The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Safety Committee (TSC) has revised its recommendation regarding voided claims of horses injured during a race. Originally titled “Timing of Title Transfer with Claimed Horses,” the revision calls for the ability to void a claim (by the claimant) if the horse is placed on the official veterinarian's list. Reasons allowed include the horse exhibiting signs of unsoundness, lameness, or epistaxis within one hour of the race being declared official.
“Research by Dr. Tim Parkin, head of Bristol Veterinary School and a consultant on the Equine Injury Database, indicates that racetracks that enforce void claim rules have significantly lower incidences of racing fatalities per 1,000 starts when compared to tracks without void claim rules,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club (TJC).
Created in May 2008, the TSC reviews every facet of equine health and recommends actions to improve the health and safety of Thoroughbred athletes. The committee reviews safety issues with jockeys, trainers, veterinarians, chemists, pedigree experts, handicappers, owners, breeders, blacksmiths, racing commissioners, racetrack executives, and geneticists. Committee members are Craig R. Fravel (chairman), Dr. Rick Arthur, James G. Bell, Dr. Larry Bramlage, Dell Hancock, Jim Lawson, Christopher J. McCarron, Dr. Hiram C. Polk, Jr., Tom Robbins, and Jaime Roth. The TSC first announced a recommendation for voided claim rules at the 2012 Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing.
To review full text of the void claim recommendation revision, as well as the complete list of recommendations by the TSC, click here. To view the full presentation by Dr. Parkin, click here.
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