Photo:NYRA / Coglianese Photo
A closer watch of horses already flagged by veterinarians, tightermonitoring of wet tracks and perhaps adding a synthetic track were among therecommendations made in a study of the 17 racehorse deaths last year atSaratoga.
The suggestions to the New York Racing Association were madein a 107-page review published Tuesday by veterinarian Dr. Scott Palmer, theequine medical director of the New York State Gaming Commission.
Palmer report on Saratoga horse deaths in 2023.
“Multiple individual horse risk factors and collective riskfactors contributed to increased risk for fatal musculoskeletal injuries ofhorses during the 2023 Saratoga meet,” Palmer wrote in his conclusions. “Someof these factors are modifiable while others are not. Some have a greaterpriority than others.”
NYRA spokesperson Pat McKenna told BloodHorsethat Palmer’s report “enhances our understanding of the myriad factors thatcontribute to equine injuries sustained during training or racing. Continuouslyimproving equine safety is an organizational imperative at NYRA that motivatesall aspects of the operation and informs every decision around the evolvingtraining and racing infrastructure at both Saratoga Race Course and BelmontPark.”
Palmer said horses who show up on vet’s lists, especially outsideNew York, should be flagged for closer scrutiny before they are allowed to shipin and race at Saratoga.
“Research studies have found a strong association between ahorse being on the veterinarian’s list and fatal musculoskeletal injuries,” hewrote. He added later, “Risk factors are additive. The more risk factors thatapply to an individual horse, the greater that horse’s risk for injury.”
Among his examples, Palmer pointed to New York Thunder, whobroke down last August just as he was about to win the Grade 1 H. Allen JerkensMemorial Stakes.
“It was apparent from the history of repeated regulatoryveterinary interventions and a history of multiple intra-articular injectionsthat New York Thunder was a horse whose career was managed in a manner toenable him to race during the Saratoga meet despite evidence of significantunresolved musculoskeletal injury,” Palmer said. “This pattern of racehorsecareer management is consistent with prioritizing entry in a boutique meetahead of concern for the welfare of the horse.”
Palmer said a closer look at the paper trail before a horsegets to Saratoga will reduce the risk of trouble on the track.
“This recommendation will ensure that the racing office isaware of all the horses training on NYRA property and also prevent horses thatare on the veterinarian’s list in other jurisdictions from training on NYRAproperty prior to examination by a NYRA regulatory veterinarian,” he wrote. “Thiswill provide for increased veterinary scrutiny of horses already at risk for fatalmusculoskeletal injuries and will help to reduce the incidence of injury toboth horses and riders.”
Pointing out that the 2023 Saratoga summer “was conductedduring a period of unprecedented inclement weather,” Palmer underscored the needto make sure the dirt and turf courses are race-worthy when they are hit byrain.
“The most significant collective risk factor during the 2023Saratoga meet was the spatial and temporal variability in the moisture contentof the racing surfaces, particularly during week 4 and week 7 of the meet,” Palmerwrote. “While many horses were able to safely negotiate an inconsistent racingsurface, some were not, particularly those horses with cumulative individualhorse risk factors.”
Palmer said the next step is not so much about the rainfallon a given race day as it the moisture in the tracks. He even made a not-so-veiledconnection to track bosses weighing safety factors against the desire to keepraces on the turf in order to enhance betting opportunities. Palmer pointed tothe 9 percent drop in handle last summer, when 65 races were taken off the turf,leaving “smaller and less competitive fields” to attract bettors.
“Risk management is the key to reducing equine fatalities,”Palmer said. “Over the past 14 years New York Thoroughbred racetracks havesuccessfully implemented targeted interventions to mitigate risk for equinefatalities. Over this period the number of equine fatalities at New YorkThoroughbred racetracks has been reduced by 54 percent. The recommendationscontained in this report are intended to supplement the New York Thoroughbredrisk management program currently in place.”
In addition to doing a better job rating course conditionswith moisture measurements and rethinking track maintenance, Palmer said asynthetic track would be a good idea for Saratoga. NYRA already is moving inthat direction at Belmont Park, where an all-weather course is being added inanticipation of winter racing moving there in two years.
“Decades of research have definitively shown thatwell-constructed and well-maintained synthetic surfaces will significantlyreduce the incidence of fatal musculoskeletal injuries of Thoroughbredracehorses,” Palmer wrote. He added later, “Having the option of a syntheticsurface at Saratoga will help to reduce the risk for exercise-associatedmusculoskeletal injury and provide a safe alternative surface when races aretaken off the turf. This will reduce the number of horses that scratch fromturf races during inclement weather, improve field size and increase theoverall handle.”
Palmer called for veterinarians to examine all horses 24-72hours before they race or train. NYRA has that rule in place for races but notyet for training.
Intra-articular injections, medications under federalregulation, necropsy findings and injuries that do not prove fatal were otherareas where Palmer felt more accountability was needed. Modern biometricsensors and imaging devices also were recommended for training.
“NYRA is embracing all-weather surfaces, biometric wearabletechnology, artificial intelligence and advanced equine imaging to furthermitigate risk and ensure the safest possible environment for racing andtraining,” McKenna told BloodHorse. “NYRA thanks Dr. Palmer and the NewYork State Gaming Commission for investing the time and resources necessary todevelop a comprehensive review of the 2023 summer meet.”
