Contact: Eric Wing (212) 521-5316
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., has earned re-accreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. The re-accreditation followed a complete review of all racing operations at the facility. All accreditations and re-accreditations carry an effective period of two years.
Monmouth Park is the 16th Alliance-accredited racetrack to earn re-accreditation, joining Aqueduct Racetrack, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Betfair Hollywood Park, Calder Casino and Race Course, Churchill Downs, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Golden Gate Fields, Keeneland Race Course, Pimlico Race Course, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga Race Course, Turfway Park and Woodbine.
The re-accreditation of Monmouth Park was the culmination of a lengthy certification process that began with the track’s completion of a 48-page written application and continued as Monmouth hosted several meetings with Alliance officials. The on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing facility, with special attention paid to areas that were newly added to the Alliance’s Code of Standards in 2011 and 2012. Such areas containing new or more stringent requirements include wagering security, race day security, Model Rules pertaining to Furosemide administration and Phenylbutazone threshold levels, injury reporting, post-mortem veterinary inspections, jockey health and safety, paddock safety, aftercare/transitioning of retired racehorses and cross-jurisdictional sharing of vet’s list data. Interviews were also conducted with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards and fans. The inspection team was comprised of Ronald Jensen, DVM; racing official Richard Lewis; Mike Kilpack of the Organization of Racetrack Investigators (ORI); and Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.
During the latest Alliance inspection of Monmouth Park, best practices were identified in areas including pre-race veterinary examinations; post-race veterinary examinations; substance abuse and addiction programs; catastrophic injury planning and procedures; infectious disease management; fire safety planning and procedures; veterinary presence during training hours; out-of-competition testing; maintenance of jockey health information; jockey insurance coverage; and wagering security protocols, including timing display and synchronization on both the track’s video broadcast and totalisator.
“Monmouth was inspected during its current, live meeting,” said Ziegler. “Again, the track displayed a solid commitment to the continued safety and integrity of its racing and wagering operations.”
“We are gratified to have earned this important re-accreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance,” said Bob Kulina, President of Darby Development LLC, which manages Monmouth Park Racetrack. “Throughout the long and rich history of Monmouth Park, the safety of our human and equine athletes and the integrity of our racing has always been of utmost concern. I thank all those on our staff who worked so hard to help us achieve this distinction.”
Monmouth Park is one of 21 racing facilities currently fully accredited by the Alliance. Others are Aqueduct Racetrack, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Betfair Hollywood Park, Calder Casino and Race Course, Canterbury Park, Churchill Downs, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland Race Course, Pimlico Race Course, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga Race Course, Suffolk Downs, Sunland Park, Turfway Park and Woodbine. Accreditation of Kentucky Downs is currently pending.
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. Alliance certification standards cover six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication, testing and penalties; safety research; and wagering security. Within those six categories, specific standards focus on areas including:
  • Systematic reporting of equine injuries
  • Aftercare of racehorses
  • Pre- and post-race veterinary examinations
  • Post-mortem examinations
  • Health and safety of jockeys
  • Riding crops and their use
  • Horse shoes and hoof care
  • Safety research
  • Safety equipment for jockeys and horse handlers
  • Exogenous 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
  • Security assessment and training
  • Totalizator technology and “stop wagering” protocols
  • Wagering incident investigation
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. Corporate partners of the Alliance include Pfizer Animal Health, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.