The Principles of Genetic Research and its Impact on the Thoroughbred Racing World

Article by Holly Robilliard and Cassie Fraser

GMO Thoroughbreds? Superhorses created in the lab? Is genetic doping a real “thing”? It’s time for a reality check and a good, hard look at what’s real, or even possible, and how it can hurt or help the Thoroughbred industry.

Breeders, trainers, and owners continually seek a competitive edge, striving to produce horses with the speed, stamina, and resilience needed to succeed on the racetrack. Concurrently, there is increasing pressure and responsibility to minimize animal discomfort, injury, and death in a public forum. Therefore we must carefully examine and balance all the tools at our disposal before determining which ones to use and how.  

Interestingly, there is a growing technology that may be of more notable controversy than even horse racing: The power of genetics. Perhaps the greatest power man has ever wielded, genetics has sparked numerous debates over the good and evil it can bring. As with most new things, there is a significant fear of the unknown, so how do we even begin to understand it? In short: research, homework, and fact-finding. Let’s look at what is fact, scientifically known, and possible today, and then consider what may be possible in the future. 

Genetic Influences on Equine Performance

DNA, often called the “blueprint of life,” holds the key to a horse’s inheritance and development, from its physical prowess, size, and speed, to temperament and abilities. By studying their genetics, we can unravel the intricate code that dictates the pre-existing traits and characteristics of these powerful athletes. This information can then be utilized in our breeding and performance programs to improve suitability and success, all while upholding ethical standards and preserving the integrity of the sport.

The general rule for Mendelian traits is that a foal inherits one allele from each parent for a given gene. If the inherited alleles are the same, the horse is called homozygous for that gene. If they are different, they are heterozygous. As heterozygosity goes up, genetic diversity is increased, resulting in more variation in the genetic content. This results in a greater adaptability to environmental stressors and change, leading to a more robust animal and population. With equine genetics, we tend to focus on three kinds of genes: Causatives - genes/variants that directly cause a trait or condition, Correlatives - genes/variants that appear alongside, or in common, with a trait or condition, and Risks - genes/variants that increase their likelihood/risk of acquiring that trait or condition. 

A Thoroughbred study by Momozawa et al. found an association between the dopamine d4 receptor (DRD4) gene and a measure of temperament. In the study, “curiosity”, defined as, “an interest in novel objects and a willingness to approach them”, was prevalent in horses with a particular gene variant. Horses preferring to observe carefully, from a distance, were of the opposite variant type, named “vigilance”. Although further research is required, it is not unreasonable to consider that temperament affects a horse's ability to learn, break from the gate, or handle the pressure of large crowds on race day.

Another performance trait, perhaps of more notable interest to Thoroughbred enthusiasts is the “speed” gene, myostatin (MSTN). This insertion results in increased muscle growth in horses and other mammals. Genetically, horses can have two copies of the “Sprint” variant, two copies of the “Endurance” variant, or one copy of each, “Sprint/Endurance.” Thoroughbreds homozygous for the Sprint variant tend to excel earlier in age, at shorter distances (8 furlongs or less) with quick bursts of speed. Horses homozygous for Endurance excel later, and at longer distances (9 furlongs or more). However, heterozygous horses won at all distances, having both quick bursts of speed  and endurance capabilities (Fig 1).

Using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), scientists can analyze equine DNA and identify specific genes associated with various health and performance traits. This research holds immense promise, pinpointing genes responsible for desirable traits like speed, temperament, gait, size, and overall health. So how can we use it to produce horses with optimized genetic profiles for racing, while minimizing risk and injury? The answer lies within our breeding programs.

Breeding & Buying Optimized With Genetics

For generations, breeders have been making selections for observed traits, such as pedigree, racing history, prior offspring performance, and conformation. Additionally, “Nicking,” the strategic crossing of certain lines with an observed affinity for one another, is another well-known method used to make breeding decisions. These techniques may be successful, as the chosen bloodlines possess underlying genetic traits that express and complement one another. Given science today, the next evolutionary step in this process is to genetically test and confirm the desired traits are present and will be passed on in the most advantageous combinations.

