A Commitment to Safety and Integrity

Keeneland was founded with the mission to put the best interests of the horse first. Throughout our history, the safety of horse and rider has been priority No. 1. Toward that goal, Keeneland has invested significantly in state-of-the-art technology to provide the most consistent racing surfaces possible and in initiatives that advance health and welfare research to benefit horse and rider; funded Thoroughbred aftercare initiatives; and been among the first to participate in databases that track equine and jockey injuries to promote transparency and study.

Thoroughbred Safety Coalition

Keeneland is at the forefront of an initiative in which the nation's leading racing organizations have linked arms to unify and enhance existing protections and work together to develop new reforms that ensure the safety of the sport’s athletes. The group seeks to create and implement a series of significant safety, medication, operational and integrity guidelines across racing to ensure the well-being of athletes and increase transparency and accountability.

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Track Safety

Figures since March 29

Number of Horses on Track: 22,613
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 1,649
Number of Starters: 1033

March 29

Number of Horses on Track: 513
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 35
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content:N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

March 30

Number of Horses on Track: 645
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 77
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

March 31

Number of Horses on Track: 587
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 0
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 1

Number of Horses on Track: 776
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 55
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 2

Number of Horses on Track: 893
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 37
Number of Starters: 84
Dirt Moisture Content: 15%
Turf Moisture Content: 38%
Going Stick Penetration: 6.2
Number of Incidents: 0

April 3

Number of Horses on Track: 909
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 149
Number of Starters: 176
Dirt Moisture Content: 18.24%
Turf Moisture Content: 35.85%
Going Stick Penetration: 6.3
Number of Incidents: 0

April 4

Number of Horses on Track: 533
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 101
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content:N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 5

Number of Horses on Track: 785
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 56
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 6

Number of Horses on Track:1005
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 85
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 7

Number of Horses on Track: 1052
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 25
Number of Starters: 62
Dirt Moisture Content: 22.9%
Turf Moisture Content: 39.1%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.9
Number of Incidents: 0

April 8

Number of Horses on Track: 976
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 58
Number of Starters: 72
Dirt Moisture Content: 22.3%
Turf Moisture Content: 38.1%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.9
Number of Incidents: 0

April 9

Number of Horses on Track: 949
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 53
Number of Starters: 83
Dirt Moisture Content: 24.8%
Turf Moisture Content: 45.1&
Going Stick Penetration: 6.9
Number of Incidents: 0

April 10

Number of Horses on Track: 949
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 91
Number of Starters: 80
Dirt Moisture Content: 22.4%
Turf Moisture Content: 42.8%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.7
Number of Incidents: 0

April 11

Number of Horses on Track: 566
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 37
Number of Starters: 72
Dirt Moisture Content: 28%
Turf Moisture Content: 43.3%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.3
Number of Incidents: 0

April 12

Number of Horses on Track: 893
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 65
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 13

Number of Horses on Track: 1053
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 56
Number of Starters: N/A
Dirt Moisture Content: N/A
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 14

Number of Horses on Track: 976
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 33
Number of Starters: 54
Dirt Moisture Content: 28.7%
Turf Moisture Content: 47.4%
Going Stick Penetration: 6.8
Number of Incidents: 0

April 15

Number of Horses on Track: 1041
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 62
Number of Starters:69
Dirt Moisture Content: 28.2%
Turf Moisture Content: 42.8%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.4
Number of Incidents: 0

April 16

Number of Horses on Track: 1089
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 114
Number of Starters: 71
Dirt Moisture Content: 23.3%
Turf Moisture Content: 41%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.7
Number of Incidents: 0

April 17

Number of Horses on Track: 959
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 192
Number of Starters: 84
Dirt Moisture Content: 22.8%
Turf Moisture Content: 41.1%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.5
Number of Incidents: 0

April 18

Number of Horses on Track: 591
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 48
Number of Starters: 69
Dirt Moisture Content: 22.7%
Turf Moisture Content: 41.3%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.8
Number of Incidents: 0

April 21

Number of Horses on Track: 1039
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 35
Number of Starters: 48
Dirt Moisture Content: 27.3
Turf Moisture Content: N/A
Going Stick Penetration: N/A
Number of Incidents: 0

April 22

Number of Horses on Track: 1037
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 35
Number of Starters: 74
Dirt Moisture Content: 21.9%
Turf Moisture Content: 40.6%
Going Stick Penetration: 8.3
Number of Incidents: 0

April 23

Number of Horses on Track: 908
Number of Horses with Timed Workout: 149
Number of Starters: 81
Dirt Moisture Content: 20.9%
Turf Moisture Content: 39.5%
Going Stick Penetration: 7.9
Number of Incidents: 0

NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance Accreditation

Keeneland was among the first race tracks in North America to earn accreditation by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Safety & Integrity Alliance in 2009. Since then, Keeneland has been fully re-accredited every two years, most recently in 2019.

Alliance certification standards address an extensive list of safety and integrity concerns within six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; uniform medication, testing and penalties; safety research; and wagering security.

Keeneland flag

Keeneland Race Track Maintenance Merges Art and Science

Keeneland is committed to advancing knowledge and providing the most consistent dirt and turf racing surfaces in the industry. This commitment is reflected in the significant investment made in the unique design and ongoing maintenance of our dirt track, turf course and training track, and the year-round best practices employed by our track maintenance team.

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Keeneland dirt track

Mawsafe Turf Rail

Keeneland replaced its inside turf rail with a Mawsafe safety rail in 2016. The unique flexibility of the Mawsafe rail makes it safer than existing solid pipe construction for horse and rider. The major safety feature is the horizontal PVC rail will absorb the impact of a horse and rider. The rail is designed to spring and bend as the ropes around a boxing ring, flexing under the weight of the horse to allow the rider to guide his mount back onto the turf course.

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Keeneland turf rail

Recent Reforms Significantly Enhance Safety Protocols at Kentucky Tracks

Keeneland has implemented major changes in racing and training policies to strengthen safety protocols at the track. Reforms included mandatory veterinary inspections prior to workouts and race entry and enhanced reporting and transparency requirements for trainers and attending veterinarians with regard to the fitness of horses to work and race.

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Racing Equipment Promotes Safety and Welfare

Keeneland implements a number of policies regarding racing equipment for both horse and rider.

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Thoroughbred Aftercare and Welfare

The aftercare of Thoroughbreds is of the utmost importance to Keeneland, and Keeneland champions these initiatives for the betterment of the sport.

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Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act

Keeneland is honored to have been involved in the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) in December 2020. This legislation marks a landmark moment for Thoroughbred racing’s ongoing efforts to ensure horses run under the safest and most transparent conditions possible and to protect the integrity of the sport for our athletes, horsemen and fans. The independent Authority established by HISA will bring a level of consistency and accountability that will improve racing for years to come as they work to develop and implement uniform anti-doping, medication control and operational measures.