NEWS
Synthetic surfaces boast fewer fatal breakdowns than dirt
Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 10:08 AM
JOE HARPER WITH POLYTRACK
Benoit & Associates photo
by Frank Angst
Horses who raced on a dirt surface in the U.S. during the last two years had an increased chance of a fatal breakdown compared with racing on a synthetic surface based on data released Wednesday by the Jockey Club.
In looking at two years of data through October 31, 2010, the Equine Injury Database determined horses racing on a synthetic surface were 27.6% less likely to break down than horses racing on a dirt surface. In looking at the two racing years, horses broke down at a rate of 2.14 times per 1,000 dirt starts as compared with 1.55 times per 1,000 synthetic starts. That is the equivalent of one additional breakdown on dirt versus synthetic for every 1,695 starters.
For the purposes of the study, a fatal breakdown is a breakdown that leads to a horse’s death, whether that death occurs on the track, at the stable, or at some point after life-saving measures are attempted.
In July, the database released figures for the first 12 months of the study—November 1, 2008, through October 31, 2009. While it determined horses racing on synthetic surfaces suffered 16.8% fewer fatal breakdowns, experts wanted more statistics—specifically more synthetic surface data—before declaring the difference statistically relevant.
With a second year of races added to the study, a year in which synthetic surfaces saw fewer fatal breakdowns while dirt races remained steady at 2.14, Tim Parkin, Ph.D., a veterinarian and epidemiologist from the University of Glasgow who serves as a database consultant, noted the difference as relevant.
“The addition of 376,000 starts to the database in year two enabled us to statistically validate certain trends seen in the data,” Parkin said. “Trends will continue to emerge and evolve as additional data becomes available for study and as more complex statistical analyses are performed. This will allow us to understand how different variables, alone and in concert, may impact the risk of fatality.”
Based on 754,932 starts in the two-year study, the U.S. fatal injury rate is 2.00 per 1,000 starts. That overall rate was down from 2.04 in the first year of the study. The reduction can largely be attributed to the strong year synthetic surfaces enjoyed as their rate went from 1.78 for the first year to 1.55 for the first two years combined. Dirt and turf were steady as dirt was at 2.14 for the first year and combined two years and turf went from 1.78 to 1.74.
Among other trends gleaned from Parkin’s analysis of the cumulative two-year data:
- Fillies and mares competing in races that were open to horses of both sexes were not at an increased risk of fatality compared with those competing in races restricted to fillies and mares.
- The prevalence of fatality in juveniles continues to be significantly lower than older horses racing on dirt surfaces. However, on synthetic or turf surfaces, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of fatality between two-year-olds and older horses.
- The prevalence of fatality continued to be unaffected by distance, weight carried, and movement of races off the turf.
“We will continue to publish these national benchmarks on an annual basis to provide the necessary statistical foundation participating racetracks need for monitoring and comparing their individual results,” said the Jockey Club’s executive director Matt Iuliano.
“Racetracks participating in the Equine Injury Database have an extensive menu of reporting tools and other resources available through the InCompass RTO system designed to assist management in developing safety initiatives aimed at reducing injuries to our equine athletes,” he added. “As the database continues to grow, we look forward to the additional information and statistical power it will yield to improve the health and safety of the racehorse.”
The Jockey Club, through two of its for-profit subsidiary companies, InCompass and The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc., has underwritten the cost to develop and operate the Equine Injury Database as a service to the industry. By agreement with the participating racetracks, from time to time The Jockey Club may publish certain summary statistics from the Equine Injury Database, but will not provide statistics that identify specific participants, including racetracks, horses or persons. The Equine Injury Database contains a suite of reports for racetracks to analyze data collected at their respective facilities.
Click here for further detail on the Equine Injury Database. A list of racetracks that have signed up to participate in the Equine Injury Database can be found here.
To view the Equine Injury Database analysis sheet, click here.
Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Bellwetherr, Chesapeake, VA on December 20, 2010 at 01:15 AM
PEOPLE BACK EAST NOE IT$ A BROKE JOKE...GET DOWN & DIRTY!!!...
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Posted by: Barry, San Mateo, CA on December 18, 2010 at 07:18 AM
Turfway and Golden Gate are better tracks than penny nat and charle clown. you must not get out much dude. do you really wanna line up the river downs etc... vs keeneland santa anita and so forth? didnt think so. thats why the poly breakdown numbers are skewed and erronious. good day/
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Posted by: GuyV, Wrightstown, NJ on December 18, 2010 at 06:02 AM
Mike, One more thing, I am fully aware of slaughter house activities. If you are really interested in aftercare, you can donate along with me to the place below or another similar place of your choice. Action gets more accomplished than words.
http://www.equineencorefoundation.com/
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Posted by: GuyV, Wrightstown, NJ on December 18, 2010 at 05:32 AM
Mike: C'mon, I live 2500 miles away, but I can read. "After the track failed to acquire a 2-year extension of the deadline to replace its dirt oval with an artificial surface for the safety of the horses from the California Horse Racing Board, it was announced that Bay Meadows intended to close November 4, 2006 immediately following its summer-fall season."
Mike, horse racing is dangerous. The only safe horse race is one that doesn't happen. Next would you mandate that all farms have to have synthetic training tracks too? You can have them closed them down too. Then you will have what you want. The safest tracks in the world, tracks that are closed down. Proof: There have been zero fatal breakdowns at Bay Meadows since it's forced closure.
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Posted by: Mike, Bell, CA on December 17, 2010 at 06:09 PM
Talk about clutching at straws in trying to negate the reality and truth of these numbers... Golden Gate and Turfway Park do certainly NOT attract better horses than dirt tracks. They are not the "classier tracks" at all. And Guy V - San Mateo (Bay Meadows) closure had nothing to do with the track surface. It was closed because of the real estate value of the land. And has anyone considered that the synthetic breakdown stats are not skewed in favor of those surface, because the horses running on synthectics are often time bomb crocks carrying existing legacy injuries from dirt tracks? When we see horses that train and run only on synthetics all their lives, then you will see an AMAZING difference in injury rates in favor of synthetics. Wake up dirt people! I know you don't like it but it's the truth! And funny how no one ever talks about the off track slaughterhouse fatalities that happen as a result of a beat up dirt horse having to go to slaughter because they are in such poor shape from running on dirt.
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