When it comes to horse racing, the safety of equine and human athletes is paramount. That’s where Michael Peterson, PhD, and the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory (RSTL) come in.
As the director of the Racetrack Safety Program at the University of Kentucky and executive director of the non-profit RSTL, Peterson has dedicated decades to studying and improving safety and, most recently, improving the various surfaces riders and horses train and race on. Whether it’s a dirt, grass, or synthetic track, or a major racetrack such as Churchill Downs or a smaller track like Zia Park in New Mexico, the priority for Peterson is consistency, both between tracks and within a track.
This is also the purpose of the RSTL, which was co-founded by Peterson and founding researcher Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith in 2009 as a non-profit to enhance racetrack consistency to reduce the potential for injuries to racehorses and their jockeys. The idea of the RSTL originated from the 2006 Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, which brought together industry leaders to advance the well-being of horses.
“From the inception of the RSTL, we knew a critical factor in enhancing safety and improving injury prevention for racehorses was data collection from racetracks across North America,” said Peterson. “This meant RSTL teams would need to use cutting-edge science to get precise results, but also that we would need to travel to these racetracks to collect the data.”
Since that time, and thanks to a monetary gift from The Jockey Club in 2019, RSTL teams have traveled far and wide for their work having collected critical data on nearly 100 surfaces, including racetracks, training tracks, and fairgrounds. Once on site, RSTL utilizes advanced technology, such as ground-penetrating radar, to identify potential hazards and provide data-driven solutions for creating optimal surfaces.
One of the RSTL’s most significant contributions is the development of the Maintenance Quality System (MQS), which 30 U.S. racetracks now use. In addition, 52 racetracks also have annual inspections before each race meet. The MQS is an advanced process that can help tracks ensure their surfaces are consistent both within a racecourse and between racetrack venues for horses and jockeys during training and racing.
The MQS involves testing various factors such as temperature, moisture levels, and surface consistency using tools like the Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester (OBST). This device mimics the speed, direction,
and load of a Thoroughbred’s leading foreleg at a gallop, providing valuable data on how different surfaces and conditions can affect a horse’s stride and cause pressure as they run.
By analyzing this data, Peterson and the team at RSTL have been able to determine the best surfaces for Thoroughbreds to race on. The OBST system has been used on more than 60 racing and training surfaces across the U.S. and Canada, highlighting the widespread impact of the RSTL’s work.
“Based on the OBST, we were able to determine the three critical factors that allow tracks to maintain a safe surface for racing,” said Peterson. “These factors included design, pre-meet inspection, and daily testing on race days. These three elements have also been made law under the passage of HISA (Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority).”
Peterson’s research has been a game-changer in understanding how horses interact with different surfaces. He and the RSTL have discovered that factors such as moisture, banking, and uniformity play a crucial role in keeping horses sound and preventing injuries.
By sharing their findings with track superintendents, trainers, and veterinarians, RSTL is fostering a culture of safety and collaboration within the racing industry. This also includes a commitment to advancing knowledge of track surfaces through its research. The research efforts do not stop at work performed by the faculty and graduate students at the University of Kentucky and collaborating universities and industry partners.
RSTL is also commercializing and placing in the public domain equipment and software that allow consistent measurements to be used as a part of larger efforts to enhance horse safety and performance.
“What we can learn and use to prevent injuries is influenced by advancements in technology that allow data to help guide decision making,” Peterson said. “Several groups are working on real-time monitoring equipment for the horses, our work complements the efforts to identify and addressing issues faster than ever before.”
Through its innovative research, advanced testing methods, and dedication to sharing knowledge, RSTL is part of a broad effort to help ensure that every horse, and therefore every jockey, has the safest possible journey around the track.
