Saratoga Summer Meet’s End Comes with New Safety Protocols

Saratoga Race Course’s summer meet is just around the corner, and after the recent incidents, there will be two additional safety rules until the end of the meet. The changes were made by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority which was established to govern horse racing in the Empire State and aim to protect the well-being of horses competing at the track.

During the 40-day summer meet, Saratoga Race Course reported a total of 14 horse deaths, coming from on-track incidents or non-racing misfortunes. For the new rules, the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act collaborated with the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission. They reviewed necropsy results, vet records, racing and training histories.

First Look into the New Protocols

HISA investigates and reviews every equine fatality and this year the number of lethal accidents at Saratoga prompted the authority to perform an expanded review of the findings. One of the new rules is to have HISA’s new Track Surface Advisory Group inspect the dirt and turf surfaces before racing resumes at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

Currently, horses participating under HISA’s jurisdiction must go through post-entry screening between the time the entry is taken and when regulatory vets conduct their in-person physical inspections on race days. These exams feature a review of the last 30 days of a horse’s medical records, previous injury and lameness diagnostics, intraarticular corticosteroid injections, surgeries, and horse risk factors.

Additionally, the agency also examines doping in the horse racing business with the new rules that state which medications are permitted for horses and what performance-enhancing substances are prohibited. Its investigation involves gathering samples and performing testing and monitoring activities on and off the tracks to discover potential cheating attempts.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA also criticized Saratoga Race Course for delaying the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act’s safety protocols. The Act established a national authority for uniform rules, including Racetrack Safety, active since July 2022, focusing on horse and jockey well-being, and Anti-Doping/Medication Control, active since May 2022, dealing with doping issues.

NYRA Implements New Rules

Last week, the New York Racing Association introduced new rules requiring horses entering races at its three tracks to be examined by an attending veterinarian within 72 hours of entry time. The attending vet will do a physical examination and attest the horse is sound and fit to race. Trainers must also have a signed form by a vet submitted to the racing office, to be allowed to enter.

In recent weeks, Dave O’Rourke, the President & CEO of NYRA, apologized over NYRA’s choice to remove certain races from their lineup. Alterations were made to the schedule of three races on a Sunday at Saratoga Racecourse, and he extended his apologies to horseplayers who were unable to have their placed bets refunded within various race pools.

Source: J. Lyons, Brendan “New safety measures for Saratoga Race Course’s final week” Times Union, August 29, 2023