The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in
New Orleans
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. Fair Grounds received its initial Alliance accreditation in December 2009. All accreditations and re-accreditations carry an effective period of two years.
Fair Grounds is the 12th
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; and Santa Anita Park
was re-accredited in October.
The
re-accreditation of Fair Grounds was the culmination of a lengthy
certification process that began with the track’s completion
of a 48-page written application and continued as Fair Grounds 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 Celeste Kunz, VMD; 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 Fair Grounds, best practices were
identified in areas including pre-race veterinary
examinations; post-mortem examination policy; veterinarian’s list
protocols; safety helmet and safety vest regulation and enforcement;
equine ambulance equipment and staffing; ambulance support and medical
care for injured riders; substance abuse and addiction
program; infectious disease management; paddock safety protocols;
veterinary coverage by private practitioners; participation in Jockey
Health Information System; establishment of a program for the aftercare
and transitioning of retired racehorses; and wagering
integrity standards, including stop-wagering devices, simulcast
contract language, elimination of cancel delays, pool integrity
protocols, time stamping of video feed and synchronization with the
totalizator and wagering incident investigation protocols and
procedures.
“Fair Grounds, like all of the CDI tracks, has been a strong supporter of the
Alliance,
and this re-accreditation report is a clear example of that
dedication,” said Ziegler. “We wish to salute everyone at Fair Grounds
for their outstanding cooperation in advancing so many
of the Alliance’s goals and objectives.”
"I'm
extremely proud to receive this Alliance re-accreditation on behalf of
everyone here who worked so hard to make it possible,” said
Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager for Racing at Fair
Grounds Race Course & Slots. “The integrity of the racing product
and the safety of all its equine and human participants come before
everything else in terms of our priorities.”
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots 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, Aqueduct Racetrack, 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