Jennifer Durenberger

Edited Press Release Officials at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has announced the additions of Drs. Kevin Dunlavy, Vickie Heidlage-Williams, Jamie McAnly, Clayton McCook and Gabrielle Rivest to HISA's Veterinary Advisory Committee (VAC). Established in 2024, the committee is composed of both regulatory and private racetrack veterinarians across the nation. Advisory committee members provide feedback to HISA's executive team and standing committees on the execution and development of HISA's policies and protocols surrounding veterinary care, racetrack safety, medication, equine research and other related issues. Members are appointed for...

Horses in early stages of training or those returning from an extended layoff may be at higher risk for fatal proximal forelimb fractures than previously recognized, according to an Equine Health Advisory released by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Monday. The advisory, which is based on data drawn from the HISA Portal, provides practical guidance for trainers and veterinarians on how to help prevent these catastrophic injuries. The advisory's key findings include: Fatal proximal forelimb (humeral and scapular) fractures accounted for 15% of training fatalities reported to HISA by...

Representatives from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) hosted a Town Hall Friday to dig down into the information issued in their recent annual reports and fatality metrics. One aim of the town hall, said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus, was to publicly "look under the hood" of the fatality numbers to better understand how they're compiled. "How do we collect these metrics? What does the process look like? Why are we very confident that they are accurate?" said Lazarus. As much...

Horse racing is a sport genetically programmed in high emotion. It's hardly surprising then that the vet scratch-the ultimate sucker-punch after weeks and months of best laid plans-should prove such a test of nerves. The problem is, diagnosing subtle lameness can be such a subjective venture. And where there's uncertainty, doubt can quickly escalate to condemnation. A recent TDN compendium of data collected from around the country, however, shows that scratched horses run a much higher than average risk of harboring an injury. Numbers from California, Florida, New York, Kentucky...

LEXINGTON, KY -The two-session Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock concluded Saturday, producing double-digit increases in average and median compared to its 2023 counterpart. Keeneland sold 499 horses through the ring during Book 3 for a gross of $37,747,000. The section's average was $75,645--up 20.98% from last year's Book 3--and the median was $60,000, an increase of 20% from a year ago. During the two Book 3 sessions in 2023, 494 horses sold through the ring for a total of $30,888,000. The section average price was $62,526...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has released a request for proposals for research into whether furosemide is a performance-enhancing drug in Thoroughbred racehorses. The research is required as part of HISA's Congressional mandate and its conclusions will be used to guide HISA's Furosemide Advisory Committee in its recommendations to the HISA Board on next steps regarding the regulation of furosemide. Responses to the RFP are due by Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Questions about the RFP and the process for submitting a response may be sent to Dr....

The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which cancelled racing this weekend after two fatalities at Laurel Park Thursday, issued a new statement late Saturday regarding the status of the Laurel surface. The statement appears in full below: The Maryland Jockey Club has cancelled its Thursday, Apr. 27 racing program at Laurel Park due to insufficient entries. The racing office will be open and taking entries Sunday for the Friday, Apr. 28 program. We acknowledge the recent statements in the press regarding the safety of our racing surface. However, we want to...

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak LEXINGTON, KY-The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club (KTFMC) held its first meeting of the year on Tuesday at Keeneland. The event was conducted jointly with the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP) and the over 200 in attendance represented both organizations. Members of the Godolphin Flying Start and Kentucky Equine Management Internship programs were also on hand. Recent changes and trends in the equine veterinary field were a focal point of the evening, along with topics including equine litigation and liability, navigating equine veterinary...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has appointed Dr. Jennifer Durenberger as Director of Equine Safety and Welfare, effective Nov. 28, 2022, HISA announced Thursday. Dr. Durenberger will advise HISA's leadership and Standing Committees on equine health and welfare strategies and oversee HISA's relationships with industry veterinarians and other key stakeholders to ensure consistency in the implementation of HISA's equine safety and welfare policies nationwide. "HISA is thrilled to have Dr. Durenberger sharing her insight and expertise to help protect the health and welfare of our sport's magnificent equine...

Starting next week, the TDN will begin a weekly roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. The task, however, of collecting these rulings has wrenched the curtain back on the fractured way in which the industry polices its own and then makes those rulings public--or not, as is often the case. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) provides something of a gold standard, thanks to a centralized, easy-to-use database containing all stewards rulings from across...

The Racing Officials Accreditation Program's (ROAP) board of directors elected its 2022-2023 officers during its Dec. 6 board meeting, held at the Global Symposium on Racing in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, The Jockey Club Steward for NYRA, was elected ROAP chairperson; Frank Lamb, a ROAP-accredited steward was elected ROAP vice chairperson; Wendy Davis, former director at the University of Arizona RTIP was re-elected ROAP secretary; and Kristin Werner, senior counsel at The Jockey Club, was re-elected ROAP treasurer. "I am thrilled to take the reins of this organization at...