The Louisiana Racing Commission unanimously approved changes to its proposed void claiming rules at its Nov. 17 meeting at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, re-inserting some protections that would void a claim if a horse dies or returns to the saddling area lame.
Earlier this year at its April 29 meeting, the commission unanimously voted to do away with most of the state's rules that would void a claim for reasons that include lameness and even death. That proposal had been suggested by the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.
Following a public comment period, the racing commission has re-inserted some safeguards into the state's proposed claiming rules. If adopted, the new rules will make it harder to void a claim than the current rules—which allow a horse to be jogged after the race to determine soundness—but it restores considerable protection that would have been lost under the previous wording.
READ: Louisiana Moves Toward Doing Away With Void-Claim Rules
The new rule would void a claim if a horse is not declared a starter, dies on the track, or suffers an injury that requires euthanasia as determined by the state veterinarian. A claim also could be voided "at the discretion of the new owner if the horse indicates a severe, non-weight-bearing lameness where the horse cannot or will not put weight on a limb, as determined by a commission veterinarian, before reaching or leaving the unsaddling area following the race."
Stephen Landry, executive director of the Louisiana Racing Commission, filed an estimated impact statement, suggesting the HBPA-backed proposal would create increased financial risk for those people looking to claim a horse and could lead to decreased confidence in the claiming system.
Trainer Tom Amoss, who has won the Fair Grounds trainer's title 10 times, was one of the people who submitted a public comment. Amoss said allowing claims to go through on horses involved in catastrophic injuries or those that require immediate medical attention would set "a dangerous precedent to both rider and equine athlete." Amoss wrote that the previous proposal could lead to putting economic gain over horse health and safety.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners also submitted a letter opposing the original wording, stating that void-claim rules protect the individual claiming the horse as well as the racehorses themselves. The letter, signed by AAEP president Tracy Turner and racing committee chair Sara Langsam, cited The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database and a study by Dr. Tim Parkin that suggested the presence of void-claim rules reduces catastrophic racehorse injuries.
The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Safety Committee also sent a letter urging the commission not to weaken or eliminate its void-claim rules, citing two studies that showed fatal injury rates are significantly lower at tracks that void claims in cases of fatality.
Landry said racehorses in Louisiana still have to pass three veterinarian checkpoints in order to enter the starting gate, including a vet check the morning of a race, two paddock vets who observe the saddling process, and then two more vets on track who watch warmups and the gate entry process.
The new language passed at the Nov. 17 meeting will undergo the same public comment period. Landry said it can then be voted for final adoption, likely at the commission's February or March meeting.
