Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Our friends over at Arkansas Times are off to the races on Oaklawn Park's decision to wait and see on the National Thoroughbred Racing Associations new guidelines, unveiled last week, that ask all U.S. horse racing tracks to put in place for added safety for the horses.

Much clamor ensued about horse safety when Eight Belles, the 2008 Fantasy Stakes winner at Oaklawn, broke down seconds after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby to Big Brown. Eight Belles, one of the rare fillies to compete with the best male 3-year-olds in the Run for the Roses, had to be euthanized.

Big Brown recently was retired over previous racing entries, leaving him out of this weekend's Breeder's Cup Classic in California. 

Oakawn maintains its own strict equine safety guidelines, the story reports, and isn't jumping on this bandwagon yet. 

David Longinotti, assistant general manager for racing at Oaklawn, issued a prepared statement to the Arkansas Times that said:

“Oaklawn and the Arkansas Racing Commission have long been at the forefront of safety and equity as evidenced by the leadership positions we have taken throughout our history on permissive medication, track surface safety and expansion of super-test to non-stakes races. We applaud the NTRA emphasis on safety. However, several weeks ago, we requested additional information on structure, governance, perpetuation, responsibility, and authority on this initiative. We are waiting for clarity on those issues.”