Jockey Club Gives Recommendations

Recently in June, The Jockey Club proposed three solid recommendations designed to enhance safety and welfare regulations in the Thoroughbred industry, while a petition sponsored by Fox Hill online women called the Eight Belles Bill put together by concerned women throughout the nation is gaining steam, and Suffolk Downs laid down the law to trainers supporting slaughterhouse transport.

The Jockey Club, which concerns itself with issues critical to the industry's livelihood, will continue to meet throughout the summer to address problems and confirm further recommendations dealing with and including the use of theraputic medications, questions of prohibited practices, and illegal drug use; stiffer penalties for rules violations; drug-testing laboratory standards; safety concerns involving track surfaces; and Thoroughbred breeding and training practices.

Its three major recommendations set at its June 17 meeting included:

• Immedate action by all North American racing authorities to adopt the model rule concerning use of anabolicsteroids and implementation of same by December 31, 2008.
• An immediate ban on all traction devices worn on the front shoes of racing, or training Thoroughbreds on all track surfaces; including toe grabs (other than 2-millimeter wear plates), turn downs, jar caulks, and stickers.
• Flat racing will permit only the use of riding crops approved by the Association of Racing Commissioners International Model Rules Committee.

The Jockey Club also noted that three of the four anabolic steroids occur naturally in horses. Any ban on the further use of, or administration of these substances on horses will need to be monitored in a manner different from urine tests, which are not always dependable, or accurate.

Stuart Janney, chairwoman of The Jockey Club, stated "Steroids have no place in a horse on race day." The substances are currently allowed at many race tracks as a pre-schedule theraputic drug.

Careful consideration on how to establish what a normal system level is for horses needs to be taken since that level varies from individual horse to individual horse.

Fox Hill Online Women's Group

In other efforts to clean up practices in the Thoroughbred industry, a Fox Hill-sponsored online women's group has established a petition called the Eight Belles Bill which the participants hope to send to Washington D.C. for consideration of implementation. It deals with all aspects of horse racing policy. Its major points may be read at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/eight-belles-bill.

The women also reported recently they will pursue solutions to, or recommendations for another critical Thoroughbred issue in the United States -- that of the abuse and slaughter of retired equine competitors.

Suffolk Downs Adopts Zero Slaughter Attitude

Sam Elliott, Suffolk Downs (East Boston, Massachusetts) vice president for racing, announced in June the track is adopting a zero tolerance for horse slaughter for trainers at its track. The policy will hold trainers accountable if horses in their care are sold for slaughter.

Elliott stated he had informed members of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of the new ruling.

Diana Baker, former Thoroughbred Retirement Fund board member, and Michael Blowen, president of Old Friends Farm, Georgetown, Kentucky, and a hot walker at Suffolk Downs in the 1990s, told Steve Myrick of Thoroughbred Times in a Thoroughbred Times.com June 27 report, that they had witnessed cases of Thoroughbreds leaving the race track loaded into a truck bound for a slaughterhouse.

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