Category: Horse Racing

Content relating to race horse deaths and industry infrastructure

Twelve Race Horses Put Down at Santa Anita So Far in 2021; CHRB & Legislation Hopeful That New Law & Regs Will Solve Problem. Still Much Doubt

And the track death beat goes on.
Horse deaths from track break downs continue as Industry crosses fingers
Young horses are still being put down at Santa Anita Race Course
Every horse put down was 5 or younger.
The vet schools. some track vets, & all track owners have not said age is a factor.
Contention is that horse bone structure is not mature til 6 years of age
Impossible to change the industry, economic, and culture to protect young horses.
What needs to be done will never happen – Economically & culturally not possible

California Horse Racing Board Puts Forth Vets to Garner Confirmation & Credibility of Changes & New Actions to End Horses Dying on Tracks & In Training

50 young race horses have been put down at U.S, track so far in 2021.
The California Horse Racing Board & major tracks like Santa Anita have sought changes in racing practices over time.
These changes have alleviated deaths, however, horses are still dying of injuries on the track and in training.
The economics & traditions of horse racing outweigh the solutions to the real cause.

CHRB Lasix Ban for Race Horses in 2021 Meets Reluctance; Industry Leadership Bets on Integrity Act & Drug Ban to Stop Deaths; Time to Claim Action Not Horses?

Is it enough? Is there something missing?
The horse drug, Lasix, has been banned at California race tracks in 2021.
The CHRB ban on Lasix seeks to show that the Industry is serious about horse safety.
Existing regs & Public Relations releases from track owners have yet to do it.
Some how this good start is still not enough transparency, trustworthy action, & oversight.
To date Ineffectual Industry leadership & organizational denial have prevailed.
No Central State or National racing authority exists to oversee & guide what seems to be a lost industry.
Further, industry horse pubs do not cover what is or is not happening before races at U.S. tracks in the barns & stalls.

Horses Put Down YTD. Los Alamitos Has Most CA Horse Racing Deaths in 2020; 91 Horses at California Tracks So Far..

More young race horses have been put down at race tracks in the U.S.
436 deaths nationally, with Los Alamitos, Golden Gate Fields, & Santa Anita reporting 84 total so far.
Injured young horses under age six whose muscular & bone structure are not completely developed are being put down. 
Appears that the California legislature, California Horse Racing Boards, the Vets & the owners are ok with this death rate.
Public demonstrations do not seem to rouse outrage or concern by the general public.

Study Finds 3 Markers That Could Help Predict Fatal Horse Racing Injury Risk By Using New Blood Test; Markers Right 33% of Time

Getting on the Right Marker– at least three so far.
Horse Racing Industry is in desperate need to effectively predict horse injury.
Studies to learn why young horses are continuing to break down at every track are underway.
Respected scientists & track vets are doing studies to find answers. So far results are partial but promising
Two studies seek to identify race horses at risk with early warning signs of fatal injury.
Test involve Inflammatory RNA Marker Protein that may enable the prediction of breakdowns. Promising but not yet there.

Passage of Horse Racing Bills By CA Legislature Adds Little to CHRB Regs & Vet Tests to Curb Horse Deaths – See Distilled Summary of Bills by Respected LA Times Journalist Spelling Out Detail.

Was it all for show? The California Horse Racing Board & The California Legislature have ended up doing little to stop the death of young horses at CA tracks in 2020.
A California Senate Bill 800 and an Assembly Bill AB 1974 were to have provided regs & compliance that moved the Horse Racing Industry Standards forward.
Neither, apparently, did so as out of all the language in either passed bill, only a provision to implement veterinary monitoring of training & medication was not ALREADY IN EFFECT.
So inaction and real oversight of the industry remains an open question.

Fifteen Horses Put Down at California Tracks August to October 1st. CA Bills Signed to Make Vet, Post Race, Testing, & Imaging Reports More Transparent.

With 15 race horses put down at California tracks in last 60 days
New legislation passed & signed by CA Legislature to increase safety measures.
Two bills really cause Vets to be the police and practitioners at the tracks
California Racing Board now post deaths on spread sheet that hard to find so CHRB site.
Horses under the age of 5 whose bone development is not mature will continue to break down.

McConnell Rides in With Substitute Legislation for HR 1754 Proposing Independent Horse Racing integrity & Safety Authority & Provisions.

Will there ever be any national legislation to reform horse racing?
McConnell just re-intro’d SB 1820 as new Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act.
Apparently, the sponsors of HR 1754 in the House are on board with new proposed act.
Proposes an independent Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Governed by a nine-member board- Non-racing people, owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, tracks, veterinarians & state racing commissions.
Appears Senate bill has less restrictive provisions than HR 1754 reflecting Churchill Downs and McConnell contributor concerns.