The Jockeys' Guild issued the following statement July 13 from the Saratoga jockey colony in response to comments made by New York Racing Association executives and other personnel about the sequence of events leading up to the change of distance on the turf course from 1 mile to 1 1/16 miles in the fourth race July 12.
READ: Jocks' Safety Concern Leads to Saratoga Distance Change
The Jockeys’ Guild and the local colonies regularly work with racetrack officials across the country to establish optimal standards for rail settings and the numbers of starters, depending on the age of the horses and distances of the races, taking into consideration the layout of each racetrack and the surface(s). Once the jockeys have had an opportunity to ride, they are able to provide input and racetracks will make modifications accordingly to preserve safety for both the horses and riders. For instance, starting races from the mile chute on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course was a safety concern.
Over the past few years, the jockeys and NYRA management tried on a number of occasions to establish the maximum number of starters, the appropriate placement of the starting gate, and stall position from the rail. Working together, these issues were resolved cohesively, not only for safety purposes, but also to assure a fair and equitable start for all of the horses.
Even though condition books are available in advance, this is primarily so trainers and others can plan training and racing schedules for their horses. It is the jockey’s agent, not the jockey, who is familiar with the condition book. Entries are taken anywhere from 72 hours up to 10 days in advance and overnights are available on the day of entry. However, on a daily basis a jockey begins working horses in the early morning hours until 10:30 or 11:00 and then they are typically focused on the upcoming race day mounts, with many of them reducing to make weight. Jockeys are looking at the number of horses they are riding and the weight they must make, not scrutinizing the overnights for the number of horses in a particular race.
The timing of the announcement of the change of distance of Sunday’s race was indeed unfortunate and the jockeys recognize the importance of the betting public and understand their frustrations regarding the changes. However, NYRA management was aware of the jockeys’ concerns on Friday, July 10, regarding 2-year-old maidens racing 1 mile on the inner turf course. Additionally, multiple NYRA officials were notified for the second time of the jockeys’ concerns at approximately 12:15 p.m. EST, as the fourth race was carded with 11 starters, with 10 actually running. The inner turf course has a short run into the first turn at this distance and is not safe for a field of that size. This has always been a safety issue not only for the jockeys, but for the horses as well, dating back at least three decades.
At no time, has the Guild, nor the riders, ever agreed to more than eight starters in a 2-year-old race on the inner turf at the 1 mile distance. While it is correct that NYRA ran two similar races in 2025, the race on July 25 (Race 7) had eight (8) horses and the race on August 7 (Race 2) had seven (7) horses. Furthermore, over the past couple of years, there have been other instances of communication, and possibly some misunderstanding with NYRA officials, regarding the 1 mile turf distance, as well as the number of starters for 2-year-olds at different distances with various rail settings.
Given both notifications of the jockeys’ concerns, the management was given more than enough time to change the distance from a 1 mile to a 1 1/16 miles for safety purposes without delaying the races. The jockeys followed the proper protocols to notify racing officials of their concerns in a timely manner. It is unfortunate that was not fully communicated to the public and media by NYRA officials and those who have made it seem as though the jockeys were at fault.
The Guild and the jockeys will continue, just as we have always done, to work with NYRA management on the number of starters at various distances for the safety of riders and our equine athletes, as well as all other safety and integrity matters.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
