The Jockey Club and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation today announced that the fifth Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held Tuesday, July 8, and Wednesday, July 9, 2014, in Lexington, Ky.

Once again, the summit will be underwritten and coordinated by The Jockey Club and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and hosted by the Keeneland Association. The two-day workshop brings together a wide cross-section of the breeding, racing and veterinary communities.

“We owe it to our athletes, both equine and human, to do all we can to ensure their safety and convening this summit to exchange ideas and develop new programs is one of the best ways we can do that,” said Edward L. Bowen, president, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

The summit will be held in the Keeneland sales pavilion and it is open to the public; a live webcast will also be available.

“The safety and welfare of our athletes is unquestionably priority No. 1,” said Keeneland President & CEO Bill Thomason. “Keeneland is proud to host this summit which has, in its brief history, a proven track record of successfully advancing initiatives that are vital to the integrity and health of racing.”

A formal agenda and a list of speakers will be announced at a later date.

Among the major accomplishments that have evolved from the previous four summits are the Equine Injury Database; the Jockey Injury Database; the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, which provides science-based testing of racing surfaces to enhance safety for horse and rider; a uniform trainer test and study guide; the publication of stallion durability statistics; and the movement by state racing commissions to create regulations that void the claim of horses suffering fatalities during the conduct of the race.  

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation’s leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. Since 1983, the foundation has provided approximately $19.9 million for 299 specific projects at 40 universities. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.