The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., has been fully accredited by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance following a complete review of all racing operations at the facility.
The accreditation of Canterbury Park was the culmination of a lengthy certification process that began with the track’s completion of a 48-page written application and continued as Canterbury hosted several meetings with Alliance officials. The on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing facility, and interviews with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards and fans. The inspection team was comprised of Ronald Jensen, DVM; racing official Richard Lewis; and Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. Observing the inspection was Tommy G. Thompson, the independent monitor of the Alliance.
“Canterbury Park was reviewed earlier this month during its current, live meeting,” said Ziegler. “It exceeded prescribed benchmarks in many examined categories and received ‘Best Practice’ ratings in several areas including injury reporting and prevention; substance abuse and addiction prevention; catastrophic injury planning and procedure; infectious disease management; laboratory quality assurance program; and jockey disability support.”
“I’m exceedingly proud that we have received this designation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance,” said Randy Sampson, President and General Manager of Canterbury Park. “The safety of all human and equine athletes here at Canterbury will always be our number-one priority. The inspection process was very thorough, and I salute the many staff here who worked so hard to achieve this distinction.”
Canterbury Park is the 18th racing facility to be fully accredited by the Alliance. Churchill Downs and Keeneland were accredited in April 2009; Belmont Park received accreditation in May 2009; Delaware Park and Hollywood Park were accredited in June 2009; Monmouth Park was accredited in July 2009; Arlington Park and Saratoga Race Course received accreditation last August; Calder Race Course, Turfway Park and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club were accredited last September; Oak Tree at Santa Anita/Santa Anita Park received accreditation in October 2009; Fair Grounds and Aqueduct Racetrack were accredited last December; Golden Gate Fields was accredited this past February, Woodbine earned accreditation last March, and Pimlico Race Course was fully accredited in May. Also this past May, Sunland Park was granted provisional accreditation.
The Alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen’s organization. Alliance certification standards cover six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication, testing and penalties; safety research; and wagering security. Within those six categories, specific standards focus on areas including: * Systematic reporting of equine injuries * Aftercare of racehorses * Pre- and post-race veterinary examinations * Post-mortem examinations * Health and safety of jockeys * Riding crops and their use * Horse shoes and hoof care * Safety research * Safety equipment for jockeys and horse handlers * Exogenous Anabolic Steroids * Alkalinizing agents (TCO2) * On-track emergency medical care for humans and equines * Out-of-competition testing * Freezing and retrospective testing of post race samples * Continuing education * Security assessment and training * Totalizator technology and “stop wagering” protocols * Wagering incident investigation
The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance is a standing organization whose purpose is to establish standards and practices to promote safety and integrity in horseracing and to secure their implementation. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.
The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent monitor of the Alliance and will provide public reports on Alliance progress in instituting safety and integrity standards.