Inbreeding (having drastically reduced genetic diversity) poses a significant challenge within the Thoroughbred racing industry due to the closed nature of the studbook. Science shows that a 10% increase in inbreeding reduces a horse’s likelihood of successful racing by 7%. Essentially, higher genomic inbreeding correlates with poorer performance. Traditionally, we have relied on pedigree and conformation to make mating decisions. Today, using actual genetics, we can calculate accurate genomic inbreeding and work toward decreasing it. On paper, two mares (full siblings) would appear to have the same inbreeding value. In reality, they can differ greatly, and if bred to the same stallion, may produce foals with drastically higher, or lower, genomic inbreeding values.

Using myostatin again, let’s look at a stallion that, by conformation and pedigree, appears to be the perfect match for your mare. Genetically, the mare is Sprint/Endurance and the stallion is Sprint/Sprint. This would result in a foal who is 50% likely to be Sprint/Endurance and 50% likely to be Sprint/Sprint. Now, if you breed that same mare with a stallion who has, at a minimum, one copy of endurance, the foal would still have a 25% chance of being Sprint/Sprint. However, it would also have a 50% chance of being Sprint/Endurance, and a 25% likelihood of being Endurance/Endurance, giving it longer-distance capabilities.

Beyond discovering performance-related traits, genetic research plays a vital role in promoting the overall health and sustainability of the breed. Health and soundness risks, such as Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy (RLN), or “roaring”, Kissing Spines, and Tendinopathy are being actively developed as genetically testable variants. Some of these traits can limit a Thoroughbred's pre- or post-racing career. Other predispositions, like Chronic Idiopathic Anhidrosis (CIA), or “non-sweater,” or Fracture Risk, can be life-ending if they go undetected. 

Through the use of genetic testing and associated technologies, breeders can “Build-A-Horse” to their specifications by crossing specific sires and dams using confirmed, heritable genetics, that create that optimal foal. By making breeding decisions based on math and science, we can reduce the presence of undesirable health traits in our programs.

As more Thoroughbred owners utilize genetics, collaborating researchers will continue identifying areas of strength and vulnerability in health and performance. This knowledge empowers breeders and buyers to make informed decisions that preserve genetic diversity and ensure the long-term strength of Thoroughbred bloodlines. Given the considerable investment of both resources and effort involved in the production and training of horses destined for the track, decreasing risk and increasing financial management is paramount. Remarkably, the cost of utilizing genetic testing to ascertain a horse’s optimal race distance is less than one week's feed, and can ultimately save owners and breeders both time and money.

Navigating Ethical Considerations

As genetic research becomes increasingly integrated into the Thoroughbred racing industry, it’s wise to approach this technology with foresight instead of fear. Whilst it offers unprecedented opportunities for improvement and advancement, this research also carries the potential for unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas that must be carefully navigated. 

The topic of cloning has been hotly debated in the last decade. The first reaction appears to be to “ban” it in certain registries and competitions. Interestingly, the fears stoked by this technology have not materialized into truth for a seemingly simple reason: You can replicate the genetic code of an animal, but it’s another thing entirely to replicate the uterine environment, the training, feeding, life experiences, and competition circumstances.

Another recent concern within the industry is the concept of “gene doping” to create superhorses, which involves artificially modifying an athlete's genes to enhance their performance. For example, the myostatin gene may become the target of genome editing in horses, as it alters the amount and composition of muscle fiber types. Although there are no known foals born, to date, with genetically altered myostatin, could it happen? Maybe. Would the effect be instant in something like myostatin? No. Why? Because that’s not how it works! A live animal has a fully formed physical plan in place, especially for things such as muscle, tendons, and bone. Today’s most advanced gene therapies tend to be extremely targeted regions, take months to years to work, and are extraordinarily expensive. 

Assuming it’s possible to change the myostatin disposition of a horse, could we detect that it was manipulated? The answer, according to multiple experts, is a very strong, “maybe”. Technique and timing would matter as would the simple question of, “Could this foal’s parents have passed on this genotype?” As technology advances and provides the opportunity for a competitive edge, it’s safe to say that someone will try it. What then? The answer may just come down to numbers, like everything else on the track.

