News and Notes for March 25, 2016

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ACCREDITED TEXAS-BREDS IN WEEKEND STAKES
Two Accredited Texas-breds will compete in a field of eight in Saturday’s $100,000 Gazebo Stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park. Danny Pish will saddle Silver Doddge (Silver City – Dodd) for owner Danny Keene. Bred by Victoria Ashford, the gelding finished second in his last two outs, the $75,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in February and the $50,000 Groovy Stakes in January, both at Sam Houston Race Park.

Karl Broberg will send out David Davis’ homebred Taylors Angiel (Private Vow – Itisi), who most recently finished fourth in the $50,000 Black Gold Overnight Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 27th..  Both horses have been given odds of 8/1.

IVAN FALLUNOVALOT AIMS FOR COUNT FLEET
After a victory in the $100,000 King Cotton Stakes in January, Accredited Texas-bred and 2015 Texas Horse of the Year Ivan Fallunovalot, returned to the work tab Sunday morning at Oaklawn, breezing a half-mile in :48 under Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel. The move over a fast track was the first for the Valid Expectations gelding since he developed a quarter-crack on the inside of his left front foot late last month which caused him to miss the $100,000 Hot Spring Stakes.  The multiple stakes winner is now pointed toward the $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 10 at Oaklawn, in which he finished second last year.

LONE STAR PARK UPDATES EHV-1 POLICY
Lone Star Park has updated its policy regarding Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1). This policy update applies to horses shipping into the receiving barn only. There is no change to the current policy as it pertains to horses shipping into permanent barns.

Horses now coming to the receiving barn to either ‘Work & Go’ or ‘Race & Go’ will be required to have a health certificate issued within the past 7 days. Beginning next Monday, March 28 the health certificate requirement will expand to 14 days and then beginning on Monday, April 4 the health certificate requirement will expand to 30 days. These time frames for health certificates apply ONLY to horses using the receiving barn at this point. The vaccination requirement and the statements that are to be noted on the health certificates are still mandatory regardless of the time frame change.

WHO IS THE TEXAS CHAMPION CLAIMER FOR 2015?
Voting is now open for the newest champion to be honored at the TTA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on June 18 at Lone Star Park, along with the other top Texas-breds. There are nine accredited Texas-bred candidates who scored at least three claiming victories in the state of Texas. Check them out and cast your vote here – http://bit.ly/1pFYu7M

TRC SURVEYS OPEN
The Texas Racing Commission currently has two active surveys on their website. Every two years, the agency is required to conduct a Customer Service Survey.

The TRC also welcomes comments or suggestions on how to improve the website via their Website Survey. Links to both surveys may be found at:

http://www.txrc.texas.gov/forms/complaints-survey.php .

EQUINE INJURY DATABASE: FATAL INJURIES DECLINE BY 14 PERCENT
An analysis of data from the The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, comparing 2015 statistics with figures from 2014, has shown a 14% decrease in the frequency of fatal injury.

Across all surfaces, ages, and distances, the fatality rate dropped from 1.89 per 1,000 starts in 2014 to 1.62 per 1,000 starts in 2015. The overall fatality rate of 1.62 per 1,000 starts is the lowest since the Equine Injury Database started publishing annual statistics in 2009. 

Dr. Tim Parkin, a veterinarian and epidemiologist from the University of Glasgow, who serves as a consultant on the Equine Injury Database, once again performed the analysis.

“We’ve seen a significant decrease in the number of fatalities and that is certainly very encouraging,” Parkin said. “We will continue to examine data and look for trends, but the wide-ranging safety initiatives embraced by tracks, horsemen, and regulators in recent years have very likely played a role in the reduction of injuries and fatalities.”

The fatality rates associated with each racing surface were as follows:

  • On turf surfaces, there were 1.22 fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2015, compared to 1.75 in 2014.
    • On dirt surfaces, there were 1.78 fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2015, compared to 2.02 in 2014.
    • On synthetic surfaces, there were 1.18 fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2015, compared to 1.20 in 2014.

Fatality rates based on distance and age were also released today.

An analysis of 2015 race distance statistics shows that shorter races (less than 6 furlongs) were again associated with higher injury rates versus middle distance races (6 to 8 furlongs) and long races (more than 8 furlongs). This has been consistent each year over the seven-year span.

Two-year-olds continued the trend of having the lowest rate of catastrophic injuries while 3-year-olds had a lower rate of catastrophic injuries than horses 4 years old and older.

The statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. Summary statistics are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness.

A graph depicting all updated statistical data pertaining to surface, distance, and age is available at jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid_7_year_tables.pdf.

“This database was created with the goal of improving safety and preventing injuries, and we are now doing that thanks to the participation and cooperation of so many racetracks,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “We applaud all tracks that have contributed data to this project, and we are especially grateful to those who have chosen to make their statistics publicly available on the EID website.”

A list of racetracks participating in the Equine Injury Database and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.

NOTES: Effective April 1, TRC fingerprint fees for all new applicants (ages 17 – 69) will be $43.50, with all others to pay a 3-year resubmittal fee of $29.75…The next meeting of the Commission is tentatively set for Tuesday, April 12, 2016… Our condolences to the family and racing team of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, whose son Jeff passed away at the age of 58…Oaklawn Park will increase purses for the third time this year, adding $1,000 to all overnights and bumping purses for the Bachelor, Northern Spur and Instant Racing Sprint Stakes.