Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky, announced Oct. 12 that Mick Peterson, PhD, a University of Maine professor and executive director of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, was on-site the previous weekend, working with track officials to review testing and daily measuring procedures to ensure the safety of the dirt track.

The review found that Keeneland’s dirt surface met all of the pre-meet test criteria and all maintenance had been performed in accordance with protocols developed for the track. The findings were similar to those reported in Peterson’s composition and performance testing review, conducted just before the start of Keeneland’s 2015 fall meet.

Peterson performs a review of Keeneland’s dirt and turf surfaces prior to the start of every race meet. In addition to the pre-meet testing, daily measurements are taken on both racing surfaces every race day by Keeneland officials and Peterson maintains and reviews complete electronic records.

“Keeneland, along with a small group of industry leaders, has made a commitment to advancing knowledge and providing the most consistent surfaces in the industry,” Peterson said. “By participating in the maintenance tracking system to measure and monitor the surface performance, Keeneland both defines the state of the art and is helping to advance our understanding of racing surfaces