NEWSLINE NATIONAL commission adopts Jockey Club standards on toe grabs The Kentucky Com- horseshoes for training and racing faces and be in effect for rac- veterinarians will see their licensing mission voted to outlaw all but the at the facilities. ing and training. fees increase from $100 to $150 in shortest front toe grabs at its meet- The policy will not allow toe grabs, In other commission news 2009; ing on July 14 at the Kentucky Horse calks, stickers, inserts, blocks, turn- on July 14: • was approved to Park in Lexington. downs, trailers, or heel extensions. • Owners, trainers, assistant host an exhibition race featuring The commission adopted the stan- The only permitted shoes will be flat, trainers, exercise riders, and seven riders from the North Amer- dard recommended by the Jockey Queen’s Plate, and Queen’s Plate XT ican Racing Academy; Club’s Safety Com- or their equivalents. Queen’s Plate • Turfway was approved to host mittee limiting the length of front toe XT shoes have a two-millimeter raised a Quarter Horse race in September. grabs to two millimeters. The stan- toe. clip heels because the grabs can catch It will be the first Quarter Horse race dard is even stricter than the length Keeneland is a co-owner of Tur- when contact occurs. He said most conducted on a synthetic surface; permitted in an Association of Rac- fway, and both tracks have Polytrack international jurisdictions do not allow • Turfway was approved to add ing Commissioners International main surfaces. toe grabs, and he did not think rac- the Super High Five wager; and model rule, although that model rule The Kentucky commission and the ing was adversely affected. • Kentucky Downs received ap- could be adjusted to the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Safety Committee Lavin said the two-millimeter max- proval to conduct two steeplechase standard when the RCI Model Rules have not addressed the use of trac- imum length would apply to all sur- races at its 2008 meeting.—Frank Angst Committee meets on August 1. tion devices for hind shoes. Lisa Underwood, the Kentucky Studies presented at the Welfare commission’s executive and Safety of the Race- Penn National to implement Jockey Club recommendations director, said the rule horse Summit also Penn National Gam- pants,” Chris McErlean, On June 17, the Jockey Club rec- would be forwarded to showed that just in wear- ing Inc., the parent Penn National Gaming’s ommended whips with shock-ab- the Kentucky General ing the shoes, stress is company of Penn Na- vice president of racing, sorbing characteristics be used. Assembly. It could be ap- produced when a horse tional Race Course and said in a statement. Penn National Gaming also en- proved by this fall. is standing. five other pari-mutuel Effective on October dorsed the Jockey Club’s call to Elizabeth “Betsy” Chief State Steward racing facilities, an- 1, all adopt the Association of Racing Com- Stone Lavin, chair- and retired Racing Hall nounced on July 15 racing or training at missioners International model rule woman of the commis- of Fame trainer John three initiatives de- Penn National facilities on anabolic androgenic steroids. sion’s equine health and Veitch said toe grabs can signed to improve the will not be permitted to However, Penn National advo-

safety committee, rec- Shigeki Kikkawa photo help some horses gain health and safety of its use toe grabs larger than cated “a practical and thoughtful ap- ommended the change, JOHN VEITCH traction on certain tracks, horses. two millimeters in proach to the limited use of all noting studies have but he said the negatives Bill Denver/Equi-Photo The initiatives echo CHRIS McERLEAN height. With the deci- medications on equines for racing shown long toe grabs halt a Thor- of toe grabs outweigh the positives. ones recently recom- sion, Penn National and training purposes.” oughbred’s natural action, which pro- “A lot of these came into use when mended by the Jockey Club’s Thor- joined the Kentucky Horse Racing The organization also stated “the duces some forward slide each time tracks were less manicured,” Veitch oughbred Safety Committee. Commission in adopting the new adoption of consistent rules and reg- a front foot lands. Because toe grabs said. “They’re great on certain types “Penn National Gaming endorses standard. The Kentucky commis- ulations related to medication, with- halt that action, studies have shown of horses—horses pulling a wagon and embraces the Jockey Club Thor- sion approved the new toe-grab reg- drawal times, testing thresholds, they put stress on the cannon bone. for instance ... but they’re not good oughbred Safety Committee’s rec- ulations on July 14. combined with enhanced testing Keeneland Race Course and Turf- for horses running 40 miles per hour.” ommendations, which are sound Additionally, Penn National of- procedures, and facilities should be way Park both went a step further Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris steps toward ensuring the health fered its racetracks as training the overriding goal of all partici- on July 17, jointly banning most trac- McCarron said toe grabs increase and welfare of our equine partici- grounds for new, safer riding crops. pants in our industry.” tion devices for both front and hind the chance that horses will fall if they Suffolk Downs spends heavily on lobbyists Suffolk Downs, through its cor- in a key committee. Although he de- More Buyers. porate entity Sterling Suffolk Race- nied any political arm-twisting, the course, paid lobbyists a total of defeat of the measure was widely at- $254,476 in the first six months of tributed to the work of influential More Records Broken. 2008, according to public disclosure House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi (D- statements filed with the Massa- Boston), a staunch opponent of casino chusetts secretary of state. gambling. The fees went to eight different In 2007, Suffolk Downs paid lob- The largest, most influential group of buyers anywhere, lobbying groups to promote the byists a total of $240,728, with the track’s interests, including efforts to bulk of that coming in the second with more million-dollar horses sold. convince the state Legisla- half of the year after ture to license a full-scale casino and real estate casino resort at the East developer Richard Boston track. Fields purchased a con- The Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale, Suffolk Downs Chairman trolling interest in the Bill Mulrow said the figures track. beginning November 3 show the track’s commit- The fees reported rep- ment to becoming one of the resent the money paid nation’s top tracks. to the lobbying groups, Entries close Friday, August 1. “Along with others seek- although they may not Courtesy of Coastal Development ing to increase jobs and RICHARD FIELDS yet have completed all growth in this business sec- of the work for which tor, we worked this past year to edu- they have been paid. cate the public about the economic The companies also may be spend- and fiscal benefits of resort-style casi- ing considerably more than reported nos,” Mulrow said. He said such a on track interests. Lobbyists are not venue “will create thousands more required to disclose fees for con- jobs and deliver more revenue to the sulting, as defined under state law. state.” In April, Suffolk Downs announced The largest amount, $87,500, went a 5% increase in purses for its ex- to Bay State Strategies group. That panded stakes program during the company, headed by three well- track’s 103-day meeting, which began connected former statehouse insid- on May 3. It marked the second con- ers, reported the largest earnings of secutive year the track increased its any lobbying firm detailing its ex- purses. penditures to the secretary of state. Live racing is conducted at Suffolk The timing of the lobbying ex- on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sun- penditures coincided with a fierce days with a post time of 12:45 p.m. political battle over casino gambling EDT. Twilight racing on Fridays be- this past spring. gins with a post time of 3 p.m. Governor Deval Patrick submit- Beginning on Labor Day, Sep- ted legislation to license as many as tember 1, the track also will offer live 4201 Versailles Road Lexington, KY 40510 four resort casinos in the state, but racing on Mondays through the con- 859 254-3412 800 456-3412 Fax 859 233-2257 the measure was sent to a study com- clusion of the meet on November 8. www.keeneland.com mittee, effectively killing the bill, after Post time will be 12:45 p.m. a dramatic last-minute change of votes —Steve Myrick 10 THOROUGHBRED TIMES July 26, 2008