SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In response to a rash of equine fatalities during the Saratoga meet, state racing regulators and officials have implemented additional protocols they hope will enhance equine safety. The New York State Gaming Commission has stationed an additional regulatory veterinarian on the grounds of Saratoga during training hours. This person ensures that a veterinary presence exists to view horses during busy training hours and confirm that any incidents are appropriately documented and managed. Additionally, regulatory vets are using reports provided by the Jockey Club’s InCompass software to examine horses considered to be at an increased risk for injury. A similar process has been implemented at Del Mar in Southern California. The reports will include horses stabled at Saratoga Race Course or Belmont Park that may be vulnerable to injury based upon extensive research findings. These new protocols were announced Monday in a joint press release issued by the gaming commission, the New York Racing Association, and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. According to the gaming commission website, there have been 17 equine fatalities at Saratoga since the track opened for training in April. There have been eight racing-related fatalities and eight training fatalities, the most recent one being Travelin Soldier, an unraced 3-year-old trained by Dallas Stewart who came out of a workout Saturday morning over the main track with an injury to a hind leg. A 17th horse stabled here had to be euthanized due to complications from colic. “Our goal is to reduce the number of racehorse deaths and injuries to zero, and we have taken many productive steps toward reaching that goal over the past four years,” Scott Palmer, the state’s equine medical director, said in a press release. “However, our work is never done, and there will always be challenges that require reexamination and recalibration to effectively protect horses and their riders.” Many horsemen complained about how deep and tiring the main track was early in the meet. Some trainers – most notably Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, and Ian Wilkes – have moved most, if not all, of their morning workouts to the Oklahoma training track. Eight of the nine horses stabled on the grounds pointing to next Saturday’s Travers Stakes had their final workout on the Oklahoma training track. Palmer said that the commission investigates the circumstances of all equine fatalities at Saratoga and other New York tracks. “This also includes close scrutiny of the track surfaces, exercise history and past performances, individual horse risk factors, and more,” Palmer said. “Pending the findings of this investigation, we will do whatever is necessary to prevent such injuries in the future.” The commission is looking into additional measures it hopes will enhance equine safety. Two of the racing-related fatalities occurred during steeplechase races. The National Steeplechase Association has banned apprentice riders from competing in races at Belmont and Saratoga. Also, officials will seek to amend a claiming rule that already requires all claimed horses to go to the test barn post-race for examination. The amendment would require any horse determined to have an AAEP Grade 2 or greater lameness or to have bled from one or both nostrils to be placed on the vet’s list. The claim would be voidable at the discretion of the claimant. Currently, the only claims that can be voided are those of horses who have been vanned off the track.