So, with all of this knowledge, can someone choose a bunch of genetic traits and create a Superhorse? Although you hear about it every day, complex genetic editing is just in its infancy. It is possible to change a gene or variant within an embryo- We’ve been doing it for decades already. So why not a Superhorse? Well…consider the following:

1. It’s not easy to insert a single correct genetic edit that results in a living animal. 

2. It takes a large number of iterations and time for that one change.

3. The process can be super expensive. Multiply this by many dollars and much more time for every additional genetic change you wish to add.

4. Once you’ve produced genetic change, now you have to wait years to see the foal perform at which point your choice of changes may no longer be the winning combination!

Although we are likely years away from this being a feasible, let alone common, issue, we need to take steps now to understand genetics and devise a reasonable path forward. Preventing the misuse of gene editing could be as simple as creating a standardized genetic testing requirement via hair sample in addition to the standard parentage verification. This initial hair sample would serve as a genetic baseline, offering a comparison for those taken at a later date when genetic modifications are suspected. 

By adhering to rigorous standards of ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability, we can harness the full potential of genetic research while safeguarding the welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing.

Conclusion

Genetic research and testing represent a game-changing advancement for the Thoroughbred racing industry. It is a powerful tool for enhancing the quality, health, and performance of racehorses- all of which are required to maintain the sport's integrity. As we increase our understanding of equine genetics and discover new traits applicable to the Thoroughbred, we can produce healthier, more competitive horses, while reducing the historical struggles of inbreeding and breakdown. Although we must be careful to adhere to the ethical code set forth within the industry, by utilizing genetics to build the next generation of improved thoroughbreds, we can take ownership of the technology and usher in a new era of excellence and innovation within the sport.

Sources

Hill, E. W., Stoffel, M. A., McGivney, B. A., MacHugh, D. E., & Pemberton, J. M. (2022). Inbreeding depression and the probability of racing in the Thoroughbred horse. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289(1977). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0487.

Momozawa, Y., Takeuchi, Y., Kusunose, R., Kikusui, T., & Mori, Y. (2005). Association between equine temperament and polymorphisms in dopamine D4 receptor gene. Mammalian genome, 16, 538-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-005-0021-3

Rooney, M. F., Hill, E. W., Kelly, V. P., & Porter, R. K. (2018). The “speed gene” effect of myostatin arises in Thoroughbred horses due to a promoter proximal SINE insertion. PLoS One, 13(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205664 

Tozaki, T., Ohnuma, A., Nakamura, K., Hano, K., Takasu, M., Takahashi, Y., ... & Nagata, S. I. (2022). Detection of indiscriminate genetic manipulation in Thoroughbred racehorses by targeted resequencing for gene-doping control. Genes, 13(9), 1589. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13091589

A safer Santa Anita - How the Santa Anita vets & trainers made a positive difference in 2020

By Ken Snyder

Some media observers have opined that bad journalism is not just reporting inaccuracies or things made up to suit a narrative, but also what isn't reported. From the perspective of many people in the racing industry, especially in Southern California, the absence of even the slightest acknowledgment of the safety turnaround at Santa Anita in 2020 is an example of the latter.  

Here are the facts with one apples-to-apples comparison of statistics between 2019—when Santa Anita suffered a horrific spate of fatalities—and last year. According to The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database, there were 13 racing fatalities on the dirt track in 2019 at Santa Anita.  In 2020, there were zero racing fatalities—zip, nada, none—on the dirt track. Pick your adjective to describe that: incredible, astonishing, miraculous? The public is still waiting, by and large, on adjectives, or anything else for that matter, from the media.

Looking at all statistics, the dirt stat is no anomaly. With training fatalities, there were 17 in 2019 and 10 in 2020. Only with turf racing are the numbers close; in fact, they're even—six turf fatalities in both 2019 and 2020.  

