The University of Louisville (UofL) Equine Industry program launched the first-ever Racing Investigator Certificate Program Monday. The two-day program, an initiative of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), was conducted online, but the ARCI is working with UofL and the University of Arizona's Racetrack Industry Program to hold future programs in person.
“The job of a racing investigator is a specialty involving knowledge not only of police procedures concerning interrogation and evidence gathering, but also of horse racing, the backstretch, and the horses themselves,” said ARCI Chair Tom Sage.
The participants will receive certification upon successfully passing an examination on the material presented, including basic horsemanship skills, safety procedures, racing terminology, overview of officials and their duties, constructing a condition book and drawing for races, equine medications, veterinary records, investigatory tools and techniques, evidence gathering, methods used by those attempting to avoid detection when violating medication testing procedures, and much more. The contents were produced through the efforts of the late John Wayne, who was considered to be one of the foremost authorities on racing regulation in the U.S.
“There is a tremendous amount of expertise and experience that is required to do this job properly,” said RCI President Ed Martin.
The ARCI suggests commissions and racetracks include a requirement for the present Racing Investigator Certificate as essential for employment. Initially expected to include 30-35 participants, the program already has exceeded expectations with more than three times the number of registrations than anticipated.
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