The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced March 3 that Aqueduct Racetrack in New York City has earned reaccreditation from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.

Aqueduct, located in the borough of Queens since 1894, is part of the New York Racing Association franchise.

Aqueduct’s reaccreditation was the culmination of a lengthy process that began with the track’s completion of an extensive written application and continued as the track hosted several meetings with alliance officials. An on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing operations. Interviews were conducted with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, veterinarians, stewards, and regulators. The inspection team included Ron Jensen, DVM, former equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board; Mike Kilpack, security and integrity consultant and past chairman of the Organization of Racetrack Investigators; Steve Koch, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; and Richard Lewis, former trainer and Northern California racing executive and current California Horse Racing Board steward.

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