Thursday, April 16, 2026	Contact: Shannon Luce 859.224.2716
Statement from The Jockey Club in Support of the SAFE Act
The Jockey Club stands with1/ST President Aidan Butler and his colleagues at 1/ST for their support of the SAFE Act and their recent, highly effective work to gain attention for this critical issue for the future of horse racing. We pledge to work with 1/ST and others in the industry to advance this landmark legislation and finally see it become law. To date there are more than 225 co-sponsors of the SAFE Act. Thank you to lead supporters Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). The Jockey Club renews our call for House leadership to pass this bipartisan legislation for the benefits of the American economy and a strong American sports tradition.  We encourage all members of the Thoroughbred community to express their support for the SAFE Act, especially now as interest in the sport is at its greatest during the Triple Crown season. The Jockey Club has partnered with the Final Stretch Alliance to End Horse Slaughter and other racing industry groups by directly making our case for the SAFE Act to House and Senate leadership. We have joined animal welfare groups in support of their Hill efforts, including, since 2016, being a member of the Humane World for Animals’ (formerly HSUS) National Horse Racing Advisory Council, which with others in animal welfare has lobbied Congress to both ban slaughter in the U.S. and make it a crime to transport America’s horses out of the country for slaughter. In addition, we work closely on this issue with the Center for Humane Economy and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The SAFE Act is one necessary aspect of the safety and welfare of our sport’s central figure — the Thoroughbred. The Jockey Club is a longstanding and principal supporter of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and similar efforts, such as the Thoroughbred Incentive Program, to care for and give Thoroughbreds a career after their racing and breeding roles are over. We continue to encourage all in the Thoroughbred industry to make the safety and wellbeing of the Thoroughbred our top priority. The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and directly or through subsidiaries, it serves the information and technology needs of the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Among its many supported initiatives are America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), OwnerView (ownerview.com), and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (tjctip.com). Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

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