Aqueduct will reopen Dec. 26 after the Christmas break with full accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance in hand.
The NTRA announced Dec. 22 the New York Racing Association-operated racetrack has been fully accredited by the alliance. Aqueduct is one of 14 tracks receive such accreditation this year; two other NYRA tracks—Belmont Park and Saratoga—are among them.
“We are gratified to know that Aqueduct Racetrack, like Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park, meets and often exceeds the high standards specified in the code of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance,” NYRA president and chief executive officer Charles Hayward said in a statement. “The safety of our human and equine athletes is of paramount importance to all of us here at NYRA.”
The on-site inspection at Aqueduct was conducted by Dr. Ronald Jensen, racing official Richard Lewis, and alliance executive director Mike Ziegler.
“Aqueduct was reviewed during its current live meeting,” Ziegler said. “It exceeded prescribed benchmarks on the vast majority of fronts and established industry-wide best practices in areas including pre-race veterinary examinations, safety research, shock-wave therapy, security training and protocols, maintenance of jockeys’ health information, and equine ambulance protocols.”