Lexington, KY–The 2026 Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit began Monday, June 29 in the Keeneland sales pavilion. This marks the twelfth edition of the event, which started in 2006 with the goal of bringing the Thoroughbred industry together to improve safety and soundness in racehorses.
“A lot of great ideas have come from this summit and a lot of best practices have been shared,” said Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's President Jamie Haydon. “I think in the last 20 years, this culture of safety and welfare for our animal has really shown in our efforts and you'll see a lot of what those efforts are today.”
The event concludes Tuesday with a focus on diagnostic equipment, injury prevention and safety technologies.
Hong Kong Research Predicts Fatal Injury Outcomes, Equine Injury Database Update
A new risk-profiling system in Hong Kong is proving to be a useful tool for predicting and preventing fatal injuries. Plans are underway to implement a similar program in North America.
Dr. Tim Parkin, the Head of Bristol Veterinary School, is part of the team that developed the system.
Launched in Hong Kong last September, the program generates risk profiles for every horse stabled at Sha Tin and Happy Valley Race Course. By analyzing a horse's medical records, veterinary history and racing data, the model gives regulatory veterinarians an analytical tool for pre-race inspections.
Parkin noted that while a high-risk profile doesn't automatically mandate a scratch, it serves as a critical red flag. In many cases, it prompts veterinarians to send a horse to further pre- or post-race inspections or advanced diagnostic imaging.
One compelling finding Parkin shared was that between last September and this February, 55 cases of post-race lameness were recorded at Sha Tin. Horses flagging in the top 5% of the risk model were eight times more likely to exit a race lame. The top 5% risk bracket captured 31% of all recorded post-race lameness cases.
With plans in motion to launch a North American version of the model this October, researchers will leverage an extensive database compiled by HISA. The dataset includes detailed veterinary records for approximately 18,000 horses ages two through four that have made at least one start at a HISA-regulated track.
Currently, these records power HISA's existing diagnostic tools, HISA Check and Horse In-Sight. HISA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Lazarus and Chief Technology Officer Steve Keech profiled these technologies during a later session.
“We always had the aspiration that the work in Hong Kong would not only benefit Hong Kong, but would serve as a proof of concept that gaining veterinary information is critical and really the next big step in being able to identify horses at the greatest risk,” said Parkin.
Parkin also provided an update on the Equine Injury Database. He has consulted on the initiative since its inception in 2009. Since then, the fatality rate in North America has fallen from 2.0 fatalities per 1,000 starts to 1.07 fatalities in 2025.
Among several notable findings, over the past several years the rate of fatality on all-weather surfaces—which has historically produced the lowest fatality rate—has drifted closer to that of dirt and turf surfaces. Parkin said the reason for this is not yet known, but observed that the shrinking discrepancy could mean the impact of track surfaces is becoming less of a factor as they grow safer overall.
“I think it shows that the impact of the surface on the overall risk is probably becoming less and actually what is more important is recognizing that there is a multitude of different factors that contribute to risk for any individual horse…many related to training, genetics, etc. and not just the surface.”
He also shared recent findings on void claim rules and the vet's list.
A study that came out last year found that horses racing at tracks with the “strictest” void claim rules are approximately 32% less likely to sustain fatal injury. Also, for the first six months after a horse is removed from a vet's list, the likelihood of fatal injury is 40 to 50% higher than a horse that has never been on a vet's list. After that time, the risk starts to reduce, but according to the data, the risk never returns to baseline.
Regulatory Vet Scratches: “He Always Goes Like That”
In a panel on the regulatory veterinary scratch process, moderator Dr. Mary Scollay posed a question: how do regulatory veterinarians respond when a trainer claims, “He always moves like that”?
Panelists agreed that their approach has evolved over the past several years. With the advent of wearable technology, veterinarians can better analyze high-speed gaits and gait asymmetry, allowing them to point to objective changes when discussing potential soundness issues.
“We now have some ability to longitudinally gain information on these horses over time,” said Dr. Will Farmer, the Equine Medical Director for Churchill Downs. “If we get the comment 'Doc, he always goes like that,' we are at the point where we can look at that somewhat objectively. We go back and look at that data from the last month, the last year, to see if there is a change. That can be shared amongst jurisdictions.”
Dr. Nick Smith, the Chief Racing Veterinarian for the Kentucky Racing and Gaming Corporation, encouraged connection to reach out to a track's regulatory veterinarians if a horse has an abnormal way of going.
“Having the conversation is key to developing standards,” he said. “Anything consistently sore on palpation or off at a jog, those are scratches for us. A horse that teeters on the edge of that, bring the horse ahead of time to see if we could get okay with it.”
Smith said that when such a horse is presented, his team can often clear the horse to proceed toward its next start by verifying its soundness through additional diagnostics and data tracking via wearable technologies.
Farmer pointed to the case of Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), who competed in last year's Breeders' Cup despite a well-documented condition of stringhalt. He noted that the horse's connections reached out to veterinarians months in advance to ensure the harmless abnormality would not pose an issue. Additional diagnostics were performed before the horse shipped to California.
Dr. Stuart Brown, the Vice President of Equine Safety at Keeneland, discussed the 26-camera veterinary system at Keeneland and how it has been beneficial in working with trainers and colleagues in identifying issues during morning training that may not present during pre-race examinations.
