On the Lead Podcast: "Horse Racing's North Star: The 20-Year Mission to Keep Our Athletes Safer"

Since the first Welfare & Safety of the Racehorse Summit in 2006, the industry has achieved a 47% reduction in racing fatalities — and the work is far from over. Peter Thomas Fornatale and Shannon Kelly sit down with Jamie Hayden, president of the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, and Dr. Scollay, consultant for the Equine Injury Database, to look back on two decades of progress. They discuss the data, the diagnostics, the surfaces, and the culture shift that's made thoroughbred racing safer for horses and riders alike. From standardized pre-race exams and the national Vets List to cutting-edge PET scans and racing surface science, this episode explains exactly how horse racing transformed its approach to safety — and where it's headed next.