Hollywood Park in California has earned re-accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance.
The re-accreditation followed a complete review of all racing operations at the facility, alliance officials said July 14. Hollywood Park received its initial accreditation in June 2009; all accreditations and re-accreditations carry an effective period of two years.
Hollywood Park is the fifth racetrack to earn re-accreditation. So far this year Arlington Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Pimlico Race Course have been re-accredited.
The inspection team was comprised of Dr. Celeste Kunz, VMD; Jim Gates, racetrack executive; and Mike Ziegler, alliance executive director. During the latest inspection of Hollywood Park best practices were identified in areas including reporting of injuries and fatalities; post-mortem veterinary examination protocols; limited use of front traction devices on horseshoes; use of cushioned riding crops; equine ambulance protocols and equipment; participation in and funding of safety research; catastrophic injury planning and procedures; infectious disease management; regulation of alkalinizing substances; regulation of exogenous anabolic steroids; regulation of shock-wave therapy; out-of-competition testing protocols; frozen sample testing protocols; medication and testing education; and wagering integrity protocols including elimination of cancel delays; exclusion of pools when non-verifiable; policy as a guest when excluded from pools; and the mechanism in place to investigate wagering incidents.
“Hollywood Park and its regulators from the California Horse Racing Board should be commended for their ongoing efforts toward improving the health, safety, and welfare of racing’s human and equine athletes,” Ziegler said in a statement.
“Safety and integrity-based racing are vital to everyone here at Hollywood Park, and we are proud to be recognized by the alliance for several industry-wide best practices,” Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau said. “Going through the accreditation process reminds us how important these areas are.”
Hollywood Park is one of 19 racing facilities to be fully accredited by the alliance.