RMTC NAMES FICK CHAIRMAN, APPROVES SEVERAL INITIATIVES

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), at its quarterly meeting in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, elected Dan Fick, the executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, as its chairman and approved several initiatives.

Fick succeeds D.G. Van Clief Jr., who has served as chairman of the RMTC since February 2003.

“We are grateful for the leadership and enthusiasm that D.G. Van Clief Jr. devoted to the Consortium and the industry should be grateful as well,” said Executive Director Scot Waterman. “We’ve made important strides in the past year and we are confident we will make further progress with Dan Fick at the helm.”

At the meeting, the RMTC also:

• Approved a recommendation for a $5 per start fee paid by owners to fund RMTC research programs to develop threshold levels and withdrawal times for therapeutic medications and new tests for prohibited and currently unknown substances, laboratory accreditation and quality assurance programs;
• Received a progress report from Executive Director Scot Waterman indicating that approximately 60% of the jurisdictions had either adopted or were in the process of adopting the RMTC language in the model rules approved by RCI and NAPRA in April;
• Approved the formation of a scientific sub-committee to prepare policy language which will address the issue of “milkshaking” or bicarbonate loading in Thoroughbreds;
• Approved the development of a request for proposal (RFP) for the development of best practices, minimum standards and recommended procedures for backstretch and training center security programs, including but not limited to training programs for security personnel and racing investigators, video surveillance systems, detention barns and informant reward programs;
• And directed the RMTC finance committee to continue working with track representatives to develop a comparable funding mechanism for tracks to financially support and participate in RMTC efforts to improve and expand security in the barn area and at training centers.

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization whose mission is to develop, promote and coordinate, at the national level, policies, research and educational programs to ensure the fairness and integrity of racing; safeguard the health and welfare of racehorses and participants; and protect the interests of the betting public. Additional information about the Consortium is available on its web site http://www.rmtcnet.com.