Wagering Security a New Component of the Inspection Process
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that an updated set of racetrack safety and integrity standards has been circulated to members of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, and that it is now available for public comment. After finalization, the compliance standards will serve as the basis for future racetrack Alliance accreditation. The Alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen's organization. Eighteen racetracks have been inspected to date by Alliance safety teams.
The Alliance's Code of Standards for 2010 can be reviewed at
www.NTRAalliance.com, and comments on the revised Code may be submitted via email to
alliance@ntra.com. For 2010, the Code of Standards has been expanded to include wagering security among the primary areas of inspection.
Compliance standards now cover six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; medication and testing; jockey safety and health; and wagering security. Within those six categories, specific standards will focus on many areas including:
- Systematic reporting of equine injuries
- Aftercare of retired racehorses
- Pre- and post-race veterinary examinations
- Post-mortem exams
- Health and safety of jockeys
- Riding crops and their use
- Horse shoes and hoof care
- Safety research, including racing surfaces
- Safety equipment for jockeys and horse handlers
- Safety training
- Anabolic Steroids
- Alkalinizing agents (TCO2)
- On-track emergency medical care for humans and equines
- Out-of-competition testing
- Freezing and retrospective testing of post-race samples
- Continuing education
- Totalizator technology and "stop wagering" protocols
- Wagering incident investigation
"The addition of several protocols to promote wagering security and integrity is the single biggest change to the Alliance's 2010 Code of Standards," said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. "In addition, the code has been made even more rigorous in a number of other areas, including aftercare and transition of retired racehorses, pre-and post-race veterinary inspections; and safety training and continuing education. We hope that everyone in the industry will review the 2010 Code online and provide us feedback."
The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance is a standing organization whose purpose is to establish standards and practices to promote safety and integrity in horseracing and to secure their implementation. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at
www.NTRAalliance.com.
The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent monitor of the Alliance and will provide public reports on Alliance progress in instituting safety and integrity standards.
