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Wednesday, June 24, 2026Contact: Jamie Haydon 859.224.2750
Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit Agenda Announced

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today the agenda for the 12th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, which is scheduled for June 29 and June 30 in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky, and livestreamed at grayson-jockeyclub.org and jockeyclub.com.

“This year’s summit exemplifies the progress we’ve made since the first summit and enables us to look to the future and how we can further support our equine athletes with data and technology,” said Jamie Haydon, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and deputy executive director of The Jockey Club. “If you are interested in improving the sport and the welfare of Thoroughbreds, I urge you to watch the livestream.”

Agenda for 2026 Welfare and Safety Summit

Monday, June 29 
Time  Session  Speakers 
8:30–8:45  Welcome and Introduction  Jamie Haydon, President, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation; Jessica Paquette, Parx Track Announcer (MC)
8:45–9:30  Equine Injury Database Update  Dr. Tim Parkin, Head of Bristol Veterinary School - University of Bristol 
9:30–10:15  Track Surfaces and Maintenance Reporting  Dr. Mick Peterson, Director Racetrack Safety Program & Professor, University of Kentucky; Branden Brookfield, On-site Testing Manager, Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; Jamie Richardson, Track Superintendent, Churchill Downs; Chris Bosley, Assistant Track Superintendent, Churchill Downs
10:15–10:45  HISA Technology and Data Integration  Lisa Lazarus, CEO, HISA; Steve Keech, CTO, HISA 
10:45–10:50  Break   
10:50–12:00  Regulatory Vet Scratch Process  Moderator: Dr. Mary Scollay; Dr. Stuart Brown, VP Equine Safety, Keeneland; Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director, Churchill; Dr. Nick Smith, Chief Racing Veterinarian, KY Racing & Gaming Commission; Barbara Borden, Racing Official, KY Racing & Gaming Commission; Dr. Shari Silverman, Veterinary Liaison, HISA 
12:00–1:00  Lunch   
1:00–2:00  Aftercare Programs  Moderator: Erin Halliwell, Executive Director, TCA; Lucinda Lovitt, Executive Director, CARMA; Chris Block, Trainer; Andy Belfiore, Executive Director, NYTHA 
2:00–2:45  The Racehorse and the Balanced Hoof  Dr. Scott Morrison, Partner, Rood and Riddle 
2:45–3:00  Break   
3:00–4:00  Equine Surgeries in the Developing Horse  Dr. Larry Bramlage, Surgeon, Rood and Riddle; David Ingordo, Bloodstock Agent; Garrett O’Rourke, General Manager, Juddmonte USA; Mark Taylor, President, Taylor Made Farm 
4:00–5:00  Necropsy and Mortality Reviews  Dr. Laura Kennedy, Director KY Horse Racing Postmortem Program;
Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer, 1/ST Racing 
 
Tuesday, June 30 
Time  Session  Speakers 
8:30–9:30  Diagnostic Equipment and Injuries  Dr. Evan Becker, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute; Dr. Laura Werner, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute 
9:30–10:00  Stable Analytics  Ben Bernard, Pin Oak Stud, Stable Analytics 
10:00–10:30  Stride Safe  Dr. David Lambert, Stride Safe 
10:30–11:00  Sleip  Dr. Jamie Textor, Sleip 
11:00–11:30  Arioneo  Valentin Rapin, Arioneo 
11:30–12:00  Lameness Locator  Dr. Kevin Keegan, University of Missouri 
12:00–12:30  Equimetrics  Sarah Spooner, Equimetrics 


The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is underwritten and coordinated by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and hosted by Keeneland.

Among the major accomplishments that have evolved from the previous summits are the Equine Injury Database; the Jockey Injury Database; the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; a uniform trainer test and study guide; the racing surfaces white paper and the publication of educational bulletins for track maintenance; the publication of stallion durability statistics; the Hoof: Inside and Out DVD, available in English and Spanish; protocols for horses working off of the veterinarian’s list; pre-race examination module; veterinarian’s list and pre-race examination module integration into the InCompass Track Manager system for free jurisdictional sharing;  recommended regulations that void the claim of horses suffering injuries during a race; and inclement weather protocols.

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 1940, Grayson has provided nearly $45.8 million to underwrite more than 465 projects at 50 universities. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.