Del Mar Announces New Safety Protocols

[Wandering Eyes]

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club revealed a series of initiatives designed to enhance safety protocols and procedures ahead of the track’s summer meeting which begins July 17.

“Del Mar continues to strive to provide the safest environment possible for our equine and human athletes for both racing and training,” said Chief Executive Officer Joe Harper. “We have a responsibility to implement the best practices for safety and welfare and the further responsibility to educate the public about these practices and about the extraordinary levels of care provided to our equine athletes.”

Additional measures in place for the 2019 meeting, according to a DMTC release, include:

• Entry Review Panel: All horses entered to race at Del Mar will be reviewed by a five-person panel consisting of: CHRB Equine Medical Director, Dr. Rick Arthur; two CHRB veterinarians – Dr. William Farmer and Dr. Timothy Grande; CHRB Chief Steward, Darrel McHargue and CHRB Safety Steward, Luis Jauregui. The panel will provide additional review of horses’ medical, training and racing history. The panel will recommend to the Stewards that any horse that it deems unfit for competition be declared from racing.
• Medication Reform: Del Mar is adopting additional reforms modeled after the International Federation Horseracing Association (IFHA) requirements. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories), that were allowed previously up to 24 hours in advance of a race, will be restricted to 48 hours before either a race or workout. The time period that allowed therapeutic usage of corticosteroids in joint treatment has been extended from the previous length of three days before a race to 14 days and horses will not be allowed to start until after the 14-day window.
• Increases in out-of-competition testing: Random testing will be instituted for any horses stabled at Del Mar, including horses readying for–or having just completed–morning workouts.
• Enhanced stable security: Working in conjunction with the investigative staff of the CHRB, an enhanced stable security team will monitor all aspects of the stable area to ensure that rules are properly followed.
• Additional veterinary protocols for morning training: Veterinarians will be stationed at elevated observation points at the facility to oversee morning workouts and will have the ability–through communication with outriders–to remove horses from the racetrack and have them undergo a follow-up examination for soundness.
• Prohibit the use of the riding crop during morning workouts: Exercise riders and jockeys will be prohibited from using a riding crop to encourage their horses during morning workouts. Del Mar will continue to work with the CHRB and the Jockey’s Guild on additional guidelines for riding crop use.
• Stakeholder Advisory Committee: DMTC has created a stakeholder advisory committee represented by trainers, veterinarians, jockeys, racing surfaces maintenance personnel and management that will meet regularly to discuss safety practices, operations and track surfaces.

“Significant thought, due diligence and stakeholder input went into the crafting of the reforms we are implementing this summer,” said DMTC’s Tom Robbins. “All of us recognize our responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of the horses that race and train here. We are very appreciative of the cooperation from industry stakeholders including our owners and trainers.”

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