With an abundance of graded stakes races on tap in the coming months, The Jockey Club reminds racetracks that its Graded Stakes Out-of-Competition Testing Grant Fund program will be in effect once again in 2016. The funding is designed to encourage more out-of-competition testing for the presence of blood doping agents and RCI Class 1 substances.

Racetracks in California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, and the province of Ontario (Woodbine) have participated in the program since its inception in 2014.

Gulfstream Park was the first racetrack to use the Graded Stakes Out-of-Competition Testing Grant Fund, which was announced at The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing in August 2013.

A Thoroughbred racetrack’s participation in the funding program is voluntary. Thoroughbred racetracks that elect to participate may receive reimbursement to defray some of the costs associated with out-of-competition testing subject to certain criteria.

“Thoroughbred racing needs to greatly expand its out-of-competition testing,” said Dr. Rick Arthur, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board.  “The Jockey Club’s grant program for graded stakes has made a positive impact in California, and I would encourage other racetracks in other states to use the grant fund to implement or enhance out-of-competition testing programs.”

“Out-of-competition testing is an extremely important weapon in the quest for integrity and fairness, and in the past few weeks we’ve seen how much other sports rely on such testing and punish those who violate drug rules,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “As a sport and as a business, we need to take every measure we can to ensure the integrity of competition, and we encourage racetracks and regulatory authorities to participate in our Graded Stakes Out-of-Competition Testing Grant Fund program once again this year.”

Racetracks interested in participating in the grant program in 2016 should contact Jamie Haydon, The Jockey Club’s manager of industry initiatives, at jhaydon@jockeyclub.com or (859) 224-2750.

To be eligible for reimbursement from the grant fund:

• Tests should be conducted on samples collected from nominees to graded stakes races no closer than seven days before the race.
• Racetracks may apply for reimbursement upon written request to The Jockey Club that includes invoices and other supporting documentation for the charges.
• In addition, all requests for reimbursement must include the following information:
• the graded stakes race that the grant fund was used to test,
• the number of horses sampled, and
• the number of horses sampled that started in the graded stakes race.

The graded stakes that are eligible for out-of-competition funding from The Jockey Club are those scheduled for March 26, 2016, or later.

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 the sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.