitoring of horses in the paddock and during warm-up on race day
• Extensive pre-race TCO2 testing, as well as post-race testing of the first four finishers along with other runners as designated by the stewards
• Observation of all other finishers cooling out as they exit the racetrack to determine if any aid or further assessment is required.

A complete look at the Breeders' Cup's safety and integrity protocols can be found here.

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