Jockeys' Guild Initiatives

JOCKEYS’ GUILD INITIATIVES                              

1)      HEALTH INSURANCE/TEMPORARY DISABILITY

Payment secured on all outstanding medical claims despite bankruptcy filing. Payments totaled $754,078.

+Guild continues to analyze possible methods to incorporate a health and welfare reimbursement program into our member benefits. Temporary disability payments since 10/13/07 total $1,744,453.00.

2)      INCREASES IN LOSING MOUNT FEES

+Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga, Finger Lakes, Arlington, Hawthorne, Fairmount Park, Calder Race Course, Delaware Park,  Gulfstream Park, Indiana Downs, Hoosier Park, Prairie Meadows, Tampa Bay Downs, Turf Paradise, Yavapai Downs, Charles Town,  Atlantic City, Meadowlands, Monmouth, Fair Grounds, Evangeline Downs, Delta Downs, Louisiana Downs, Canterbury, Oaklawn Park, Portland Meadows, Mountaineer, Fair Meadows, Remington Park, Will Rogers Downs, Emerald Downs, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Turfway Park, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs, The Downs at Albuquerque, Sunland Park, SunRay Park, Zia Park, Ruidoso Downs, Arapahoe and through legislation in California.  Losing mount fees have also been increased at Penn National, Philadelphia Park and Presque Isle Downs. 

3)      CREATION OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS

+2011 Kentucky Derby sponsorship netted $61,500 to various charitites. 2010 Kentucky Derby sponsorship netted $97,500 to the PDJF and $7,500 to the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. 2009 Kentucky Derby sponsorship netted $125,000 to PDJF and $75,000 to Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. From Preakness Stakes sponsorship $45,000 to The Jockey Club Foundation & $7,500 to Susan G. Koman Foundation. The Belmont Stakes sponsorship distributed $18,750 each to  B.E.S.T. and PDJF. Special thanks to NETJETS, Richard Santulli and Bill Casner. Total sponsorship contributions to charity since 2008 totals more than $1.2 million.

4)    PERMANENTLY DISABLED JOCKEYS’ FUND

+The Disabled Jockeys’ Endowment and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund have merged.  The benefits from the PDJF are in addition to the benefits provided by the Jockeys’ Guild to its qualifying members.

5)      IMPROVED ON-TRACK MEDICAL CARE

+Special thanks to The Jockey Club and Keeneland for their help developing this secure internet based program with medical histories of jockeys for use by emergency medical personnel. Participating tracks to date: Aqueduct, Arapahoe, Arlington, Atlantic City, Belmont, Beulah, Calder, Charles Town, Churchill, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds, Finger Lakes, Gillespie County Fair, Golden Gate, Great Falls, Gulfstream, Hawthorne, Hialeah, Hollywood, Hoosier, Indiana, Keeneland, Laurel, Lone Star, Louisiana Downs, Manor Downs, Meadowlands, Monmouth, Mt. Pleasant Meadows, Oaklawn, Penn National, Pimlico, Portland Meadows, Prairie Meadows, Remington, Retama, River Downs, Saratoga, Santa Anita, Sunland, Thistledown, Turf Paradise, Turfway, Will Rogers Downs and Wyoming.

6)      WORKING WITH THE JOCKEY CLUB, NTRA, HBPA, ARCI, AAEP, TRA

+Working with Jockey Club and the industry to develop a rider injury database.

+Setting of medical standards/ambulances at racetracks for jockey care   

+Improved standards for helmets/safety vests

+Mandatory pre-race veterinary examinations of entered horses

+Comprehensive standards set by the ARCI for jockey weigh in/out, gate-loading procedures

+Establishment of updated jockey scale of weights

+Establishment of jockey nutritional program

+Participation of all racetracks in The Jockey Club/InCompass medical records program

+Endorsement of ARCI model rules for licensing

+Restrictions on entry of horses which have undergone shock wave therapy

               +Standards for riding crops

     7)       JOCKEY REPRESENTATION

+Upholding a jockey’s right to fair hearings before racing commissions, stewards, track management or other racing related organizations. Represented all New Mexico members at SunRay Park, Jeremy Rose, Jorge Bourdieu, Paco Lopez, Terry Houghton, Jacky Martin, Orlando Mojica and Charles Town jockeys on their suspension.

      8)      TRACK CONTRIBUTIONS

+Tracks paying: Aqueduct, Arapahoe, Arlington Park, Belmont, Calder, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Fair Grounds, Finger Lakes, Fonner Park, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Hollywood Park, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel, Lone Star, Monmouth, Oak Tree, Pimlico, Portland Meadows, Remington, Santa Anita, Santa Rosa Fair, Saratoga, Stockton, Suffolk, Sunland, Tampa Bay (tax credit) and Thistledown.   

 09/09/2011