Hall of Fame Trainer Richard Mandella is perhaps charitable when he says the absence of reporting is "suspicious."  

The one indisputable fact is that animal rights activists want racing shut down, he said. Why the governor and the politicians "jumped on board last year," as Mandella states it, is anybody's guess.  

He speculates that a decline in marketing spending by the California racing industry—advertising in media outlets—may be at the root of not reporting the turnaround.  Perhaps People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA, the principal anti-racing activist group) exert powerful political pressure (and funding to political campaigns). Maybe public perception crafted by media reporting (and "not reporting") impacts things at the ballot box far more than those in racing can imagine.

There is no question that a cluster of fatalities like those that occurred in 2019 at Santa Anita will produce an outcry from the public, and deservedly so. "We were warned that if we didn't get it straight," referring to 2019, "that they were going to 'cut our cord' and stop racing," said Mandella.

Bullet dodged. Mission accomplished. Racing continues. So, what was the story-behind-the-story of the success at Santa Anita in 2020?  

Mandella expresses the principle behind the solution: "Two heads are better than one." In actuality, a training inspection program established by The Stronach Group (TSG) brought to bear not just two heads but four veterinarians led by TSG Equine Medical Director Dr. Dionne Benson. 

As many as three vets hired by Santa Anita and reporting to Benson space themselves around the track every morning, watching workouts and coordinating with another vet in the barn area.  They will observe all the horses but particularly those on a daily list of horses deemed at "elevated risk," as Benson terms it, who will breeze that day. A horse exhibiting lameness, whether it is on the list for close observation or another horse merely out for a gallop, will be examined by the vet serving backside duty that day once it leaves the track. Often that vet will meet a horse and exercise rider at the barn and examine the horse while still under saddle.

An on-track vet will sometimes radio an outrider to get a horse off the track immediately if it appears to be in distress. The vet will then call the trainer to alert them to a possible injury and have the barn-area vet waiting as well. On-track vets have even followed a distressed horse and rider from the track to the barn.  

The program began informally in 2019 when the state shut down Santa Anita because of the fatalities. Benson came onto the Santa Anita racetrack in May 2019 and had the foresight to assign Santa Anita vets with downtime to watch training.  

"Prior to that time, the responsibilities of the track and training were the track surface, making sure that it was well taken care of, setting the training hours, and providing outriders to catch loose horses.  We really felt we could do a lot by adding some oversight and supervision to training.  

"We really refined it as we proceeded, and it progressed to a more active role for the veterinarians." 

The refinements and staffing meant an unprecedented degree of inspection and effort in terms of time and money. "When you're watching horses one day a week or one day a month, it's not the same as watching five days a week for five hours," said Benson. Santa Anita veterinarians rotate days off to make certain of training coverage daily. "You start to know the horses, and because we also do physical inspections on horses in training, we have a really good idea of which ones we're most concerned about."

Benson said her vets develop "a good sense of the horses. They'll say, 'Oh, that's so and so. He looks great today.' They not only have the ability to pick out unusual movement patterns for the horses, but they also know enough about the horses that each one has a profile in their mind."  

Inspection is not a matter of random selection. A requirement for Santa Anita trainers mandates they must register any horse they intend to breeze 48 hours before that workout. A horse working Wednesday, for example, requires registration with the racing office on Monday. The office will compile expanded past performance data that includes races and workout times plus injury and vet's list history. The office passes these on—usually 70 to 80 pages—for Benson or a member of her team to review. The reviewer will apply as many as eight criteria to determine horses that may be at higher risk for injury and fatality. Things looked for include inactivity for more than 90 days, unusual work patterns, horses coming into California from another state, and, as one might expect, horses that have a history of being on the state veterinarian's list for unsoundness. 

Also, a horse scratched from a race, who flipped in the gate or that finished 20 lengths behind in a race are additional things noted in reviewing past performance and history, said Dr. Jay Deluhery, a Santa Anita inspector.

Of, say, 200 horses scheduled for workouts, an average of 50 makes the "watch list" for close observation while on the track, according to Deluhery. The team will then divide and examine each horse on the following day. Vets will flex and palpate the limbs and have the horse jog in the shedrow or just outside it. "From there, they can make the decision of, 'Do I want this horse to breeze or not?'" he added.  

