The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has formally established
an Equine Safety Review Board to review and assess fatal equine racing
and training injuries at the organization’s
three racetracks. The creation of an Equine Safety Review Board was
among the key recommendations set forth by the New York Task Force on
Racehorse Health and Safety in its final report issued September 28.
“The
mission of the Equine Safety Review Board is to create an educational
process that emphasizes the safety of horses and jockeys,” said Anthony
Bonomo, Chairman of the Equine Safety
Committee of the NYRA Board of Directors. “We will use the information
gleaned through this process to promote additional equine safety
measures intended to prevent fatal injuries in the future.”
NYRA
Steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. is chair of the Equine Safety Review Board,
which also includes Dr. Anthony Verderosa, NYRA’s Chief Examining
Veterinarian; Glen Kozak, NYRA’s Vice President
of Facilities and Racing Surfaces; and Kenneth V. Handal, NYRA’s Acting
General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer. When hired, NYRA’s Equine
Veterinary Medical Director will also sit on the board.
Outside
veterinary representatives are Dr. Scott Palmer, a member of the New
York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety and independent
practitioner; Dr. Brian Caserto, a pathologist
at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. W.
Theodore Hill, Jockey Club Steward.
Representatives
for the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) and the New York State Gaming Commission are also on the board.