Dr. Scott Palmer, V’76, was named the first equine medical director for the New York Gaming Commission.
Dr. Palmer, who has been exclusively involved in equine medicine since graduating from Penn Vet in 1976, will oversee all aspects of equine health, safety, and welfare at New York racetracks, including the state’s drug-testing laboratory and its regulatory veterinarians. He will also advise the commission on equine medication policies, as well as the safety of racetrack facilities and surfaces.
Dr. Palmer previously served as president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the head of a task force that examined a spate of equine deaths at Aqueduct racetrack in 2012. His new position was created as a result of a recommendation in the report he co-authored examining the Aqueduct deaths. In the past decade, several states have created the position of equine medical director as equine safety issues have become more and more critical to the health and the public perception of the racing industry.
As part of the position, Dr. Palmer will also serve as an adjunct professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and will be required to coordinate research and studies on equine health issues with staff in the college.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Palmer has practiced equine veterinary medicine in New Jersey at the New Jersey Equine Clinic, serving as its hospital director since 1997. He is a two-time recipient of the New Jersey Equine Practitioners Veterinarian of the Year award, as well as a recipient of the Association of American Equine Practitioners (AAEP) President’s Award in 2009 and the AAEP Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
Dr. Palmer serves as a board member for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance Advisory Board and the Thoroughbred Charities of America.
He previously served on the Association of Racing Commissioners International Special
Task Force on Medication and chaired the International Summit on Race Day Medication, as well as the Ad-Hoc Racing Medication and Testing Consortium Committee on Race Day Security. He also served two terms as a member of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Advisory Committee.