To support Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in keeping an eye on the racetrack, enforcing anti-doping regulations, and guaranteeing the safety of the horses during Kentucky Derby week, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will employ a number of strategies.
Ben Mosier, executive director of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, spoke about the actions being taken by HISA's anti-doping arm on Tuesday during a press conference hosted by the organisation.
HISA will be supplying operational and investigative staff to support on-site testing and investigation crews provided by Churchill Downs and the KHRC beginning next week. They will keep testing horses outside of competition in the lead-up to the race the following weekend.
According to him, HIWU collects pre- and post-race samples using "the most expensive analytical technologies available, targeted to catch attempts to enhance performance and protect horse welfare."
He declared that Everything that has been done has been done in cooperation and coordination with Churchill Downs, the KHRC, and the other states and tracks that have hosted Derby points races.
The authority will also make use of a new tool developed in collaboration with Palantir Technologies, a provider of artificial intelligence technologies, according to HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. Before a race, the data-enabled technology will assist in identifying horses that are susceptible to injury.
In essence, she explained, it is a model that examines 44 possible risk variables that could put a horse in danger of getting hurt.
Lazarus said, pointing out that HISA was unable to pinpoint a single cause for clusters of fatalities like those that occurred at Churchill last year, that it doesn't mean that they don't know what some of those factors are. They have developed a model that essentially examines every race card in the United States that falls under HISA's purview daily, and they have been able to identify 44 that they believe to be potential risk factors.
They are giving them feedback that is being provided to Churchill Downs and the Derby to be one of the tools that they can use with their sophisticated veterinary team and practices to help determine whether there are any horses at the Derby or on Derby Day (who are at) risk of being injured, according to the veterinarians with whom HISA is beta testing the tool.
According to Ann McGovern, HISA's director of racetrack safety, Churchill Downs' surface has been better this year.
Ann stated that More material was added to the surface. Churchill also purchased some excellent equipment in addition to the material, and they sent the pre-race assessment that HISA conducts at each racetrack before the start of the season. Compared to the previous year, the metrics we use to gauge track safety have significantly improved. And by substantially improved, I mean that last year's service was excellent. With the addition of the material and extra equipment, it is even better.