Equine Research News A digital presentation of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Providers of Equine Research From 1940 thru 2017 Issue 11 • 2017 GOOD GRACES In this edition: Grayson-Jockey Club Has Powerful Story to Tell By Lenny Shulman BloodHorse Daily • The Foundation’s Story • WinStar#givingtuesday Success Sometimes a secret is a very good thing to keep. Other times it can be an unwanted by-product of not • Junior Membership Holiday Special getting sufficient information to the right people. After the leaders of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation conducted a survey four years a new medication protocol proved successful for him, ago, they determined, with no great pleasure, that and he is being pointed toward a comeback in 2018. the organization was the best-kept secret in the Thoroughbred industry. That is not the most desirable Because of Grayson's funding of Dr. Jim Belknap's position to be in when you rely on contributions to research into cryotherapy and its use in treating fund equine medical research that has become, over laminitis, grade 1 winner Paynter beat the disease 35 years, crucial to the well-being of the horse. and is today a promising young stallion; and the superstar mare Lady Eli not only survived laminitis, but returned to her previous grade 1 glory after overcoming the disease and is scheduled now to either continue racing or embark on her next career as a broodmare prospect. Dr. Belknap co-wrote the first definitive book on laminitis and credited Grayson for having funded the foundational research for it. Going back nearly 20 years, Charismatic, injured in the Belmont Stakes (G1) while going for the 1999 Triple Crown, was treated with the drug xylazine, photo by Mark Mahon whose efficacy came out of a study funded by Clockwise from top left: Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, Grayson at The Ohio State University. Dell Hancock, Ed Bowen, and Jamie Haydon You can see why the officers and directors of Grayson-Jockey Club, after all, has a powerful story Grayson want to get the word out to potential donors. to tell. Since 1983 it has provided nearly $25 million The organization spent $1.5 million funding 19 projects to fund some 350 projects at more than 40 universities this year. Many of the studies are two-year projects, around the world, all of it dedicated to helping the and the average cost of the research is $200,000 racehorse and, by extension, all other horses. per project, about double the amount at the turn of the century. Grayson has long embraced a Always Dreaming, the 2017 Kentucky Derby personalized letter-writing campaign tailored to Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner, was well on prominent individuals in the Thoroughbred industry. his way to retirement this summer due to stomach Recently, however, officers of Grayson have ulcers. However, because of research funded by employed an initiative in Lexington geared to Grayson at the University of Queensland in Australia, individual meetings with potential donors. Continued on page 2 equine Research News Issue 1 • 2016 • page 2 Continued from page 1 "We've been going and talking to people about At one time Grayson employed separate committees what Grayson does," said Grayson's chairman, Dell —one comprising researchers and another practicing Hancock. "Anybody can have a cocktail party where veterinarians—to evaluate project proposals. someone gets up and says 'Grayson is the greatest,' That changed in 1999 under Drs. Gary Lavin and but we prefer to go one-on-one. You take somebody Larry Bramlage, who formed a single 32-member to lunch and talk with them 45 minutes, and when Research Advisory Committee made up of researchers people understand what we're doing, they pony up. and practicing vets from across the country who come We're not raising millions of dollars a year right now, together annually to determine which proposals to but we're planting the seed so that when we have fund. a major problem like Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome, people will know us and know how we Along with The Jockey Club, the foundation work if we do need to raise millions for something. established and underwrote the first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit in 2006, which has "Health of the horse is everyone's problem, from led to advancements such as the establishment of the transport people to owners, farm owners, trainers, and Equine Injury Database and pre-race vet examinations jockeys," continued Hancock, who became interested that most feel have been a factor in the decrease in in equine research following the death of her family's catastrophic breakdowns in recent years. Claiborne Farm Eclipse Award champion Swale at an early age. "We funded a study that showed shipping The 32 members of the RAC serve voluntarily, horses in box stalls led to less shipping fever and except for expenses surrounding the annual meeting coughs. We're working on getting a trainers' circle at which projects are selected for grants. According going. We've received money from jockeys through to Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, Grayson's consultant a check-off system where they can contribute $1 per representing the medical community, "Our main goal mount. Our research is beneficial for everybody." is (to generate) peer-review published articles, and out of approximately 230-plus grants we've funded and The original Grayson Foundation was formed in tracked since 1999, 195 have reached the published 1940, named after Thoroughbred owner Admiral threshold, accounting for 240 papers. According to Cary Grayson, who was the personal physician to what I know of other foundations that fund equine President Woodrow Wilson. Grayson was president of research, our results set the bar." a foundation that assisted in the promotion of research for horses. The Jockey Club was an early supporter The annual of that venture and helped raise part of the $100,000 process for in seed money. From the beginning, the mission of awarding grants the organization was to fund research at existing begins each institutions rather than carry out research itself. Oct. 1, the Prominent horsemen have assured the success of the deadline for foundation through the years with their generosity. applications. All research is The Robert J. Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg done through Foundation donated $2 million to the Grayson-Jockey universities so photo by Mark Mahon Club Research Foundation in 1991. Two years later that there are Smith acts as a consultant for the foundation Paul Mellon donated the $1 million bonus won by no lab setup his Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero in the Chrysler costs, making sure the projects are cost-effective. Triple Crown Challenge. Upon his death in 1999, Smith said this year the RAC received 66 applications, Mellon bequeathed $2.5 million to the foundation's which is par for most years. Four reviewers are endowment. In 2004 board member John Oxley assigned to each potential grant, with one person pledged $1 million over four years. selected to present that application at Grayson's annual meeting in January. Continued on page 3 equine Research News Issue 11 • 2017 • page 3 Continued from page 2 "The composition of the committee includes "I've never left Fort Worth (site of the annual researchers, practitioners, academicians; they cover meeting) thinking we've funded the wrong thing," the field for all the subjects you're going to see," said Smith. "Sometimes there are things on the table Smith said. "The people in infectious diseases and I wished we'd have had money for, but I feel like we internal medicine got slammed with material this year. spend the donors' money very wisely. Sometimes Some will have 10 or 11 grants to review. we've run out of grants before we've run out of money. That gives you an idea of how critically everything is "What's in the headlines will affect the proposals viewed." we receive. Front-page news like the EHV-1 outbreak will lead to applications and research. Researchers When asked what areas of medicine have yielded will respond to the needs of the community." the most tangible results from research funded by In certain instances the Grayson board will deem Grayson, its officers ticked off a litany of topics. a subject important enough to be pro-active in seeking studies. "Sue Stover's research showing that the preponderance of breakdowns came in horses that had existing "Dr. Lavin thought the threats associated with pathology—up to 90% of them—has been a game- shock-wave therapy were so great—putting horses and changer," said Bowen. "We have to try to find ways to jockeys at risk by masking pain—that the board set detect that because once you're doing an autopsy, you aside an amount of money and issued a call for people can't help that horse." who wanted to submit a project on that, and those were evaluated separately from the other projects," Added Smith, "We have active grants in the field noted Ed Bowen, Grayson's president. "But regardless of biomarkers trying to predict breakdowns; of the sexiness of a topic of the moment, our DNA we have grants on imaging that might help detect is to never fund a project unless the science is things wrong with the bone that could predict excellent. catastrophic breakdown. We're working on trying to Conversely, get there, toward a biomarker where you could pull up it may be a blood test and look for inflammatory reactors and the most conclude a horse needs to be watched closer. The wonderful injury database is another area in which you could science, come up with profiles that could possibly fit the horse but it has that's facing a breakdown.