Turf profiling for horse racing
Andrew Reedy, Kaitlyn Duncan, Lara Larson
Dr. Alicia Modenbach, Dr. Mick Peterson
Staff at Keeneland Racetrack
ProBLEM STATEMENT
The public expects a consistent track surface to ensure the safety of both horses and riders. Injuries open owners and racetracks to significant financial liability and public scrutiny. Racing on turf surfaces has recently increased in popularity, and divots left in the turf by horses’ hooves have become a safety concern. Divots are manually repaired between races, and the quality of repair is subject to human error. The objective of this project is to identify divots for ground crews to repair.