Stronach Group, TOC reach agreement on Horse Safety

By Mike Willman —-

THE STRONACH GROUP & THOROUGHBRED OWNERS OF CALIFORNIA

Arcadia, CA (March 16, 2019) – Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and the
Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) today reached an historic agreement to
protect the safety and welfare of horses and riders in the state. This collective mandate
enacts the most stringent medication policy in North America.

Belinda Stronach, President and Chairman of The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns
both Santa Anita and Golden Gate, outlined these ground-breaking rules earlier this
week in an Open Letter. Working with horsemen and internationally renowned
veterinarians, TSG and TOC have discussed the best measures to put the horse first and
appropriately enact these changes.

“This is a complete revision of the current medication policy for Thoroughbred racing.
We have worked through the implementation of this groundbreaking model with our
stakeholders and the California Horse Racing Board,” said Belinda Stronach. “TSG is
committed to the principles of safe horse racing for both equine and human athletes
and to making California racing the best in the world. It is my hope the other tracks in
California will follow suit. TSG will begin consultation with our stakeholders in other
states to put these standards into effect in those jurisdictions, in the best interest of
horse racing.”

“We appreciate the willingness of Belinda Stronach of TSG and Jim Cassidy (President of
California Thoroughbred Trainers) to negotiate in good faith and reach today’s
agreement,” said Greg Avioli, President and CEO of TOC. “I am confident we all share
the same goal of making California racing safer and doing everything we can to provide
additional safety and protection for our horses.”

“I very much appreciate the efforts made by The Stronach Group, the TOC, and the CTT
in coming to this agreement, to improve and enhance horse and rider safety,” said
Chuck Winner, California Horse Racing Board Chairman. “The CHRB will continue to
work with the stakeholders as they move forward. I plan to move the previously
scheduled March 21st board meeting to March 28th in order for the full board to
consider and take action on those items on which CHRB approval is required. March
28th allows for the legally required 10-day public notice.”

Santa Anita, Golden Gate and the TOC have agreed to the following initiatives for racing
and training:

• Complete transparency of all veterinary records.
• Strict limitations on the use of any pain or anti-inflammatory medication and
treatment, including legal therapeutic NSAIDS, joint injections, shockwave
therapy, and anabolic steroids.
• Trainers must apply for permission to work a horse (a timed, high-speed training
exercise) at least 48 hours in advance.
• No therapeutic medications of treatments will be allowed without a qualified
veterinary diagnosis from a state licensed veterinarian.
• Significant and strict Out-of-Competition Testing (OCT).
• Increasing the time required for horses to be on-site prior to a race.
• A substantial investment by The Stronach Group in diagnostic equipment to aid
in the early detection of pre-existing conditions.

Santa Anita, Golden Gate and the TOC are also in alliance to change the use of the
cushion crop. This evolution of a centuries-old practice will only allow the use of the
crop as a corrective safety measure. This new directive has already gone into effect
during training hours.

This agreement will effectively phase out all race-day medication at Santa Anita and
Golden Gate under rules consistent with, or more restrictive than, the International
Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) standards. The IFHA regulations are in
effect at premiere racetracks throughout the world and are the benchmark for equine
safety and welfare.

All horses born in or after 2018 will race at Santa Anita and Golden Gate with no race-
day medication, including the diuretic furosemide, commonly known as Lasix. This means all two-year-old horses starting in 2020 and after will be racing medication free.

All horses born prior to 2018 will race at Santa Anita and Golden Gate with the same
guidelines, however, following the recommendation of veterinary experts for the best
interest of the health of the current horse population, Lasix will still be permitted but at
a maximum of 50% of the current levels.

“Lasix is an efficacious medication for the treatment of Exercised-Induced Pulmonary
Hemorrhage (EIPH) and has been legal in California for almost a generation of trainers,”
said Dionne Benson, DVM, Executive Director and COO of the Racing Medication &
Testing Consortium (RMTC). “This change will require many trainers to manage their
horses without the aid of this medication in racing for the first time ever. In order to
ensure this is done properly and thoughtfully, we need to allow time for this
adjustment.”

These modernizations are in addition to the previously announced commitment to the
continued engagement of outside experts to regularly review our dirt, turf and synthetic
courses to ensure the safest racing surfaces in the world.

Once this historic agreement is approved by the CHRB, Santa Anita and Golden Gate will
race with these enhanced new safety and welfare protocols in place. Because state
regulations require a 10-day approval process, Santa Anita is planning to return to racing
on March 29th.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.
ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.