New York regulators are considering a rule that explicitly requires a trainer’s veterinarian to assess the fitness of a Thoroughbred horse within 72 hours of a race or practice session.
The proposal, put forward by New York State Gaming Commission staffers to the agency’s full board this week, will be considered at a committee board meeting next week.
“Although we have no reason to believe that a participating veterinarian would allow a horse under that veterinarian’s care to race or participate in training if the horse is unsuitable, , but staff believe it is appropriate to ask veterinarians to make explicit statements about fitness, as one Edmund C. Burns, agency adviser, wrote in a memo dated 20. July for the board was announced on Thursday.
The matter will be considered by the committee’s panel on June 26, when it is expected to receive preliminary approval. If so, the proposal would be put forward in a public comment period, with final adoption around the end of the year.
“Adding the requirement of a participating veterinarian provides additional safeguards by ensuring evaluation by a veterinarian with specific horse knowledge while maintaining the examination of the racing association veterinarian as an additional level of assessment,” Burns wrote to the board.
How such vet examinations were reported to the Game Commission has yet to be determined. The agency said the new horse testing plan complements existing rules that require a racing association veterinarian to assess a horse’s health on the day it is due for racing.
The proposal calls for a ban on racing or exercise horses unless specifically addressed by the attending veterinarian within 72 hours. Examinations should include, at a minimum, examination of the eyes and legs and observation of the horse at rest and in motion. Evaluations must be reported to the state—although the proposed rule is unclear whether such information will be made public—and must also be provided to the racing association veterinarian, who will be notified if there are any changes to the horse’s health after entry and before a race day.
The proposed rule defines a workout as “an exercise session near full speed or near full speed.”
The proposal “is intended to reduce the risk of injury to horses unfit for performance,” Burns wrote to the committee’s board.
