The National
Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Aqueduct Racetrack
in Ozone Park, N.Y., has earned re-accreditation from the NTRA Safety and
Integrity Alliance. The re-accreditation followed a complete review of all
racing operations at the facility during its current, live meeting. Aqueduct
received its initial Alliance accreditation in December 2009. All accreditations
and re-accreditations carry an effective period of two years.
Aqueduct is the
13th Alliance-accredited racetrack to earn re-accreditation. Keeneland
Race Course received re-accreditation from the Alliance in April of this year;
Churchill Downs and Pimlico Race Course each earned re-accreditation in June;
Arlington Park, Hollywood Park and Belmont Park each earned re-accreditation in
July; Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Saratoga Race Course, Turfway Park and Calder
Casino and Race Course were re-accredited in September; Santa Anita Park was
re-accredited in October; and Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots received
re-accreditation earlier this month.
The re-accreditation
of Aqueduct was the culmination of a lengthy certification process that began
with the track’s completion of a 48-page written application and continued as
Aqueduct 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 2010 and 2011. Such areas containing new or more stringent
requirements include wagering security, injury reporting, post-mortem veterinary
inspections, jockey health and safety, paddock safety, aftercare/transitioning
of retired racehorses and cross-jurisdictional sharing of vet’s list data.
Interviews were also conducted with track executives, racetrack personnel,
jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards and fans. The inspection team was comprised
of Ronald Jensen, DVM; Mike Kilpack of the Organization of Racetrack
Investigators (ORI); racing official Richard Lewis; and Mike Ziegler, Executive
Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.
During the latest
Alliance inspection of Aqueduct, best practices were identified in areas
including pre-race veterinary examinations; post-race observation of horses and
follow up; use of cushioned riding crop; equine ambulance equipment and
staffing; substance abuse and addiction program for licensees via the
Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST); participation in safety research and
continuing education; catastrophic injury protocols and procedures; fire safety
planning and procedures; paddock safety protocols; testing procedures for
alkalinizing substances; protocols for shock wave therapy administration; the
New York out-of-competition testing protocols; rider medical care and ambulance
support; and wagering security protocols, including stop wagering device
protocols, a policy of excluding guest sites from wagering pools when there are
potential security issues, the track’s policy for paying winning tickets when
Aqueduct is excluded as a guest pool, timing displays and wagering pool due
diligence.
“Aqueduct had a very
strong inspection report, which wasn’t surprising given our similar experiences
at Belmont Park and Saratoga,” said Ziegler. “It is clear that everyone at NYRA
takes both the safety of its competitors and the integrity of its product very
seriously.”
“We think it is
essential that Aqueduct Racetrack, like Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park,
meets or exceeds the increasingly high benchmarks specified in the NTRA Safety
and Integrity Alliance Code of Standards,” said Charles Hayward, President and
CEO of The New York Racing Association (NYRA). “The health and safety of
our human and equine athletes is the number-one priority at all three NYRA
racetracks.”
Aqueduct Racetrack is
one of 20 racing facilities currently fully accredited by the Alliance. Others
are Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Arlington Park, Hollywood Park,
Monmouth Park, Saratoga Race Course, Calder Casino and Race Course, the Del Mar
Thoroughbred Club, Santa Anita Park, Turfway Park, Suffolk Downs, Fair Grounds
Race Course & Slots, Pimlico Race Course, Golden Gate Fields, Woodbine,
Canterbury Park, Sunland Park and Finger Lakes Casino and
Racetrack.
The Alliance, formed
in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the
areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every
major national horsemen’s organization. Alliance certification standards cover
six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing
environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication,
testing and penalties; safety research; and wagering security. Within those six
categories, specific standards focus on areas including:
·
Systematic reporting
of equine injuries
·
Aftercare of
racehorses
·
Pre- and post-race
veterinary examinations
·
Post-mortem
examinations
·
Health and safety of
jockeys
·
Riding crops and
their use
·
Horse shoes and hoof
care
·
Safety research
·
Safety equipment for
jockeys and horse handlers
·
Exogenous Anabolic
Steroids
·
Alkalinizing agents
(TCO2)
·
On-track emergency
medical care for humans and equines
·
Out-of-competition
testing
·
Freezing and
retrospective testing of post race samples
·
Continuing
education
·
Security assessment
and training
·
Totalizator
technology and “stop wagering” protocols
·
Wagering incident
investigation
The NTRA Safety and
Integrity Alliance is a standing organization whose purpose is to establish
standards and practices to promote safety and integrity in horseracing and to
secure their implementation. Corporate partners of the Alliance include Pfizer
Animal Health, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.
Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be
found at NTRAalliance.com.