Joe Harper Jockeys for Safety at Del Mar
Audiences Need Not Fear Accidents
Considering accidents at other race tracks recently covered in the news, you may be concerned about horse safety and thus wondering whether you should attend the upcoming races at Del Mar this year. However, Joe Harper, President and CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, has invested quite a bit of time, money, and effort to combat these concerns. His pursuit of optimal horse safety procedures has yielded extremely desirable results. In fact, Harper recently released a statement addressing the subject of horse welfare, stating what the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has done and continues to do to support horse safety. In his letter, Harper revealed that the following steps have been taken to protect the horses at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in recent years:
○ Reducing race days to allow more time to prepare our racing surfaces
○ Investing $12 million in state-of-the-art racing facilities and surfaces
○ Enhancing pre-race veterinarian inspections
○ Reducing the horse population in the stable area to ensure the safest possible training environment
○ Adding Mick Peterson, the pre-eminent track surface analyst in the country, to our team
○ Adjusting morning training routines to allow for surfaces to be in optimal condition
Of these protocols, Harper stated, “I’m happy to report those changes contributed to a 70% reduction in catastrophic injuries.” The race toward optimal horse safety is being won at Del Mar as great strides continue to be made in protecting horses and riders.
Yet Del Mar is not stopping there. Even stricter, more high caliber safety procedures continue to be enacted to ensure ongoing reduction of injuries for everyone involved in the races. To show his dedication to advancing progressive improvements to protect horses and riders alike, Harper also provided a list of additional enhanced safety procedures Del Mar is following to prepare for the upcoming racing season this summer, which includes these protocols:
○ Instituting International Federation of Horseracing Authorities medication standards – the strictest in the world
○ Revising training protocols including additional veterinarians to oversee workouts and eliminating the use of riding crops
○ Increasing out-of-competition testing
○ Enhancing stable security
○ Developing a stakeholder advisory committee
At the end of his recently released statement, Harper confidently states that “we believe these enhancements will make racing at Del Mar even safer for both our equine and human athletes.” His brief yet straightforward delivery of concrete, progressive steps that the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is taking to optimize horse safety while including stakeholders at every turn is reassuring, as are the visible difference these protocols are making. Del Mar certainly is not horsing around when it comes to the safety of all who walk through the racetrack gates.
These safety protocols not only ensure that the highest industry standards are being met and everyone involved in the Del Mar races are safe but guarantee that beloved horses and their handlers can continue to do what they love. Here are a few of their stories provided by the I Am Horse Racing Initiative, a diverse group devoted to sharing the stories of people from all parts of the horse racing industry.
Lupe Perez is a barn foreman and colleague to trainer and Del Mar staple Peter Eurton who has been working in the same barn for 24-25 years. Perez says of his fellow workers, “we all feel like a family.” He loves animals, saying “I might be weird, but I even love the nice smell of horse.” When he retires, Perez says “I tell my wife [...] I want to come back once or twice a month to see my horses because it’s a part of my life for more than half of my life.” These new safety protocols will allow Perez to continue to care for the horses he loves, including a very special filly, now a mom, that he cared for back in 2011.
26-year-old trainer Anna Meah has likewise spent a large portion of her life caring for and riding horses. She fell in love with the sport after watching her first race at age 7 and says, “I couldn’t see myself doing anything other than training racehorses.” Of the horses she cares for on a daily basis, she says, “I love everything about them. They teach you something new every day.” Though young, Meah has grown to be a successful owner of her own stable, where she enjoys “[seeing] my employees enjoy the ride as much as we do. I try to involve everyone equally. Everybody plays a part, that’s for sure.” Her hard work has also put her on the back of well-known racehorse California Chrome, whom she exercised, handled, and traveled with his entire career. According to multimedia horse racing awareness building platform America’s Best Racing, Meah says Del Mar is one of her favorite tracks to visit because it is “work and vacation all in one! Can’t beat it.” Harper’s commitment to providing a safe environment for horses will ensure that Del Mar remains a favorite among trainers, jockeys, and audiences alike.
According to the San Diego History Center, Bing Crosby was a passionate racehorse enthusiast who envisioned the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club as a place where everyone could have a good time, and where he and his friends could relax, gamble, and enjoy the races. The openness and attentiveness with which Del Mar has approached the improvement of horse safety ensures the continued fulfillment of Crosby’s vision for his creation.
Don’t miss the start of Del Mar’s 80th summer season drawing ever closer on Wednesday, July 17. Harper and his team are excited to welcome you back to the track. The fun will take place for the usual five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. With these new safety protocols in place, you can root for your favorite horse knowing that they are being well taken care of. Most importantly, you can bet on the fact that the surf and the turf meet safety at Del Mar.
