Declaring that the Kentucky Equestrian Commission is committed to the “best interests of riders, the association and the racing industry at large,” president Jonathan Rabinowitz said on February 15 that the KHRC has begun the process to strengthen it. transparency in certain regulatory duties.
KHRC intends to examine its regulation that prohibits management, employees and other KHRC representatives from commenting on rule violations or examining potential violations, Rabinowitz said Tuesday during its monthly meeting. regularly scheduled by the committee.
The move comes after the KHRC faced criticism in several circles for its silence regarding the 2021 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), in which Bob Baffert trained. Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone. A long-delayed hearing was held for February 14, although KHRC officials would not even publicly confirm the date of the hearing.
An attorney for Baffert issued a statement after the hearing, while KHRC did not.
Committee member Bill Landes commented: “We’ve all been through this process, and I think transparency and a more open process will allow us to be more effective commissioners, there we’ll be perceived and we’ll know what’s going on, it’s not necessarily how we’re perceived today. This is a breath of fresh air.”
KING: Kentucky EDRC approves additional funds for mRNA research
The third and final phase of this study required the collection of pre-race samples from approximately 15,000 horses in California to confirm the predictive value of these mRNA targets. Approval will fund up to $40,000 to help support costs in excess of $177,000.
The Commission also approved proposed rule changes to the training requirements for horses returning to racing after being laid off. A horse that is about to be laid off for 90 days must have two works published before being allowed to participate, one of which is within 20 days of entry. A horse returning from 180 days of layoff will have to have three works published, with the same requirement for one work within 20 days of entering the race. Other proposed rule changes to be passed include allowing race clerks to separate entries with a shared connection in any race and requiring connections that require a Kentucky horse Those wishing to race out of state must wait 30 days from the end of the meeting in Kentucky where that horse has claimed. These proposed changes were approved to be sent to the full committee by the Rules Committee on February 1.
ANGST: KHRC considers new rules on workout reporting
The committee approved the back improvement fund request for Churchill Downs from January 26. This year of improvements to both the track and the track has been confirmed/confirmed by KHRC staff, with an inspection to be carried out upon completion of the project.
Approved regulatory changes are currently going through the state’s public notification and approval process and can take up to nine months to be implemented.
