Tom Pedulla offers five takeaways from the $400,000, Grade 2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs and the $300,000 Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday as well as other developments.

Improvements in advanced imaging and increased use of this medical technology at the track is proving critical in identifying potential injury hotspots in racehorses, prompting treatment before smaller issues turn into catastrophic problems.

In the sport’s multi-faceted approach to improving equine safety, such technology has been an important tool in reducing such incidents in the 15 years they have been tracked by The Jockey Club Equine Injury Database.