Romanet has served as chairman of the IFHA since its creation in 1993. As the single representative body for the global racing industry, the IFHA’s primary mission is to coordinate and harmonize the rules regarding breeding, racing and wagering among its more than 50 member countries. Such efforts promote cross-border commerce and ensure the integrity of the sport and of member nations’ stud books.

In addition to his responsibilities with the IFHA, Romanet served as director general of France Galop, the organization that oversees all flat and jumps racing in France, from 1998 to 2007. He has been involved with French racing for more than 40 years and his family’s involvement dates back more than 100 years.

Romanet’s remarks will conclude a segment on domestic and international medication standards.

That segment will also feature an overview of the regulatory process, presented by Joe Gorajec, executive director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and past chairman of the Association of Racing Commissions International, and a progress report and new recommendations from the Thoroughbred Safety Committee, presented by Stuart S. Janney III, the chairman of the committee. Dr. Scott Palmer, chairman of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Racing Task Force, will provide a veterinary perspective on medication, and Steven Crist, chairman and publisher of Daily Racing Form, will share some thoughts on the way Thoroughbred racing medication issues are perceived by bettors, the public and the media.

The first part of the conference will focus on the post-racing care of Thoroughbreds. Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s vice president of registration services, will provide an update on The Jockey Club’s Tattoo Identification Services and retirement checkoff program, and Diana Pikulski, executive director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, will discuss the foundation’s vocational training program.

In the area of equine safety, Dr. Mick Peterson of the University of Maine will provide an update on the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, and a progress report from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance will be presented by Mike Ziegler, executive director of the alliance.

A transcript of the Round Table Conference will be available on The Jockey Club’s website a few days after the event. The website is located at http://www.jockeyclub.com.

The Jockey Club Round Table Conference was first held on July 1, 1953, in The Jockey Club office in New York City. The following year, it was moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where it has been held every August since.