The Jockey Club is encouraging racetracks throughout the United States to join the newly formed Thoroughbred Safety Coalition. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

In a Nov. 20 press release it reported that the group seeks to become a transparent source of safety information and best practices and will set up new safety standards for the participating tracks, which comprise the majority of major tracks in the United States.

“The Jockey Club supports the aims of this coalition and believes that its efforts will improve equine health,” said Jim Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, adding, “the entire racing industry needs to get on board for these proposals to have maximum impact.”

The current regulatory regime governing horse racing has proved to be unable to affect these changes and is the reason there are no national standards — a system of individual, state-based regulations and rules denies the industry dynamic and effective change, The Jockey Club said in the release