Scratches by regulatory veterinarians prior to high profile races such as the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders' Cup World Championships prompted the inclusion of a panel discussion about pre-race vet exams during the June 29 session of the annual Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit at Keeneland.
The hour-long discussion between regulatory vets and racing officials underscored the importance of the pre-race exam for the long-term health of the racehorse population.
Statistics provided by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation show that of 155 vet scratches during Jan. 1-April 25, 2025, due to unsoundness, 30% did not race within a year following the scratch and 16% showed no racetrack activity for a year. Among the 70% that did return to the races, they averaged 93 days before making their next start. The horses who were scratched during a pre-race exam took 111 days to return and the on-track scratches took 75 days.
Dr. Mary Scollay, a former equine medical regulator and former chief of science for the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, moderated the discussion with Barbara Borden, racing official with the KHRGC; Dr. Shari Silverman, veterinary liaison with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority; Dr. Nick Smith, chief racing veterinarian for the KHRGC; Dr. Will Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs; and, Dr. Stuart Brown, vice president of equine safety for Keeneland.
After describing in detail every step of a veterinary exam and what the vets are looking for and how the findings are conveyed to a horse's trainer and/or owner and to the stewards, the panelists all stressed the importance of clear communication between horsemen and regulators.
One incident discussed is when a trainer has a horse with a peculiar way of moving that, without context, a regulatory vet may view as an indication of unsoundness.
"We encourage trainers with a horse with a funny way of moving to bring the horse to us long before race day and let us see it," Smith said. "We've worked through things like higher diagnostics, PET scans, and bone scans. It opens up the communication and we get more time to assess instead of making a snap decision on horse that is presented to us.
"Across the team, however," he added, "we have a standard of anything that's consistently sore on palpation and flexing of a weight-bearing structure, or consistently off at a jog. Those are horses that we don't let race. They are scratches for us."
Farmer said a good example of planning ahead is the German-bred group 1 winner Goliath, who was being aimed for last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T). The 7-year-old horse has a condition called stringhalt, which causes him to move with an exaggerated gait that is painless and harmless. The movement disappears when galloping. Goliath's trainer contacted Breeders' Cup officials months before entries to have him seen and evaluated.
"It is a very publicly visible gait and abnormality. It's not a lameness," Farmer said. "The trainer contacted us and said we know this horse moves odd and we are shipping from overseas and don't want to waste time and money. We had a very engaged dialogue."
Goliath did start in the Turf.
"That is a very public case," Farmer continued. "But this happens on a much more minute scale on a day-to-day basis. I had a call from a trainer the other day who has an odd mover. Many times the conversation is just let's get some eyes on him, maybe see how he works, and then everyone can build a level of comfort."
Several panel members said wearable biometric monitors also have been a valuable tool in helping regulatory vets see performance trends before a horse is entered and subject to a pre-race exam.
Brown said at Keeneland, the focus is on building a comprehensive approach that involves horsemen, clockers, outriders, ambulance drivers, and safety team specialists all committed to the welfare of the horse.
"We are trying to build a team to be around for those moments, so when we see something, we say something. Whoever is here that is in a position to make a novel observation about a horse to make a difference in their life, because we can then bring a lot of those things to bear that we've been talking about," he said.
Additionally, Keeneland has implemented a 26-camera veterinary system that monitors the track's surfaces.
"This gives us an opportunity to see things that might not be visible in the typical job exam in the barn area. I have an equine safety agreement with trainers and veterinarians here … that connect us to every horse on the grounds and open up conversations about what happens in the life of these horses."
Scollay wound up the panel discussion with an emphasis that regulatory vets want to be partners with horsemen and veterinary practitioners in keeping the equine athletes safe and healthy.
"Nobody gets up in the morning saying, 'I think I'm going to scratch a horse today,'" she said. "We've got a number of strategies that have been put in place that I think improve the partnership with the practicing veterinarians. For years, that was always a little bit of a fraught relationship; some partnerships were very positive, while others were a little more tense. But with the treatment reporting in the HISA records and the visibility for the regulatory veterinarians to see (those treatments), there can be some candid conversations that I think have helped in protecting horses."