The panel, which also included Dr. Shari Silverman, the Veterinary Liaison for HISA, and Barbara Borden, a racing official for the Kentucky Racing and Gaming Corporation, discussed the evolution of pre-race examinations and race-day scratches throughout their careers.
A growing number of jurisdictions are requiring attending veterinarians to sign off on entries and breezes. Farmer said many attending veterinarians have told him this has been the most meaningful regulation change of the past decade because it has improved communication between regulatory and attending veterinarians.
Smith offered numbers on scratches during last year's Turfway Winter Meet and Keeneland Spring Meet. Of the 155 horses scratched, 30% did not race within a year. Of those, 16% had no racetrack activity within the year. Among the 70% that worked off the vet's list, there was a 93-day average to return to the races.
“Let them be organic,” Equine Surgeries in Developing Horses
In a panel on equine surgeries in developing horses, Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood & Riddle, bloodstock agent David Ingordo, Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke, and Taylor Made Farm President Mark Taylor discussed how commercial breeders and end-users oftentimes have different objectives regarding whether or not to send a young horse to surgery. They also agreed on the principle that growing horses should be outside as much as possible.
“We're always trying to balance just letting them be horses while also giving them the best advantage,” said Taylor. “Sometimes there are joint surgeries that need to be done.”
Bramlage explained that elective surgeries for young horses fall into two categories: addressing joint issues or correcting conformational deformities, such as a horse being bow-legged or toed-in. Proper timing is imperative for these procedures, particularly in the lower leg. A correction performed too early means the horse will continue to grow incorrectly according to its genetics.
Taylor noted that technological advancements have streamlined these surgical procedures, in many cases making the decision to operate more straightforward.
“We're always trying to balance developing a correct horse that's good for the market while minimizing time they're in a stall,” he said. “In the early stages, a lot of horses were limited in what they could do on the racetrack because the surgeries didn't go well. Now, nine times out of 10 everything is fine.”
Taylor also noted the long-term implications of trying to address certain fetlock issues through corrective shoeing rather than surgery.
“You're going to be working hard on those feet the entire horse's life. You're going to be putting a lot of correction on the outside…so while the horse might walk straight, you're going to deliver a product to the next person who gets it. They've got an uphill battle keeping those feet right. We think that by doing the corrective measures on the fetlocks early, we're able to keep the integrity of the feet, which I think is more important than anything.”
Because Juddmonte is primarily a breed-to-race operation, O'Rourke offered a different perspective. While visual correctness is always a plus, he said his primary goal is maximizing racing potential.
“If we know a family runs very well with less-than-perfect conformation, I would be inclined to leave those alone and let them be racehorses with the conformation that is effective for that family,” he noted.
That stands in stark contrast to a commercial market increasingly focused on physical perfection. Taylor noted that because of this, buyers are often “reducing their pool of horses unnecessarily.”
While commercial consignors like Taylor must focus on keeping horses from getting crossed off short lists due to vetting issues, Ingordo uses this market trend to his advantage.
“Not every horse can be bought for a million dollars,” he said. “We're looking for things up and down the price range and trying to get some things we know will be okay in the long run, whether we give them time or do a procedure or whatever it might be.”
Bramlage added, “There are certainly things that are removed arthroscopically that David could tolerate and we know that they don't have to be done, but Mark can't tolerate taking some of those to the sale because he's got to deal with those agents where if there's anything on the sheet of paper, they cross the horse off.”
The entire panel continued to circle back to turnout time as the ultimate variable in raising an athlete. O'Rourke noted that when Juddmonte x-rays its yearlings, the horses showing issues are frequently the same ones that had been laid up in a stall earlier in life due to sickness or injury.
Taylor recalled that 20 years ago, Taylor Made kept its weanlings inside overnight ahead of the winter sales. They ultimately abandoned the practice because the young horses were getting upright in their pasterns and were unable to burn off the energy from their high-calorie feed. After making the change, they realized that pinhookers preferred a slightly less polished horse with better bone density.
“Let them be organic and the sharp people will find them,” he said.
Planning for Aftercare and More
A panel on aftercare highlighted three track-based placement programs that facilitate responsible rehoming for retiring racehorses.
Lucinda Lovitt, executive director of the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), Chris Block, a trainer and the president of Galloping Out, and Andy Belfiore, executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemmen's Association (NYTHA), agreed that severe injury remains one of their greatest operational challenges. Often, aftercare organizations cannot accept an injured horse in the first place because they lack the funding required for extensive rehabilitation or because a long recovery would tie up valuable stall space.
“When the horse is giving you the indication that it has seen better days on the racetrack, give it a chance for a second career,” Block advised trainers. “I see too many that have been pushed to the point where it sets back the opportunity to get them in the right direction and adopt them.”
Lovitt also stressed the importance of planning for aftercare.
“When you're thinking about what you're going to invest in this sport, you're also thinking about what you're going to spend to adequately and responsibly retire the horse that you're acquiring,” she said. “For me that means it needs to be written into your business plan.”
Monday's session also featured a panel on maintenance reporting and developing consistent racing surfaces. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Scott Morrison of Rood & Riddle discussed the mechanics of a balanced hoof and how to recognize structural abnormalities. Rounding out the day's presentations, Dr. Laura Kennedy, director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Postmortem Program, and Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for 1/ST Racing, led a discussion on necropsy findings and the importance of mortality reviews.
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