An updated set of racetrack safety and integrity standards has been circulated to members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety and Integrity Alliance, and the standards are now available for public comment.

After finalization, the compliance standards will serve as the basis for future racetrack alliance accreditation. The alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen's organization. Twenty-two racetracks are fully accredited.

The alliance's 2014 code of standards for 2014 can be reviewed at www.NTRAalliance.com, and comments on the revised code can be submitted via email to alliance@ntra.com.

For 2014, the code of standards has been expanded to encourage adoption of a model rule stating that every licensee shall do "all that is reasonable and within his/her power and scope of duty" to prevent all prohibited substances from being used on a horse entered to race or recording an official workout. The rule also forbids any form of "cruelty, mistreatment, neglect, or abuse" of any animal and requires the establishment of a process (such as a toll-free hotline) for reporting such instances