Churchill Downs Releases Derby, Oaks Security Protocols

The enhanced equine security measures are part of the track’s ongoing safety and integrity program.
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Churchill Downs Racetrack re-emphasized April 29 its enhanced security measures for horses competing in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and ongoing safety and integrity measures included in its “Safety from Start to Finish” program.

“Integrity and maximizing the safety and welfare of our athletes are of great importance to us, and it’s imperative to reaffirm our lasting and comprehensive commitments to these very real and important issues,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “When it comes to integrity and making racing safer for every race, every day, we remain optimistic that the bar will continue to be raised by all stakeholders.”

In addition to all other applicable state laws and track policies, Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) have teamed to mandate the following protocols for horses competing in the Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks:

Equine Safety and Welfare

  • Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians will closely monitor and observe Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants before, during, and after training in their stalls beginning on May 2;
  • A KHRC veterinarian will be present trackside at all times when horses have access to the track;
  • Prerace exams will be performed by KHRC veterinarians starting at 6 a.m. EDT on race day. In-stall exams include a general health evaluation and palpation and flexion of the forelimbs. Veterinarians will also observe horses out of their stalls at a trot to further assess soundness and fitness to race;
  • A team of eight KHRC veterinarians and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital volunteers will be positioned around the racetrack should there be a need for an immediate response. Additionally, three KHRC veterinarians will be in the paddock when horses are saddled for the Kentucky Derby (two for all other races);
  • Three state-of-the-art Kimzey Equine Ambulances will be at Churchill Downs on race day, positioned at the one-mile chute, quarter pole, and the backstretch for immediate response; and
  • A board-certified veterinary surgeon will be present should there be a need for immediate critical care response. Additionally, a triage facility with X ray equipment will be available on the backstretch for patient evaluation.

Jockey Safety and Welfare

  • Immediate online access to jockey medical histories will be available for emergency medical personnel; and
  • Injured jockeys that require external medical evaluation will be transported by ambulance to the designated hospital directly from the incident; there will be no ambulance transfers. Also, there will be paramedics, emergency medical technicians, nurses and doctors dedicated to jockey care.

Racing Integrity

  • Horses participating in the Kentucky Derby shall be on the grounds no later than 8 a.m. EDT on May 4—more than 82 hours before the race—and shall remain on the grounds until after the running of the race, pending an unforeseeable emergency;
  • Kentucky Derby participants will have 24-hour barn security by Jefferson County Sheriffs starting at 8 a.m. EDT on May 4 through 8 p.m. EDT on May 7;
  • Horses shall stay in their assigned barns and stalls on the grounds, which will be monitored at all times by Jefferson Country Sheriffs and additional security personnel;
  • Entry-exit logs will be maintained by security personnel starting at 8 a.m. EDT on May 4. All persons—including grooms, veterinarians, trainers, assistant trainers, farriers, owners or other connections—must have a valid KHRC license before permission is granted to enter a stall, engage in contact with the horse, or perform any service for the horse. Such persons will be logged in by security personnel with the reason for their visit;
  • All equipment, feed, hay bales, etc., are subject to search and seizure, as provided by law, by both Churchill Downs Racetrack and the KHRC;
  • Horses participating in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will be escorted by security personnel to the paddock. When schooling, they will receive priority for paddock schooling;
  • Horse identification will be performed by two Churchill Downs Racetrack horse identifiers at the barn on Thursday, May 5, and again on race day in the saddling paddock; and
  • All jockeys will be subjected to magnetic wand scans prior to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and other random races.

Medication

  • The KHRC is conducting out-of-competition blood sampling of horses competing in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, as well as a sample of most participants (more than 50%) in undercard graded stakes, before entries are taken and sending them to LGC Science in Lexington, Kentucky, for immediate testing. The KHRC is coordinating with other jurisdictions to obtain out-of-competition samples from horses that are not stabled in Kentucky;
  • A full daily veterinarian’s record of all medications and treatments given to horses from May 2 through the race shall be provided to the KHRC for complete review;
  • Trainers shall submit a list of treating veterinarians to the KHRC no later than 8 a.m. EDT on May 4;
  • Security personnel will monitor all treatments performed by veterinarians. Materials used for medication administrations could be retained by the KHRC for possible testing;
  • Veterinarians will not be permitted in the stalls of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks participants within 24 hours of the race unless accompanied by a KHRC investigator;
  • No medication treatments are permitted (beyond furosemide for specifically designated horses) within 24 hours of the race. In the event of a medical emergency, the stewards will authorize treatment and the horse will be scratched;
  • Furosemide administration will take place in the horses’ own stalls by a KHRC veterinarian. Syringes will be preserved by the KHRC for possible testing; and
  • Five teams of KHRC veterinarians will perform total carbon dioxide screenings and testing 30 minutes prior to the horses’ scheduled departure for the paddock.

Patron Safety

  • Thirty-six paramedics and emergency medical technicians (18 teams of two), 10 nurses, and six doctors (four on Oaks Day) will be onsite;
  • There will be five first-aid stations located around the facility at Gate 1, Gate 15, the Jockey Club Suites, the Finish Line Suites, and the Infield;
  • A minimum of 18 ambulances (an emergency medical technicians and paramedic in each ambulance) will be onsite. Several others will be on standby within the area for immediate response if necessary; and
  • Thirty-four federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and public safety partners will be onsite to further the level of security for all patrons in attendance.

The aforementioned measures coincide with Churchill Downs Racetrack’s “Safety from Start to Finish” program that was launched by Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) in March 2009 to formalize its comprehensive approach to continually improve the safety of the horses and human beings who work, train, and compete at all CDI racing venues

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