Hi-Def Eyes: Breeders’ Cup Equine Investigators Continue To Innovate At World Championships

[Wandering Eyes]

DEL MAR, CA – Like clockwork, the call over the radio went out promptly at 2:45 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday afternoon.

“Breeders' Cup Investigators this is the 48-hour warning for the Juvenile Turf Sprint, please be aware,” said the voice. “Again, that is 48 hours until the Juvenile Turf Sprint.”

Repeated by the day shift control room manager Tyler Durand for each of the four subsequent races on the Friday card and the next afternoon for the nine races carded for Saturday's slate, the announcements are a way to reinforce the strict rules developed by the Breeders' Cup, which prohibit the administration of most medications within 48 hours of a race.

In order to keep all the equine athletes safe during the World Championships, someone has to monitor the nearly 200 Thoroughbreds housed as temporary residents on the grounds at Del Mar and that 'someone' is a tactical team of around 30 specialists–called the Breeders' Cup Equine Security Team–who hail from racing jurisdictions around the country, plus Europe, and are members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI). What they do matters on several different levels concerning the sanctity of integrity at the World Championships.

“The best are here to protect the best,” said one member.

At a Breeders' Cup presser on Wednesday, Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer Dora Delgado gave the heading, “An experienced team of equine investigators is on the ground monitoring the barn area. They're aided by high-definition cameras and in coordination with the CHRB and HISA officials.”

During her tenure, Delgado championed the evolution of equine integrity teams, which is a group overseen by Senior Director of Operations David Duncan, and relies heavily on the expertise of racetrack security deans Don Ahrens and Mike Kilpack. They handpick their Breeders' Cup team and each year spend time reevaluating their procedures. If you ask Ahrens how many World Championships he has protected his response is always, “I've lost count.”

Always looking to stay on the cutting edge when it comes to safety and security, the investigative unit underwent a massive procedural change this year when they chose not to employ, like they had in years past, a collective unit of some 100 security personnel who watch the barns round the clock during the week.

Instead, Del Mar's state-of-the-art camera system became the 'eyes' and that has allowed the team to maximize efficiency and rely on one another's base of knowledge.

Don Ahrens (center) discusses camera placement with members of the Equine Security team | JN Campbell

“What we are doing now really enhances our operation by utilizing tech that is available to cover as much ground as possible,” said Ahrens. “We've got access to 228 cameras with infrared capability and we can group stalls of horses by race, which from the start of the week till race day gives us a significant advantage when it comes to patrolling a large set of barn areas.”

Utilizing a 'quarterback' who is in a room on the property, the team can target specific areas where humans are coming in contact with horses in their stalls. Most activity during the day is perfectly normal, but the control room manager has to know what to look for when it comes to what grooms, assistants, veterinarians and anyone else along the shedrow should or should not be doing.

“This is where having expertise is essential,” said Ahrens. “Our members know how to assess, then respond accordingly. The cameras hand us that ability to have eyes everywhere.”

Regular sweeps on the watch continue once it gets dark and that is when a small but effective group dubbed the 'Night Owls' swings into action. Mirroring the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift, the overnight group has to cover the same ground that is watched during the day. Led by Juan Estrada, the 'Owls' rely on teams of two to cover zones throughout the property. They employ Google software that collates notes and creates reports, so Ahrens can check on activity when he starts at 5 a.m. each morning. In the control room, the 'Owls' switch shifts. Meanwhile, the rest of the team roves around the stable area, pivoting constantly and taking direction when it is needed over the radio.

Speaking on the subject of standards at the World Championships, Duncan's focus when it comes to the role played by the Breeders' Cup Investigators is one of quality over quantity. He says he is particularly interested in a common-sense approach which puts the horsemen at the center of everything the team does.

With a background in horsemanship, Breeders' Cup Ops Senior Director David Duncan rides 'Ted' at Del Mar | JN Campbell

“We are here to work with the CHRB and HISA who are the regulators, but we are also here for the horsemen,” said Duncan. “That puts us in the role of middlemen. So, what we have done is to create a scalable system based on the expertise of the best minds who do this day-in and day-out. We are going to be intentional in everything we do and we start by adapting to a horse environment.”

Duncan makes a point of borrowing a stable pony while at Del Mar and utilizing his horseman's background that he built growing up and while in law enforcement. He says it helps send the message that he is willing to do whatever it takes to understand the perspective of the horsemen. In other words, integrity must flow both ways.

“Bill Mott rode up alongside me and we were talking about the stable area,” said Duncan. “This is a community approach we are taking here and we need everyone to know on the backside that we are watching because we're a resource, not a threat. We're here to help in any way we can.”

As the World Championships get ready to take flight on Friday, the maintaining of order and organization will continue to be a priority for the Breeders' Cup Equine Investigators as the crowds of horse fans descend on the seaside oval. Based on their expertise, you can trust that they will be watching.

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