by Paul Post
The New York Racing Association is setting the industry standard for safety with a catastrophic breakdown rate that is lower than the national average for both dirt and synthetic surfaces.
For the year to date, 18 horses have been euthanized at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, a rate of 1.14 per 1,000 starts versus the average artificial and dirt track rates of 1.47 and 2.03 fatalities per 1,000, respectively, according to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.
NYRA’s catastrophic breakdowns are down more than 50% compared with the 40 recorded in 2006. The figures provide fuel for the national debate over the need for synthetic surfaces as the Thoroughbred industry seeks ways to promote safety and prevent tragedies such as those that claimed the lives of high-profile horses like Eight Belles and Barbaro the past two years.
While hailing NYRA’s high marks, one year’s data is not enough from which to draw concrete conclusions, Racing and Wagering Board investigator Joel Leveson said. Any analysis, for dirt or synthetics, should have at least a five-year time span, he said.
Other factors must also be considered, such as weather, quality of horses, trainers, and veterinary care, he said.
Saratoga is regarded as one of the nation’s premier Thoroughbred meetings with many of the industry’s most expensive horses on display. Trainers are more reluctant to race unsound horses at Saratoga than they might be at other tracks, where lower-grade claiming races are the norm.
“You’ve got the Cadillac of racing at Saratoga,” board chairman John Sabini said. “You have the best trainers using the best practices.”
Saratoga’s 2008 safety record was better than five tracks with artificial surfaces—Arlington Park, Del Mar, Keeneland Race Course, Turfway Park, and Woodbine, which had a combined 86 catastrophic breakdowns.
NYRA’s overall catastrophic breakdown rate for all three tracks is lower than Arlington Park (2.06 per 1,000) and Del Mar (1.41 per 1,000).
“Based on the data they provided, how do you argue that we’ve got a major problem with our dirt? We’re not in the situation Del Mar or Arlington were a couple of years ago—breakdown after breakdown,” Sackatoga Stable managing general partner Jack Knowlton said. “Some horsemen wouldn’t participate at those tracks because they felt it wasn’t safe."
Belmont and Aqueduct, which races during the winter, are more prone to weather problems.
“NYRA has very good surfaces,” Sabini said. “From the rail in they do a great job. I don’t think there’s a dispute about that.”
Leveson said the introduction of Aqueduct’s racino, possibly next year, should give NYRA the funds needed to make racing even safer.
Four percent of annual gaming revenues will go toward NYRA capital expenses, which could be up to $25-million per year.
NYRA President Charles Hayward has said that if NYRA does try synthetics, it would start with Belmont’s training track. Converting from dirt to artificial material would cost at least $10-million, he said.
Finger Lakes, near Rochester, is the only non-NYRA track in New York. Its catastrophic breakdown rate of 1.86 per 1,000 also is below the national average for dirt tracks, although it has had 19 fatalities this year compared with 12 last year and 18 in 2006.
Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent