by Jeff Lowe

As the one-year anniversary of Eight Belles’s death approaches, Churchill Downs Inc. has implemented a sweeping set of new safety measures that will be in place for the spring meet at its flagship facility that features the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

The initiatives will be phased in at Arlington Park, Calder Race Course, and Fair Grounds, the three other racetracks in the Churchill conglomerate.

Several of the measures meet and expand on recommendations issued by the Jockey Club’s Safety Committee, formed days after the death of Eight Belles following her runner-up finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. Other measures adhere to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Alliance code of standards that are currently under review by member racetracks who will eventually seek accreditation.

Alex Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said, "We wholeheartedly endorse the comprehensive program outlined today by CDI to enhance safety and integrity at its racetracks. Today's voluntary step is an important act of leadership by Churchill Downs and reflects the unprecedented level of commitment by everyone within the industry to examine every aspect of racing. The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance anticipates commencing the racetrack accreditation process at Churchill Downs within the next 30 days."

Churchill’s initiatives include:

•    Independent, standardized third-party testing and monitoring of track surfaces;
•    “Supertesting” of all winning horses for more than 100 drugs;
•    Age restrictions requiring Thoroughbreds to be at least 24 calendar months of age before they are eligible to race;
•    The freezing and storage of equine blood and urine samples to allow for retrospective testing, which was a Safety Committee recommendation;
•    The banning of steroids, in adherence to a Association of Racing Commissioners International guideline and to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission rules;
•    Limits on the number of horses allowed to compete in certain races;
•    The prohibition of “milkshaking” a practice already illegal in Kentucky that results in excessive levels of total carbon dioxide in Thoroughbred racehorses;
•    Prohibiting the transport of horses from Churchill Downs Inc. facilities for slaughter;
•    The banning of front shoe toe grabs longer than two millimeters, which was a Safety Committee recommendation;
•    The use of low-impact riding whips with limited usage rules;
•    The presence of on-site medical personnel, equipment, and state-of-the-art equine ambulances;
•    Immediate online access to jockey medical histories for emergency medical personnel, which is part of the NTRA Alliance proposed code of standards;
•    $1-million in catastrophic injury insurance coverage for jockeys;
•    Mandatory and uniform reporting of equine injuries to the InCompass Solutions Equine Injury Database, which is part of the NTRA Alliance proposed code of standards;
•    A professionally designed and installed safety rail on the inside of the dirt course;
•    Mandatory usage by all jockeys, exercise riders and other on-track personnel of safety vests and safety helmets that meet internationally acknowledged quality standards, which is part of the NTRA Alliance proposed code of standards;
•    Three/eighths-inch foam padding on all parts of the starting gates, adhering to an ARCI model rule;
•    Significant financial support for equine retirement programs;
•    Inspection of all horses by regulatory veterinarians prior to and following all races;
•    Review of security procedures around barns and other racetrack stabling areas;
•    Continued maintenance of protocols for the treatment of horses that have been injured during racing or training, to ensure the most humane treatment possible; and
•    Mandatory, independent, and complete necropsies of any horse that dies because of an injury sustained while racing or training at Churchill Downs.

Churchill President Bob Evans noted that records indicate that Eight Belles’s fatal injury was the first in the 134-year history of the Kentucky Derby.

“[B]ut even one is too many,” Evans said. “While the Kentucky Derby is the world’s most important horse race, we want to implement changes that will improve safety not just for that race, but for all of the jockeys and horses that compete annually in the [more than] 4,000 races conducted at our four racetracks.

“Over the past year, a great deal of important work and study has occurred on safety issues in our industry. We want to thank the many groups and organizations that helped develop the foundation upon which today’s announcement is based, including The Jockey Club, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the Breeders’ Cup, Keeneland [Association], the NTRA, the veterinarians who are part of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and the horsemen in many states. The degree of cooperation across the Thoroughbred industry in the effort to improve safety is unprecedented, and I hope we can continue to work together to raise the bar in making racing safer and safer.

“We are optimistic about the NTRA’s new Safety and Integrity Alliance program,” Evans added. “We hope the NTRA is able to certify all three Triple Crown tracks prior to this year’s Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) races.”

Churchill has hired Mick Peterson, a respected track surface researcher, to conduct third party testing of its racing surfaces. Peterson has developed a robotic hoof device that duplicates the force and speed of a horse as it runs on a racetrack. Churchill also is a founding member of and financial contributor to the new Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, which is identifying safe practices for the future by facilitating and advocating measurements of track safety effectiveness. Calder, Churchill, and Fair Grounds run on conventional dirt while Arlington has the Polytrack synthetic surface.

Churchill said an extensive study on the subject of field size prompted a decision to reduce the maximum number of starters for races at several distances, but not for the Kentucky Derby, which will remain capped at 20 horses.

Churchill will limit its 4 1/2-furlong dirt races to ten starters instead of 12. The company said Arlington Park and its horsemen would consider starting 4 1/2-furlong races at the five-furlong marker and finishing them at the 1/16-mile pole to allow for a longer run into the first turn.

“We are focused on action that we know will make a difference,” Evans said. “Our priority remains on the enhancement and standardization of practices that will have a daily impact on the health and safety of the maximum number of horses and jockeys that compete at Churchill Downs Inc. tracks.”

Churchill Downs General Manager Jim Gates said other safety initiatives could be implemented later in the year, including out-of-competition drug testing, the introduction of safety reins, jockey health and wellness programs, uniform licensing across the racing industry, and ongoing safety and welfare education and training for industry participants.

“We also have recognized that we need to do a better job of communicating to our fans and the general public what our industry has done and is doing to maximize safety,” Gates said. “To that end, we have created an interactive, educational ‘Safety Center’ that is currently on display at Churchill Downs’s Gate 17. The center utilizes audio, video and actual material and equipment samples to educate racetrack guests about the numerous policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety, security and well-being of horses, riders, and on-track personnel. The centers may be added at other Churchill racetracks at a future date.”

Churchill said the cost of the new measures would likely surpass $1-million annually.

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer