New York racing officials are set to begin implementing new rules based on recommendations by a recent industry task force report to increase safety conditions for horses and jockeys.

The expected action Oct. 11 by the state New York State Racing and Wagering Board (NYSRWB) comes a couple weeks after the Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety issued a 100-page report outlining deficiencies in state rules and practices at the New York Racing Association that helped contribute to last winter’s high number of equine deaths at Aqueduct Racetrack, in Ozone Park , N.Y.

The first round of regulations set to be adopted by the NYSRWB pertain to emergency-type rule-making procedures, mostly involving equine medication restrictions. Some broader recommendations by the task force, including creating the position of equine medical director and overhauling veterinarians practice at the racetracks, are still being reviewed by state officials.

One of the expected new rules amends a regulation adopted earlier this year by the NYSRWB that voids a claim if a horse dies on the track. The additional restriction calls for a new owner to void a claim within one hour of a claiming race if a horse has to be vanned off the track

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