Task Force on Retired Racehorses

Tweet Today at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Arena in Saratoga a New York Task Force on Retired Racehorses will be holding a Synthetic Surface Forum with panelists throughout the industry taking center stage. In 2007 a state law was passed to find uses (other than slaughter) for retired racehorses. Part of the mandate is to investigate synthetic surfaces. Ben Liebman from Albany Law School will be moderating the morning session which includes two panels one made up of management/track officials and one of veternarians. The afternoon panels include one each of trainers jockeys and researchers.

The panelists include the following:

Management/Track Officials: Charlie Hayward (President/CEO - NYRA), Bob Elliston (President/CEO - Turfway Park), Irwin Dreidger (Director of Thoroughbred Racing Services - Woodbine) and Sally Goswell (Manager, Fair Hill Training Center).

Vets: Dr. Mark Cheney (Cheney and Northrop Equine DVM, PSC) and Dr. Rick Arthur (Equine Medical Director - Cal Horse Racing Board)

Trainers: Dale Romans, Nick Zito, Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse

Jockeys: Edgar Prado, Johnny V, Javier Castellano, and the Mig

Researchers: Dr. Sue Stover (Professor, UCal-Davis), Dr. Mick Peterson (Professor - Univ of Maine), Dr. Mark Hurtig (Associate Professor, Ontario Veterinary College)

You may remember Dr. Stover was on Panel II of the Congressional Hearings. It looks like they have assembled various individuals in charge of tracks or monitoring tracks currently with synthetic surfaces (Turfway, Woodbine, Cal Racing, etc.). Hopefully we will hear the results of today's panel session in tomorrow's news. The issue in NY remains as where the money would come from as the estimates to put in synthetic surfaces as the three NYRA tracks could be in the tens of millions.

Week one at Saratoga concluded with my favorite pirate horse (featured here many times) Arrrrr breaking his maiden in stirring fashion (you could even say I called it in yesterday's post). Tom Durkin's call is classic and is featured today by Ruben at Average Horse Player, give it a listen it is worth the time. Of course now that he broke his maiden, the Saratoga Resident has given me a chore to find a magic horse so we can use this week's joke: Magician walks down an alley...turns into a bar! The boy needs some new material. Congrats again to Mike Luzzi and Arrrrr!