BC Expands Out-of-Competition Testing Program: The Blood-Horse 6/1/15

RMTC

By Blood-Horse Staff

Breeders’ Cup June 1 said it has extended its out-of-competition drug testing program to include the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, which offers winners automatic berths in the World Championships.

Racetracks that serve as hosts for Challenge Series races will have to meet other criteria as well, including provisions of the National Uniform Medication Program.

Breeders’ Cup officials said the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will work with racing regulators in host jurisdictions to facilitate out-of-competition testing on horses nominated to Challenge Series races. The program in the United States features 50 graded stakes in seven jurisdictions at 10 racetracks.

This year’s World Championships will be held at Keeneland Oct. 30-31.

In other policy directives, tracks will have to provide “enhanced security on the horses competing, including a security officer or video surveillance for a minimum of eight hours before post time,” Breeders’ Cup said. They also must be fully accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety & Integrity Alliance and have adopted, or be in the process of adopting, the Controlled Therapeutic Medications and Prohibited Substances provisions of the National Uniform Medication Program as promulgated by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Challenge Series hosts must perform TCO2 tests on all participating horses; mandate that any race-day medication be administered by third-party veterinarians, and if not, administration must be supervised and all syringes collected for testing; and ensure that all testing is performed by laboratories accredited by the RMTC or have accreditation pending.

“Breeders’ Cup is recognized as a leader in racing security, safety, and testing at the World Championships, and we are pleased to extend these measures to the Challenge Series and we thank the participating tracks for their cooperation and assistance,” Breeders’ Cup president Craig Fravel said in a release.

“We share a commitment to integrity, safety, and security with the Breeders’ Cup, and these steps are an excellent way to ensure the safety and security measures for the Challenge Series and for the World Championships at Keeneland will be an example to the industry,” KHRC equine medical director Dr. Mary Scollay said.

In anticipation of the 2015 event, Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup have developed a comprehensive video surveillance program. Horses will all be stabled together in a segregated complex and the barns will be outfitted with 72 high-definition security cameras and state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, officials said.

Other Breeders’ Cup security measures in place for the Championships include equine security officers stationed in every barn to log information regarding veterinary or other actions taking place in the runner’s stall; a team of Breeders’ Cup equine investigators that will be working with the KHRC investigators; and the requirement that all runners be on the grounds of the racetrack 72 hours before first post on the day they race.

Safety measures include pre-race inspections from the Breeders’ Cup veterinary team working in conjunction with the KHRC veterinarians. The inspections will begin as soon as a horse arrives on the grounds and will continue until race day.

Also, noted racing surface specialist Dr. Mick Peterson will continue his work with Keeneland in evaluating and testing the racing surfaces through the Breeders’ Cup event.