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Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008

Racehorse safety plan coming Wednesday

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association will announce Wednesday what it is calling "the most comprehensive safety and integrity reforms in the history of the sport," encompassing areas from medication rules to racehorse retirement.

The NTRA also will name an independent monitor, "a nationally prominent" individual who "will conduct an ongoing, transparent review of the industry's implementation of the reforms and provide public, independent assessments."

The reforms come as the industry is coping with public backlash from this year's controversial Kentucky Derby.

Second-place finisher Eight Belles broke both front legs just after finishing the race. The winner, Big Brown, won while legally on anabolic steroids, according to his trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr.

In the wake of the race, Kentucky and other states, as well as major industry organizations such as the Breeders' Cup, banned steroids. Kentucky also has banned many "toe grabs," cleats on front horseshoes, which might have contributed to Eight Belles' death.

The Jockey Club, racing's record keeping body, has an ongoing safety initiative that recommended many of these changes.

The new safety initiative comes from the NTRA, a trade association that has no enforcement authority, but the move apparently is backed by many industry entities.

The reforms will be announced Wednesday morning in New York by NTRA president Alex Waldrop, Turfway Park president and NTRA executive chairman Bob Elliston, and Alan Foreman, chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations.

The Herald-Leader will have more on the reforms Wednesday on Kentucky.com.