"In some cases, we'll say, 'Yeah, this horse is good,' or we want more information about this horse. 'It's had a long layoff. Why?' Or, 'I want to talk to your vet about this horse, or you need this diagnostic before you can breeze.'"

"We maybe see a couple to five horses a week that we actually turn down for works.  

"In some cases, we'll say, 'Come and jog in front of the vet on the track under tack.' Sometimes you see different information there."

If the workout registration and subsequent inspections sound extreme, it has gained acceptance by Santa Anita trainers, by and large. "I think learning is setting in that maybe mistakes were being made, and we're learning to correct them," Mandella said.

Benson estimates that since the program's inception, the team has performed 3,700 to 3,800 examinations of horses both routinely and before breezes at Santa Anita.  

An unexpected result of the program beyond reduced fatalities is what Benson calls a "culture change" among the racing community at Santa Anita. "We have trainers who are more willing to go directly to diagnostics instead of saying, 'Let's see if we can medicate the horse through this problem.'" 

Deluhery added, "They are seeing the value of having more MRIs [magnetic resonance imaging] and increasing PET scans [also for tissue and organ functioning], and even more nuclear scintigraphy [essentially a bone scan] on the horse."

"Some of them have taken the initiative, and we don't have to tell them; they just do it. Horses with bone scans? It's unprecedented. They're doing it on their own."

Benson added, "There are always going to be outliers, but the majority of the trainers that we have at Santa Anita, San Luis Rey and Golden Gate Fields [all California TSG facilities] really want their horses to be healthy and safe; and they don't want to be the person who has a horse that's injured."

Important to the inspection is not only the cooperation of trainers but private vets employed by trainers. Whether intended directly or not, the TSG inspection program has "instituted private vets doing exams prior to works and prior to entry," said Benson. "We've actually involved the veterinarians to do things that they had not been doing, but they're reaping the benefits. 

"It's a very collegial atmosphere for the most part. I mean, no one wants to have their horse scratched. No one wants to be told, ‘Your horse has to go and have this diagnostic,’ but instead of the pushback that we might have gotten two years ago, people now are like 'Absolutely, we'll do the right thing,'" said Benson.

Deluhery believes acceptance by trainers was the key factor in the success of the program. "I expected them to either accept this or the inspection program would die," he said. "Now that they've seen the results, they're wanting to cooperate, and they're happy to show me any horse in the barn."

He believes trainers have seen the value in replacing guessing, hunches and risk-taking with "putting a little science into things" where horse health is concerned. Too, he believes they see "the economics of it on a big scale." A healthy horse will be a more productive horse with a potentially maximized racing career.   

The inspection program has drawn the interest of others in racing. "I've had a few calls with different regulators, different individuals, different jurisdictions; and I think there is a desire to do it," said Benson. Currently, TSG has veterinarians watching training at all of its California tracks and is working to expand the full program elsewhere.

"It is costly. Hiring three to four vets per track to cover your days is not inexpensive, but I think it is an investment that is well worth it. The more interventions, the more eyes we have on these horses, the better we can see something before it happens."

Whether covered or ignored by those professing to be journalists, one thing is inescapable and captured by Mandella in an overview of the inspection program: "The facts are there. It's worked."

Dr. Benson and her team are, without question, pleased with the success of the inspection program and look for continuing improvement statistically. One unrecorded statistic, however, means more to them than anything: horses that, because of the workout inspections and examinations, have been retired.

She recounted just one story among many: "I had a vet come up to me and say, 'You know, there was a horse that was on the track that your vets kept flagging. They just kept saying, 'We don't like the way it moves.' I could never really see it as that lame. You guys kept at it so I finally sent the horse for a bone scan and sure enough, it had a humeral stress fracture brewing.'"

Horses with stress fractures, with time and therapy, can come back. In this case, the owners and trainer elected to retire the horse.

