Three university students have developed a process to help predict potential injuries in racehorses weeks before they happen.

Julia Fabiani, Ben Martin and Stefanie Pagano have created Race Assured, a system that uses blood samples to forecast when devastating injuries might take place. According to the three University of Kentucky students, certain markers in a horse's blood begin to elevate when its skeletal system in under particular stress. The test then gives trainers and owners time to assess and prevent further and possibly catastrophic damage, as much as six to wight weeks in advance.

The team has since entered Race Assured in The Rice Business Plan Competition, the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition.

The equine industry has already taken note of this test, with owners as far away as Dubai sending samples to the Race Assured team.

(L-R) Ben Martin, Julia Fabiani, and Stefanie Pagano (Taylor Pence Photo)

“If they weren’t excited, they’re getting excited,” Fabiani told the Kentucky Kernel in reference to horse racing industry participants.