The Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) could hire an equine medical director by July 1 if a House of Delegates bill authorizing the position gets passed at the current legislative session, which runs through Apr. 10.
The authorization of the new position would bring Maryland in line with Kentucky and New York, the two other states that host Triple Crown races, plus a number of other state jurisdictions nationwide that already have an equine medical director on the commission staff.
The Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS) has been advocating for such a hire since at least 2013, when a report titled Sunset Review: Evaluation of the Maryland Racing Commission included language that said “DLS finds that MRC could benefit from an Equine Medical Director to ensure compliance with the recently adopted stringent equine testing and drug policies. An Equine Medical Director would provide MRC with an additional resource to further enhance the safety and welfare of the horses running races in Maryland.”
Maryland House Bill 481, which was introduced Jan. 27, for the most part would rewrite a section of business regulation code to include “equine medical director” within an existing list of the types of positions the commission is authorized to hire.
HB 481 does make a separate and specific note as to how the equine medical director's costs will be funded, however: Thoroughbred track licensees, horsemen's groups, and breeding organizations will pay 80%, while the same set of entities representing Standardbred interests will pay the remaining 20%.
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