Racetracks and organizations from around the racing world will be represented June 10-12 at the 11th annual Track Superintendents’ and Arena Managers’ Field Day Presented by John Deere and Massey Ferguson at Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale, Ontario, Canada. Attendance by racetrack representatives at the Woodbine event will also contribute to fulfilling NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance requirements for safety training and continuing education.

The gathering will feature numerous discussions and demonstrations on the latest technologies affecting track maintenance. These include a Welfare & Safety Summit Racing Surface Committee Presentation led by Dr. Mick Peterson of the University of Maine; a presentation on track surfaces and banking by Dr. Jeff Thomason, a professor at Ontario Veterinary College and a renowned expert on mammalian biomechanics; a track superintendents roundtable discussion; a presentation on turf aerification by Brad Park of Rutgers University; a discussion of the importance of proper track grading led by Christie Mahaffey of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; a trainers panel; and additional presentations on irrigation and weather, heart rate of the Thoroughbred during racing, track biases and water quality.

“This is definitely one of the most informative and collegial gatherings taking place anywhere in the horse industry,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. “Professionals from as far away as Japan and Dubai will converge on Woodbine to share technologies, research and best practices with the sole objective of promoting the safest possible racing environment.”