With six days left in the summer meet, horse racing’s new federal oversight authority is implementing two new safety interventions at Saratoga Race Course, where racing is set to resume Wednesday.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced the measures Tuesday on the heels of a nationally-televised stakes race breakdown and another post-race horse death on Saturday, the biggest day of the meet at the New York Racing Association track. There have been 14 horse deaths at Saratoga since May.
HISA says a required pre-race screening by a veterinarian, generally carried out by local vets, will now be performed by a HISA vet to add an extra layer of independent analysis to identify horses that may be at increased risk of injury.
Additionally, members of HISA’s new Track Surface Advisory Group are on site reviewing the racing surfaces.
In a statement, a NYRA spokesperson says the health and safety of horses and jockeys is its highest priority and that it strongly supports HISA’s work.
NYRA adds racing surfaces are already inspected before, during and after each racing day, and its review has not found any anomalies. It says a veterinarian will now have to attest that each entered horse is sound and fit to race after a physical exam.
