LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Safety Committee (TSC) announced today a revision to its recommendation titled, “Timing of Title Transfer with Claimed Horses,” which regards voiding claims of horses injured during a race. The TSC first announced a recommendation for voided claim rules at the 2012 Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing.
The revision calls for enabling a claim to be voided by the claimant if the claimed horse is placed on the official veterinarian’s list due to the horse’s exhibiting signs of unsoundness, lameness, or epistaxis within one hour of the race’s being declared official.
“Research by Dr. Tim Parkin, head of Bristol Veterinary School and a consultant on the Equine Injury Database, indicates that racetracks that enforce void claim rules have significantly lower incidences of racing fatalities per 1,000 starts when compared to tracks without void claim rules,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director, The Jockey Club. (The full presentation by Dr. Parkin on the subject can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Aa2_inAgU&t=2s).
The full text of the void claim recommendation revision, as well as the complete list of recommendations by the TSC, can be found at http://jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=14.
The TSC was created in May 2008 to review every facet of equine health and to recommend actions the industry can take to improve the health and safety of Thoroughbreds. The committee convenes to review myriad safety issues with a cross section of industry representatives, including jockeys, trainers, veterinarians, chemists, pedigree experts, handicappers, owners, breeders, blacksmiths, racing commissioners, racetrack executives, and geneticists.
Committee members are Craig R. Fravel (chairman), Dr. Rick Arthur, James G. (Jimmy) Bell, Dr. Larry Bramlage, Dell Hancock, Jim Lawson, Christopher J. McCarron, Dr. Hiram C. Polk Jr., Tom Robbins, and Jaime Roth. Each is a member of The Jockey Club.
The Jockey Club Press Release
