Belmont Stakes 2012: Barn area security tightened
By Matt Hegarty
All horses entered in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9, will be required to be on the grounds at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., by noon on Wednesday, June 6, and
will then be confined to an isolated barn guarded by personnel from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and private security guards under a series of strict requirements announced by the board on Wednesday.
Under the protocols, access to the Belmont horses will be limited to the horses’ trainers, assistant trainers, grooms, hotwalkers, veterinarians, and owners, the board said. Any person who enters a horse’s stall will need to be logged in and logged out and provide a reason for the visit, the board said, and they will be subject to “administrative searches and checks of all equipment, feed, hay, bales, etc.”
In addition, the board is requiring that every horse entered in the Belmont have its blood tested for illegal substances on the day that they are required to enter the security barn, June 6.
Veterinarians treating the horses will need to “provide written notice” of any treatments, the board said. On June 8, veterinarians will not be allowed to administer treatments to horses “without first making an appointment with [board] investigators,” the board said, and on June 9, “treatment will only be permitted for emergency or by agreements with the stewards.”