A discussion on the Thoroughbred racehorse today versus decades ago is on the tentative agenda for the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit scheduled for July 8-9 in Lexington.
The summit, launched in 2006, has been held every two years since. This year's event at Keeneland will be the fifth for the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
According to the tentative agenda, a panel discussion titled, "Today's Thoroughbred: What Animal Are We Dealing With?" is set for July 8. Among the expected speakers are multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher; Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission; Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital; Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board; and Dr. Rick Sams, director of the LGC drug-testing laboratory in Lexington.
Other topics for the first day of the summit include using data to keep racehorses safe; training and its relationship to bone development in racehorses; and an update on the National Uniform Medication Program.
The tentative June 9 agenda includes a look at intra-articular joint therapies, racetrack surface technologies, and the Jockey Injury Database. More information will be released as the event date nears.