Recommendations of the New York State Task Force on Retired Racehorses Members of the Task Force on Retired Racehorses: Darrel J. Aubertine, Commissioner, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets John D. Sabini, Chairman, New York State Racing and Wagering Board Karin Bump, Ph.D., Equine Professor (Cazenovia, Madison County) Fiona Farrell, Attorney who focuses on equine matters; rider, hobby farmer, former breeder and current owner of retired Thoroughbreds (Saratoga, Saratoga County) William Hopsicker, Thoroughbred Owner (Oriskany Falls, Oneida County) Jackson Knowlton, Thoroughbred Owner (Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County) Dr. Christopher Nyberg, Dean, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Morrisville State College (Morrisville, Madison County) Liz O’Connell, Thoroughbred Owner and Professional (Red Hook, Dutchess County) Margaret Ohlinger, DVM, Equine Veterinarian (Bloomfield, Ontario County) Diana Pikulski, Director of External Relations of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County) Martin Scheiman, Esq., Thoroughbred Owner (Sands Point, Nassau County) Alice Calabrese Smith, President & CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Rochester (Webster, Monroe County) Past Members: Daniel Hogan, Former Chairman, New York State Racing and Wagering Board Patrick Hooker, Former Commissioner, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Grace “Jean” Brown, Standardbred Farm Director (Wallkill, Orange County) The Task Force wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this report: Patrick Hooker Daniel Hogan Daniel Toomey Joseph Mahoney Jacqueline Moody-Czub, Assistant Secretary for Agriculture & Markets, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Bennett Liebman, Deputy Secretary for Gaming and Racing, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Ron Ochrym, NYSRWB Joel Leveson, NYSRWB Matt Morgan, NYS Dept. of Agriculture & Markets Tracy Egan, New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund Ellen Harvey, U.S. Trotting Association Ann McMahon The Task Force wishes to acknowledge the following entities for sharing their input and resources: New York State Division of the Lottery Standardbred Retirement Foundation Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation U.S. Trotting Association National Thoroughbred Racing Association Cover photo courtesy of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Report compiled and edited by Lee Park, Director of Communications, NYS Racing & Wagering Board, with assistance from John Googas, NYSRWB 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 What is a Retired Racehorse?.................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 The State of Retired Racehorses in New York............................................................................................................................................................. 9 The Cost of Retired Racehorses............................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Current Track Involvement...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Second Careers for Retired Racehorses.................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Increased Funding for Retired Racehorses.............................................................................................................................................................. 15 VLT Agent Commission Revenue/NYRA & Resorts World Casino New York City........................................................................................................ 17 Additional Funding Streams................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Required Training for Licensees/New Owner Seminars/Educating and Engaging the Betting Public...................................................................... 21 Therapeutic, Medical, Psychological, Rehabilitative Care & Correctional Settings................................................................................................... 23 Altering Training Regimens so that Horses can be More Readily Retrained for Other Uses...................................................................................... 27 Creating an Increased Market for Retired Racehorses............................................................................................................................................. 28 Supporting the Performance Horse Registry.......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Increasing Communication between Owners & Potential Adopters........................................................................................................................ 31 Supporting Existing or Creating New Adoption Programs....................................................................................................................................... 32 Encouraging Colleges and Universities to use more Retired Racehorses.................................................................................................................. 33 Study the Feasibility of Installing Artificial (Synthetic) Turf at Race Tracks to Reduce Injuries to Horses & Jockeys.................................................. 34 Appendices............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37 2 Scooter, a retired lead pony pushing 30, is a great ride for occasional light use. Photo coutesy of Ann McMahon. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The New York State Task Force on Retired Racehorses was created by the New York State Legislature and tasked with identifying “productive … and beneficial, to both horse and human, uses for retired racehorses and to increase the number of retired racehorses made available for such uses… Moreover, the Task Force shall develop and identify new and innovative ideas and methods that can utilize private and public funding sources to place retired racehorses in such productive and beneficial uses, and to increase both the number of horses so used and the scale of variety of such uses.” In accordance with this charge, the Task Force’s recommendations seek to improve the successful transition of horses from the race track to a second career. The recommendations in this report address a multitude of “uses for retired racehorses.” The points that follow include an overview of the significant recommendations of the Task Force on Retired Racehorses. Responsible and Humane Retirement of Racehorses: Of utmost importance to the Task Force is the responsible retirement of racehorses. The healthier horses are when they conclude their racing careers, the easier it will be to transition them to new careers. The Task Force encourages an awareness effort geared toward owners and trainers to instill a responsibility that they must consider a horse’s well-being for their entire lifespan – not just their racing career – when making a decision on how long and under what conditions they will race. The Task Force calls for requiring the completion of an online training course detailing the responsibilities of the owner and trainer as a condition of licensure by the state Racing and Wagering Board. The Task Force also identifies multiple marketing and education initiatives to increase awareness of responsible retirement practices to assist in retraining and ownership of retired racehorses. The Industry Must Ensure Appropriate, Productive and Beneficial Uses of Retired Racehorses: The Task Force has the opinion that New York’s horse racing industry and its participants – not the betting public or taxpayers – must take primary responsibility for the after care of retired racehorses. Industry stakeholders, including owners, breeders, race tracks and trainers must address the fiscal challenges of ensuring quality aftercare for racehorses. Financially Responsible Retirement: The Task Force also encourages racehorse owners to be prepared to financially support a transition, retraining and placement program for at least 6 months at a cost of $400 per month, if not longer. The combination of responsible retirement practices and the encouragement of 6-months of post- retirement care by the owner will reduce the number of racehorses at retirement facilities and rescues. However, these alone will not fully address the retirement needs of New York State’s racehorses. Establishing Significant New Funding Streams for Retired Racehorses: To ensure that resources and viable options exist for retired racehorses, the Task Force identified multiple new possible revenue streams to meet retirement and retraining needs. Primarily, the Task Force calls upon New York’s tracks and Resorts World Casino New York City to