Racing continued at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 27 after pre-race meetings between key stakeholders produced a consensus of opinion that the dirt and turf surfaces are safe and constant communication and extensive data collection are vital to combat a spate of seven catastrophic breakdowns and one fatal cardiac episode through 33 of the meet’s 40 days.
“We had a productive meeting,” said New York Racing Association president and CEO Dave O’Rourke after a meeting with jockeys that also included NYRA racing and track management officials, veterinarians, safety stewards, and a Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority representative. Earlier in the morning there was a meeting with horsemen. “There are no new protocols. It was more about reassessing communications with the jockeys specifically. Any issue among them about their feelings on the tracks would have come up and there was nothing.
“The jocks are on the backs of the horse, so I need them to understand that they need to be absolutely comfortable expressing anything, anytime, anywhere. Period.”
Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockey’s Guild who was at the meeting, agreed that the jockeys were united in their stand that the surfaces are safe.
“It was a very frank and open discussion and the riders feel comfortable with the racetracks. They have some suggestions and management listened. It was constructive,” Meyocks said. “They feel safe on turf and dirt. It’s a big picture and we need to be working together as an industry from A to Z.”
Vet arrives on scene during the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said his group agreed that the tracks are safe.
“We want the horses to be safe and we want to work with NYRA, HISA, and (the New York State Gaming Commission). (Horsemen) feel the surfaces are safe. I think everyone appreciates how hard (NYRA executive vice president of operations and capital projects Glen Kozak) and his team works. We know he’s conscientious.”
O’Rourke said Kozak’s crew worked diligently on the tracks after the Aug. 26 Travers Day card in which two horses suffered fatal breakdowns, including New York Thunder in the stretch run of the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1).
“Glen’s crew went over the track with a fine tooth comb last night,” O’Rourke said. “They do that every day. They did it twice last night.”
Dr. Scott Palmer, the NYSGC’s equine medical director, said Saturday he was “concerned” with the fatalities at the meet and that research data on the deaths is being collected and analyzed.
“It’s unfortunately going to take some time with data aggregation and that’s where having HISA is a huge benefit. You saw a similar situation 12 years ago and it’s very likely you will see some modifications made,” O’Rourke said. “This is an evolutionary process in terms of improving safety.”
Appelbaum also voiced a need for thorough research into the key factors behind the fatalities.
“There’s nothing more extensive we can do than extensive research. We’ve had this problem before in 2011-12 and the solution is you study it, you come up with recommendations, you implement them,” he said. “In the last 12 years, we cut down breakdowns by 50 percent. We need to do that again and after that you reduce it by another 50% and you keep doing that.”
O’Rourke said increased vigilance will be commonplace going forward.
“It think extensive checking will be standard for the rest of my career,” he said. “My main concern is the safety of the riders and the horses, but I can’t talk to the horses. So today I wanted to have a very open conversation with the jockeys and put them in a position where they are comfortable to articulate anything and everything.”
