The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has directed Woodbine to implement a series of measures aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic breakdowns which have plagued the Toronto track in November.
The changes, which were announced Nov. 30, include a ban on horses running back within 14 days or running within 14 days of an intra-articular fetlock injection.
The AGCO, which regulates horse racing in Ontario, also is requiring an official veterinarian be present for all morning training.
Additionally, before a horse can return to work after being on the vet's list, a trainer and private veterinarian must observe it jog and certify it for soundness and fitness prior to an examination by an official veterinarian, who would make the final call if the horse is permitted to return to work.
The Saturday announcement and immediate implementation of the rules resulted in a larger-than-normal number of scratches for the Woodbines cards of Nov. 30, Dec. 1, and Dec. 5, which were drawn before the new directives were announced.
As of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, there were four veterinarian scratches and 12 steward scratches on the day. Scratches for the Sunday and Thursday cards were not yet posted, but Daily Racing Form reported there would be at least seven scratches on the Sunday card, and the second race Thursday would have lost six of its seven entrants, resulting in a walkover.
Six of the entrants in that Thursday race, a CA$4,500 claiming affair for fillies and mares, previously ran Nov. 22, which would be a violation of the 14-day rule. Woodbine announced it will redraw Thursday's card Dec. 1.
Two horses suffered fatal injuries during races on Woodbine's Tapeta all-weather track Nov. 9, resulting in cancellation of the day's final two races, including the Autumn Stakes (G2). The 3-year-old filly Social Dancer died due to injuries sustained in the second race Nov. 9, a CA$40,000 maiden optional claiming race. Later on the card in the Bessarabian Stakes (G3), the 6-year-old stakes-winning mare Owen's Tour Guide suffered a fatal injury. Neither Social Dancer nor Owen's Tour Guide were running back in fewer than 14 days.
Woodbine cancelled its entire Nov. 10 card. The Autumn was rescheduled to Nov. 16 and run without incident, however there was another fatal breakdown on the main track in that day's final race, a CA$15,000 claiming race for horses who had never won three races.
The AGCO issued a statement that it believes the track surface was "unlikely" to be the cause of that Nov. 16 breakdown of the 5-year-old gelding Flawless Ruler, whose had most recently run Oct. 20.
