News Releases

Wednesday, April 24, 2013Contact: Shannon Luce (859) 224-2716
The Jockey Club, TOBA Unveil New Website Promoting Medication Reform

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) today announced the launch of horseracingreform.org, an advocacy and information website designed to promote improved regulatory standards for horse racing. The site replaces cleanhorseracing.org.

“Over the course of the last year we have seen tangible progress in the area of medication reform — as evidenced by the Mid-Atlantic states’ adoption of a uniform medication policy, the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s approval of a controlled therapeutic medication schedule, and increased movement toward RMTC accreditation of drug-testing labs,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “As the horse racing industry moves toward improved and uniform regulations, horseracingreform.org will provide important benchmark information, such as state-by-state summaries of medication rules and safety requirements.”

Cleanhorseracing.org, launched in May 2012, featured news, videos, scientific studies and commentary in support of medication-free racing. Horseracingreform.org expands on those features and includes additional information pertaining to:

  • The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee
  • The regulatory rulings database (thoroughbredrulings.com)
  • State-by-state summaries of medication rules and safety requirements
  • Details on TOBA’s medication- and safety-related programs
  • Ongoing work of the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit committees
The state-by-state graphic summary of medication rules and penalties in all racing states provides users with an efficient means to review regulations. Also included is a timeline charting industrywide medication- and safety-reform initiatives that have been launched since 2006.

“The industry has made great strides in reform over the past several years,” said Dan Metzger, president of TOBA. “TOBA is proud to continue its collaboration with The Jockey Club, and we are continuously striving to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of owners and breeders with initiatives like the Horse Racing Reform website.”

“We have added a great deal of new content and the new name covers a broader scope of activities and more accurately conveys what we are trying to accomplish,” said Gagliano. “We believe that the objective, factual information on this website will enable visitors to learn more about reform issues and take action to encourage change.”

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is a founding member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the architect and sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing.

TOBA, based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred horse breeders and owners. TOBA’s mission is to improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include the American Graded Stakes Committee, The Racing Game, Sales Integrity Program, and Claiming Crown. Thoroughbred Charities of America is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA is the owner of The Blood-Horse Inc. and is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association as a founding member.