The Jockey Club Chair Updates Number of Initiatives

In the fall 2026 issue of The Jockey Club Newsletter, Chairman Everett Dobson provides updates on several of the organization's initiatives including addressing smaller field sizes and foal crops, modernizing systems, traceability, marketing the sport, and supporting regional racing. The newsletter also notes that The Jockey Club in 2027 will begin the transition to testing of single polynucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) to support parentage verification as a condition of foal registration. The newsletter notes that this change can benefit owners and breeders. The newsletter outlined The Jockey Club's plans in this area. "As new insights into the horse are revealed through this technology, we plan to work with genomics experts to explore the feasibility of tests and services to assist owners and breeders in unlocking the information contained in the genome of their Thoroughbred." Dobson encourages industry fans and participants to read the newsletter and to provide their own thoughts on these topics by contacting him at everett@jockeyclub.com. On the traceability front, The Jockey Club reports that it has completed and finalized initial research. In gathering that information, The Jockey Club found that the Thoroughbred Incentive Program is the best way of tracking Thoroughbreds after their post-racing careers. "About 26,600 horses born from 2008 to 2023 hold a T.I.P. number. That makes our Thoroughbred Incentive Program the largest record we have of horses starting second careers, about 2 1/2 times the aftercare intake records," notes a bullet point on traceability. "T.I.P. adds about 2,000 horses a year, which constitutes roughly half of all documented placements."