Zero Fatalities Highlights That Reforms Are Working
On October 25, Santa Anita concluded its autumn meet without a single equine racing or training fatality. More than 1,100 Thoroughbreds safely raced on the dirt and turf courses and more than 51,000 training sessions were recorded without a single breakdown, due in large part to a series of medical, operational, and organizational reforms implemented by Santa Anita Park in conjunction with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).
The stellar safety record followed a 2019 racing season marred by a series of breakdowns at Santa Anita that sparked criticism of the Thoroughbred racing industry. Some groups, such as the radical Horseracing Wrongs led by Patrick Battuello, took advantage of these tragedies to call for the sport to be abolished, saying that equine safety reforms wouldn’t work.
What happened this fall at Santa Anita proves that Horseracing Wrongs was wrong.
California has some of the most progressive policies in place to keep horses and jockeys safe. During 2019 and 2020, Santa Anita’s owner, The Stronach Group, undertook major reform efforts to dramatically impact equine health and reduce injuries and breakdowns. These reforms included mandatory veterinarian checks, strengthened race-day medication procedures, and intensive track surface monitoring and upkeep.
And medication reform was especially important. According to BloodHorse magazine, the CHRB equine medical director, Dr. Rick Arthur, noted that changes in medication policies have helped prevent fatal breakdowns.
“We’ve seen a real change in the culture when it comes to safety,” Arthur said. “That’s what really has allowed us to accomplish these improvements.”
Santa Anita is proof that meaningful reforms work.
And it isn’t just Santa Anita where intensive attention to equine safety is making a difference. Tracks across the nation have implemented changes and reforms focused on the health and welfare of horses, including the New York Racing Association, Churchill Downs in Kentucky, and Gulfstream Park in Florida.
But the biggest reforms are on the horizon with the comprehensive medication reform included in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.
The bill is awaiting passage in the Senate, but with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) support, the bill will likely pass before the end of the year. The legislation will require national, uniform safety standards that include anti-doping and medication control and racetrack safety programs. The bill also creates an independent, self-regulatory authority, which will be empowered to implement and manage the new safety standards and programs. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is strongly supported by the industry, including owners, breeders, horsemen and women, tracks, and veterinarians. This legislation will enable U.S. racing to build on the momentum created by Santa Anita Park this fall to ensure that the health and welfare of racehorses continues to be the industry’s top priority.