"Those kinds of things have certainly happened more than once, but that was one that really stuck out to me because humeral stress fractures are really hard to identify by a private vet.  This guy trusted our vets," said Benson. "If they're saying there is something wrong, then there's probably something wrong. Let's do something that probably saved that horse's life."

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Alan Balch - “The trainers"

By Alan F. Balch

Over the last 65 years, since I first was a horse-crazy kid, doing anything I could to be with these animals, I’ve spent an inordinate time around horse trainers.

To begin with, it was simple hero worship.  Why, why, why . . . it seemed like every time I opened my mouth, that was the first word out.  Why does a horse do this or that?  Why do you do this or that?  Since most of my time was spent mucking, feeding, watering, cleaning, raking, brushing – and relatively little time doing what I wanted to do much more, riding – I had plenty of time to observe and wonder.

Looking back now on those earliest days of my equine consciousness, I guess it should be said that the best trainers are patient.  With children (and fools) like I was (and am).  And with their horses, which one famous horseman described to me as like “the dumbest child you might ever be around.”  And he meant that in a positive way.  

The first horses I knew were not even what I might have later called park hacks.  But I was in awe of them.  I remember their names, just as you would:  Joe, Maude, Sugar, Ginger, Marine, Banjo, Elvis, Sunburst, and a dozen more, including my favorite, Sox, who was a refugee from some race track, somewhere.  They were rented by the hour, to sailors on the shore in San Diego, for birthday party rides, and matrons who had grown up in high society and their children.  In those days, the 1950s, “horseback riding” was a thing to do, and rent stables abounded . . . to the professional trainers who owned and ran them, they were a gateway to the show ring, to competitive riding, and to clients with money.

By the early 60s, I had also discovered the race track at Del Mar, earlier at the horse show during our county fair, then the races and summer sale, which brought layups and yearlings to be broke to the stable I worked at in La Jolla.  Race horses that were too slow but still sound were the primary source of hunters and jumpers and dressage horses in those days.  Horses from the major California tracks that had ultimately been relegated to Caliente, across the border, or to the many auctions conducted in those days, found their way to the show ring.   Including my first competitive horse, a gray gelding by Mahmoud, bred by Mervyn LeRoy, who had topped the Keeneland sale as a yearling.  As I learned on my first day working at Santa Anita much later – when I discovered chart books and the American Racing Manual -- he also once had held the course record there for about a mile and three-quarters on turf, in 1954. 

Until a little over ten years ago, in racing or otherwise, I was always a suit – I never had worked for a trainers’ organization, although I had been in plenty of intense negotiations with horsemen’s groups from time to time, and had owned any number of horses to ride and compete myself, but not to race.

So, I now know about horse trainers, nationally and internationally, from almost every perspective, through many decades of experiences.  And if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that those individuals in politics, management, or the media, or as regulators, or administrators, who speak of “the trainers,” just don’t know what in hell they’re talking about.

Stereotypes of any category of people (or horses) may be entertaining or malicious, but are likely dubious in the most important respects.  That word comes from the Greek – and literally means a “solid impression.”  Those who traffic in stereotypes often use and enhance them viciously, as we have come to learn.  Sadly.  Repeating such stereotypes endlessly only makes their “impression” more solid.  Just ask a lawyer.  Preferably one with a sense of humor.

“Get a group of ten horse trainers to discuss any subject and you’ll get at least a hundred opinions.”  There’s more than a germ of truth in that, and I console myself with it when I hear management or regulators or journalists pontificate about what “the trainers” will do or say or believe in any instance.

Early in my days representing California trainers, I remember vividly the reaction I got when I spoke of the “intellectual capital” the professional horsemen might bring to a problem we were facing.  An outburst of laughter and head-shaking greeted that!  One prominent owner we were meeting was even more shocked at my reaction.  I told him it might not be the same kind of firepower he was used to dealing with in his boardroom of fellow millionaires, but it was just as valuable and even more so when applied to horse racing.  After all, I lectured, didn’t he spend a literal fortune on horses?  Didn’t he then place them under the care, custody, and control, of a “mere” horse trainer?

