Mister Park 2007-2012.
High Risk Entry Alert
At last, a potentially good use for one of the US horse racing industry’s databases. Unfortunately the data they collect is given out on a voluntary not mandatory basis.
Oh, well. Like everything else it seems, it is a start. And any tool that will spare some of these Thoroughbred racehorses from breakdown and death, or run into the ground until they can barely stand let alone run, is welcome.
MATT HEGARTY writing for the Daily Racing Form reports:
- LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Jockey Club announced plans on Wednesday to launch a system this August that will send alerts to racing offices when a horse that is deemed to be at high risk of an injury is entered in a race.
The alert, according to the Jockey Club, will be intended to notify the racing office that the horse should be subjected to additional scrutiny during its pre-race veterinary examinations, which are required in nearly every major racing jurisdiction. The criteria that will determine whether a horse is at high risk of an injury will be gleaned from ongoing analyses of a project to collect data on racing injuries that is being administered by the Jockey Club, the organization said.
The alert system is so far the most tangible outgrowth of the injury database, which has collected data on millions of races since being launched in late 2008. Continue reading >>
It is not just us cranky old, never satisfied racehorse advocates who are looking at this with slightly raised eyebrows. The alert idea is getting mixed reviews around the industry.
Speaking of opinion splitters, how about the highly contentious topic of race-day medications, especially Lasix.
Phasing Out Lasix in Kentucky
Bottle of Lasix. Don’t you love the words in blue on the twist-off cap. My sentiment exactly. Google image.
In other news, the Kentucky Horse Racing today voted 7-5-1 to phase out the use of Lasix (Salix) the anti-bleeder medication on racedays for two-year olds in listed and graded stakes. If given final approval for implementation, the new regulation will start in 2013 or perhaps even as late as 2014.
Horses who race on the lower rungs, particularly claimers, rarely get any sort of consideration do they? Again, we welcome any change for the better — whatever shape, form or size it comes in.
I wish US racing would ban claiming races altogether since they do not know how to conduct them without crippling or killing horses.
Anyway, a hearty congratulations to the KHRC for getting this far. Few understand what machinations they have gone through to get this much done.
Oh look. It’s not over yet.
@gregoryahall (sports writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal) tweeted:
Horsemen’s rep Marty Maline says he believes there’s a chance to overturn the #KHRC #Lasix vote when new reg goes before legislature.
Horsemen’s rep? This is the problem. There are too few horsemen left in US racing, if anyone even understands what that means anymore.
How tiresome this all is.
