BY THE JOCKEY CLUB PRESS OFFICE
LEXINGTON, KY—Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that the 12th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be hosted by Keeneland on Monday, June 29, from 8:30 – 5:00, and Tuesday, June 30, from 8:30 – 12:00. The session on Tuesday morning will focus on diagnostic equipment and technology being utilized to assist in racing safety. The event will be sponsored by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club.
Both days of the event will be free and open to the public in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion and will be livestreamed. Jessica Paquette, track announcer at Parx Racing, will be the emcee.
Topics for the summit include a presentation by Dr. Tim Parkin on the latest statistics from the Equine Injury Database, jockey scale of weights, vet scratches, the racehorse and the balanced hoof, equine surgeries in the developing horses before the racetrack, track surfaces, necropsy and mortality review, aftercare programs, and other issues affecting horse safety. The full program and list of speakers will be announced soon.
“This year marks 20 years since the first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, a fact I am immensely proud of. These events showcase the progress our industry executes each year while also shedding light on areas of safety and welfare where our continued vigilance remains essential,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson and deputy executive director of The Jockey Club. “Keeneland has been and continues to be a great partner for both The Jockey Club and Grayson. We can’t thank them enough for hosting this event again in 2026.”
“These summits have consistently provided meaningful value to our industry, and Keeneland is pleased to host once again this year,” said Shannon Arvin, president and CEO of Keeneland. “Advancing the safety and welfare of both our equine and human athletes remains central to our mission, and it is a commitment that we are proud to uphold.”
Previous editions of the summit can be viewed on Grayson’s YouTube page and have received nearly 20,000 views.
Among the major accomplishments that have evolved from the previous summits are the Equine Injury Database; the Jockey Injury Database; the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; a uniform trainer test and study guide; the racing surfaces white paper and the publication of educational bulletins for track maintenance; the publication of stallion durability statistics; the Hoof: Inside and Out DVD, available in English and Spanish; protocols for horses working off of the veterinarian’s list; pre-race examination module; veterinarian’s list and pre-race examination module integration into the InCompass Track Manager system for free jurisdictional sharing; recommended regulations that void the claim of horses suffering injuries during a race; and inclement weather protocols.
Return to the March 18 issue of Wire to Wire
