AAEP On Call Program to Serve Triple Crown Telecasts

Three veterinarian-members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners will represent the AAEP’s On Call program and assist with horse health information during the live telecasts of Thoroughbred racing’s 2023 Triple Crown.

Central Kentucky equine surgeon Alan Ruggles, DVM, DACVS, will be on-site at Churchill Downs and available to provide timely health reports to the media concerning the equine athletes in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 and the prior day’s Kentucky Oaks. Florida-based racetrack veterinarian Scott Hay, DVM, will serve in that capacity for the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course on May 20 and the preceding day’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes; and New York-based racetrack practitioner Sara Langsam, VMD, will handle the responsibilities for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10.

To request horse-health information from the AAEP On Call veterinarian, please contact Sally Baker, AAEP director of marketing and public relations, at sbaker@aaep.org or (859) 552-5615.

The On Call program serves all nationally televised equestrian events. Nearly 15 AAEP-member veterinarians in the United States and Canada share their veterinary expertise as On Call spokespersons. The program received the 2008 Special Eclipse Award for its contributions to Thoroughbred racing.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

About Dr. Ruggles:
Dr. Alan Ruggles is a veterinary surgeon and partner at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. Specializing in orthopedic surgery and lameness, he is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed papers and eight book chapters about equine orthopedic problems.

About Dr. Hay:
Dr. Scott Hay is president and managing shareholder at TFB Equine, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with satellite operations that provide services at racetracks in New York, the Mid-Atlantic and Kentucky. His clinical focus is lameness, performance evaluations and purchase examinations. Dr. Hay is a past president of the AAEP and former chair of its Racing Committee.

About Dr. Langsam:
Dr. Sara Langsam is a partner at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based TFB Equine and in 2012 started the practice’s Long Island, N.Y., division servicing Belmont Park and Aqueduct year-round. Her professional interests include lameness evaluations, radiology, ultrasound, upper airway problems and pre-purchase exams. Dr. Langsam is chair of the AAEP’s Racing Committee.