To those of us who know and really like horses, trainers deserve and receive our undying respect and appreciation.  And I’m not mainly talking about the exceptionally rare individuals who have achieved fame and riches . . . because, just as with horses, Mother Nature only makes a relative few with that kind of talent (whether in horsemanship or otherwise).  Fortunately, She makes relatively few scoundrels, too, whether equine or human.

No, it’s the overwhelmingly large number of trainers you’ve never heard of that I’m talking about.  The people that commit themselves and their help to their horses 52 weeks a year, at all hours day and night, every day.  They run small, unique, difficult businesses that never close.  They deal with all the human problems the rest of us do, and an unfathomably large number of equine risks, issues, and behavior – and that of their owners -- mostly without complaint.  

Why do they make this commitment?  Why is this the life they’ve chosen?  

The next time you hear someone bash “the trainers,” please tell them the answer.

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#Coronavirus Soundbites

By Bill Heller

We asked trainers how they are handling the coronavirus pandemic and what advice they have for getting through this ordeal

Todd Pletcher

We had to close down our Belmont division. There were workers with symptoms. They went to the clinic and were quarantined. More than anything, it was making it difficult to have a safe workplace. At that time, we thought there wasn’t going to be racing in New York for a while. We had 20 horses at Belmont. That normally would be the time we’d be sending horses to Belmont. We had to put that on hold.

We left it up to owners to decide what to do with their horses. Some went to their farms; a couple went to Fair Hill; some went to Ocala and some went to Palm Beach Downs. We did not move any workers [but] have about 100 horses at Palm Beach, a small string at Gulfstream Park [and] four at Oaklawn scheduled to run. We’ve been fortunate with Gulfstream being able to run. We’ve been able to keep some schedules. It’s juggling a lot of schedules. It’s trying times for everyone. We want to make sure to keep our horses and our employees healthy.

Current practices at Palm Beach?

We’re just going by the recommendations as to what the government is saying. Masks are optional. Some are wearing them; most are not. At Gulfstream, we’re just trying to use common sense, keep people from congregating, keep six feet apart. The one thing we are learning is that social distancing is working. We try to keep that policy in mind.

Planning ahead?

That’s something I have to work around. I’m a target-oriented trainer. I like pointing to specific spots. At Aqueduct, the condition book is in the garbage—Keeneland, too. These are unique times. You have to adjust on a daily basis. Everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone’s facing several challenges.

Suggestions?

Use common sense. Take care of your horses and your staff. In time, we’ll return to normalcy. Try to remain positive.

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Eoin Harty

It’s been no harder for me than everybody else. You worry about your family, in California and Europe. Every day you wake up, that’s the first thing on your mind. With horses, you have to take care of them every day. It would be a lot worse for me if we were home 24-7.

Eoin Harty

Precautions?

You can feel that tension in the air. I check every person in the barn; nobody’s coughing. Everyone is wearing gloves and masks—masks for sure around the barn. You don’t have to ask people twice.

Racing?

There’s been a lot of speculation about Santa Anita using Los Alamitos. I don’t know if it’s viable. I think we could be racing at Santa Anita again. The best case scenario is racing at the end of the month or in May. We haven’t had a single case on the racetrack. There hasn’t been a single one. That’s a good thing.

Personally?

I keep six feet away—don’t touch anything.

Suggestions?

Do what you have to do to protect yourself and your family. Right now, it’s common sense. Look out for your friends. Racing will take care of itself.

                     ***************************************

Graham Motion

Graham Motion

My family is all home. My wife is trying to run the business from home. As far as the barn, we’re taking a lot of precautions. We have one person disinfecting everything first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. He takes everybody’s temperature when they come in the morning. We’re trying to have employees not group up in the tack room. After a week or two, you have to remind them.

Six feet away?

We try to. It’s not totally realistic. You have to give a leg up. Most of the time with gloves. We try to do the best we can.

We’re going to try to get everybody to wear masks. We tried to order some. We have 100 employees all told at all the locations: Fair Hill, Palm Meadows. Normally, we would have pulled out from Palm Meadows for Keeneland, but now we’re staying at Palm Meadows.

