Michael “Mick” Peterson, director of the Racetrack Safety Program and a professor in the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Kentucky, also serves as executive director of the Racing Surfaces Laboratory.  He gave his ninth presentation on racetrack surface safety at the 2020 Jockey Club Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit. Presented remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his webinar covered recent advances in track safety research and implementation. The presentation covered three main topics, with Peterson speaking to pertinent researchers and racetrack leadership to illustrate current safety initiatives, best practices and future plans.

Data Collection: MSQ/OBST

Fourteen racetracks participate in Peterson’s Maintenance Quality System (MQS), a research-based data collection service he provides to improve understanding of racetrack surfaces, which then drives increased safety. Some of the data points collected include weather, the track composition banking and track geometry.

Peterson’s “culture of data” supports documentation of a track’s design, inspection outcomes and daily maintenance, but it does not prescribe maintenance procedures. Rather, it is designed to track the maintenance decisions track superintendents make for their tracks and provides aggregate, cumulative data that racetracks can learn from and use to improve their surfaces.

Peterson and Glen Kozak, senior vice president, operations and capital projects at the New York Racing Association, discussed the important switch to electronic data collection, and how, by monitoring maintenance and weather data, track superintendents are able to swiftly adjust their practices at each track in real time.

After a while, you can judge the weather patterns by looking at the maintenance records, Kozak said. He also lauded the ability to differentiate turf and dirt data to detect patterns, and how the electronic data allows for safety and continuous improvement.

According to Peterson, even more data is needed to understand safety, but one conclusion is that track surface consistency appears to be a big factor. Weather, and especially water/moisture, are critical factors for track consistency.

“Conditions can change very quickly, especially in places like California, where dry winds can dry the track in a few hours,” Peterson said.

To measure surface consistency and response, Peterson developed the Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester (OBST). The influence of maintenance and weather changes in composition can be understood  by using this device to test the surface. Data collection for maintenance, weather, track design and usage rates can help provide guidance for decisions related to the maintenance and optimal design for a surface. Future research projects include water truck design, new track materials and the automation of data acquisition for racetrack maintenance and daily measurements.

ASTM Standards and the Rise of Turf

In the second section of Peterson’s presentation, he discussed progress that he and his research collaborators have made in establishing international standards for racetrack surfaces.

Stephanie Bonin, Ph.D., PE, a biomechanical engineer at MEA Forensic, explained how standards such as those being developed with ASTM International, can be used in regulations and to ensure that testing is done in a consistent manner.  Peterson has been working with an international team to publish consensus-based standards that can be used by regulatory bodies. Peterson and Bonin have multiple ASTM standards, and even more are in process.

According to Bonin, the standards are not limited to racing; the surface recommendations apply to and support all equestrian activities.

Peterson said that, at this point, racing has some of the best protocols and standards of any sport.

One factor influencing the need for standards is the rise in popularity of turf racing in the U.S.

Jim Pendergest, director of racing surfaces at Keeneland, noted that additional focus is needed for turf tracks. The new safety protocols being developed by the racing industry will use methods described in the ASTM standards.  Pendergest also discussed extending the current surface testing to document standard turf maintenance practices, including watering, aeration, divot/sod repair and repair for heavy use areas, such as the surface area underneath the starting gate.

Automation of Data Collection Needed

In the final section of Peterson’s presentation, he discussed the trade-offs of the MQS system with Dennis Moore, track superintendent at Santa Anita Park.

Maintenance Quality System tracks are recording data and using it to make day-to-day decisions. Peterson acknowledged how labor-intensive data collection is—track staff have to measure moisture and cushion every day and manually enter those data points.

“We need automated measurements,” Peterson said. This will not only help improve the quality of data acquired at the top tracks but should also help tracks with more limited staffing to be able to participate in the Maintenance Quality System.

However, several additional areas of research are needed. One important area is how different surfaces—dirt, synthetic and turf—provide support during breakover, the phase of the gait when the hoof rotates and grabs the surface to propel the horse forward. Understanding the different response of the three types of surfaces may make it possible to develop a surface that is biomechanically more like turf or dirt but has some of the unique attributes of synthetic surfaces. 

Peterson concluded with three recommendations: increased record keeping, ongoing investment in turf projects and equipment and the use of data to develop automation and new surfaces.

“We need a culture of data to improve horse and jockey safety,” Peterson said.

A link to the talk can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLQsABZ_2Z4&fbclid=IwAR3SXT-0ZGFuEiWtvj4mvU4qwZxBU9K3TsndkMzkRuK4Je5XBxHvL7mzx9g

Karin Pekarchik, MS, senior extension associate for distance learning and founder of the UK Female Equestrian Health and Wellness Community of Practice, provided this information.