Numerous best practices identified as Churchill Downs earns re-accreditation

Numerous best practices identified as Churchill Downs earns

re-accreditation

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) on Friday announced that Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, has earned

re-accreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. Located in

Louisville, Kentucky, the track kicks off its annual fall meet on Sunday.

Churchill Downs' re-accreditation followed a complete

review of all racing operations at the facility. The flagship property of

Churchill Downs Inc. was the first racetrack to receive accreditation in

2009, the Alliance's inaugural year. All accreditations and re-accreditations

carry an effective period of two years.

During the latest Alliance inspection of Churchill Downs,

best practices were identified in virtually every primary area of focus for the

Alliance.

"It reflects well on the sport that our nation's most

famous racetrack continues to be a standard-bearer in protecting human and

equine athletes," said Mike Ziegler, executive director of the NTRA Safety and

Integrity Alliance.

In the area of injury reporting and prevention, best

practices identified included the reporting of injuries and fatalities, pre- and

post-race veterinary exam protocols and maintenance of a Veterinarians' List

conforming to Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Model Rules.

In areas intended to create a safer racing environment,

best practices cited at Churchill Downs included adherence to RCI Model Rules

pertaining to the use of cushioned riding crops, safety vests and padded

starting gates, as well as equine ambulances provided. Special commendation was

noted for the detailed documentation collected every time the equine ambulance

is used.

Other best practices noted at Churchill Downs related to a

safer racing environment: substance abuse intervention and counseling, support

of industry safety research, racing surface maintenance and measurement

protocols, use by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission of the Uniform National

Trainers Test, fire safety planning and procedures, sufficient security and

support personnel for paddock safety, veterinary care availability, written

protocols for regulatory veterinary operations and publication of House Rules in

the condition book and on the Churchill Downs website.

Regarding the health and safety of jockeys, best practices

recognized included jockey weigh-out/weigh-in procedures, observation of the

scale of weights and Jockey Health Information System protocols.

In the area of equine drug testing and penalties, best

practices identified included alkalinizing agent regulation and TCO2 testing

procedures, exogenous anabolic steroids regulation, frozen sample testing and

Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) accreditation of the track's

official testing laboratory, HFL Sports Science.

Churchill Downs was also cited for best practices in

security protocols, specifically in the areas of license validation, ejection

reporting, terrorist threat preparation, availability of automated external

defibrillators (AEDs), a proactive safety committee, barn area patrols, local

police and fire department coordination and use of a toll-free, bilingual

integrity hotline.

Relating to wagering security, best practices at Churchill

Downs included strict adherence to uniform wagering incident prevention and

investigation protocols.

"We place the highest priority on the

health, welfare and safety of our equine and human athletes for every race,

every day," said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. "Safety

is an issue that everyone in the industry equally shares responsibility for,

from breeders and trainers to jockeys and racetracks. We're passionate about our

commitment, and we'll continue as an industry leader to further the sport,

maximize health and safety measures and do what's right to further the sport."

The re-accreditation of Churchill Downs was the culmination

of a lengthy process that began with the track's completion of a 48-page written

application and continued as Churchill hosted several meetings with Alliance

officials. The on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing

facility, with special attention paid to areas that were newly added to the

Alliance's Code of Standards in 2012 and 2013.

Such areas containing new or more

stringent requirements include the establishment of an injury review committee;

starting-gate-removal protocols; recording and storage of racing surface data;

regulatory veterinarian protocols and procedures; and post parade/starting gate

scratch protocols. Interviews were also conducted with track executives,

racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards and fans.

The inspection team was comprised of Ron Jensen, DVM,

former equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board; Richard

Lewis, former trainer and Northern California racing executive; Mike Kilpack,

security and integrity consultant and past chairman of the Organization of

Racetrack Investigators (ORI); and Ziegler.

Churchill Downs is one of 24 racing facilities currently

fully accredited by the Alliance. Among them are the three other racetracks

owned by Churchill Downs Inc. -- Arlington, Calder and Fair Grounds -- as well as Aqueduct, Belmont

Park, Hollywood Park, Canterbury Park, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club,

Fairplex Park, Finger Lakes, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream

Park, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Pimlico, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga, Suffolk Downs, Sunland Park, Turfway Park and Woodbine.

The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal

of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity,

is a standing organization which includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen's

organization. Information on the Alliance,

including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at

NTRAalliance.com.

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