Normally I train down there while my son, Chappy, goes to spring break. We got from Fair Hill to North Carolina. We planned to overnight in North Carolina. Once we got there, things were getting bad. We spent two nights in North Carolina, and we decided we’d rather be in Maryland. We went back to Fair Hill. It kind of reminded me of 9-11.

Advice for horsemen?

I think in general, the horsemen are lucky. We get to keep on doing what we do. The horses have to get out of their stalls. I think the unsettling part is not knowing when we’ll race again. We worry about our owners who are paying training fees every day. I’m worried about them. We have 60 horses at Fair Hill and 20 at Palm Meadows. I just brought in a few two-year-olds.

When new people come in, they stay away for two weeks. We’re trying to follow the guidelines.

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Tom Proctor

 I’m in a little better shape than most. Other than Gulfstream and Tampa Bay, I have horses at Oaklawn, and the rest are at Glen Hill Farm south of Ocala. Most of my horses are gathered up at Ocala. We probably got 25 in Ocala and a dozen are at Tampa Bay. I’m spending most of my time in Ocala.

Precautions?

We did have horses at the Fair Grounds. We kept those people from Fair Grounds separate for two weeks. We did get out of New Orleans pretty early—about the middle of March. 

Tom Proctor

In Ocala, gloves and masks?

Most of our people don’t leave the farm. We’re not really wearing masks. We’re washing our hands. The zip code we’re in hasn’t had a single case.

When you go to the track, do you take precautions?

I’ve stayed away from people—social distancing when I can. For a trainer, it’s easier than most. I check on the horses when nobody else is around.

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Tom Amoss

(Tom Amoss was exposed to the virus by being with New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, who contracted the virus, at the Fair Grounds. Amoss self-quarantined for two weeks while continuing to work from home for TVG.)

Did you have the virus?

 I never really found out. When it happened, it wasn’t easy to test. I stayed at home for two weeks. Now I’m going to work every day. They really don’t want us up and around in New Orleans. I’m here at my barn every morning from 6-10. My routine is the same.

Protocols at Fair Grounds?

 That’s an evolving thing. Our temperature is taken when we come into the track. We’re not allowed in the buildings. Social distancing is a requirement. Fifty percent of the people on the backstretch are wearing masks. We’ve had zero issues in my barn, and none in other barns as well. There’s a reason for that. My help lives on the racetrack. They’re self-contained. There’s a grocery on the backstretch—Canseco’s. We’re the opposite of how New Orleans is doing. We have nothing bad in our barn. I haven’t heard of one case.

Suggestions for other horsemen?

It’s a tough question. Look, there’s a difference between our horses and the horses in California. Our horses are allowed to ship to Oaklawn. No people are shipped. I’ve got a barn up there. I’m blessed in the fact that I already have people there.

Stables?

Ever-changing. There are a lot of horses I have who race on grass. They have been sold or turned out. Other horses who don’t fit the condition and book at Oaklawn have been sold or turned out. We’ve down-sized about 20 percent.

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Linda Rice

Linda RIce

Handling this?

We’re doing very well. We’re being very careful on Long Island. We know New York City has a lot of cases. We’ve been using masks, gloves and social distancing. We’ve been doing that for three weeks now. We have a regular training schedule at Belmont. It’s good to have a routine. We’re happy to go to work every day. A lot of people are stuck at home. They can’t work. We can.

Response so far?

The help is doing great. Everyone is concerned. We watch the news. It scares the hell out of you. But it’s the old adage: the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man, or a woman.

What’s going on with racing in New York?

Aqueduct, obviously, is being used as a hospital. I think everyone here is under the impression that we’ll be racing at Belmont. It’s just a matter of when. We’re looking at June 1st. If it’s sooner than that, great.

Outlook?

The entire world is dealing with this. If there is small business assistance, that’s great if it can get processed. Unemployment for those out of work will help. We’re making sure of helping everyone on the backstretch who needs it. We’re making sure our horses and our people are safe.