ARCADIA (CNS) - In the wake of two horses being euthanized on consecutive days after suffering injuries at Santa Anita Park, advocates plan to renew their push today for a nationwide ban on horse racing.
On Saturday, a 4-year-old gelding named Uncontainable was entered in the first race of the day, but suffered a “fractured right front ankle,” according to a post on Santa Anita's website. “Per recommendation from the attending veterinarian, the horse was humanely euthanized.”
A day earlier, on Friday, a 6-year-old gelding named Harliss was euthanized after fracturing his right front ankle in a race at Santa Anita after finishing seventh in a field of eight in the seventh race. He was also euthanized under the recommendation from the attending veterinarian.
The two combined brought the number of horse deaths at Santa Anita to at least 41 since December 2018. Four horses have died at Santa Anita since its winter/spring meeting began Dec. 28.
“Two horses dead in two days means horses are being forced to race when they shouldn't be,” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement late Saturday. “Uncontainable had two very long periods last year when he wasn't raced, which likely indicates injury and the need for special attention by veterinarians.
“If we at PETA can see that by looking at his racing record, surely the state veterinarians can too. The only acceptable fatality rate is zero, and if racing can't be done without horses dying, it shouldn't be done at all.”
Another group, Horseracing Wrongs, which advocates for a nationwide ban on horse racing, announced plans for an afternoon demonstration today at Santa Anita's Gate 3.
Meanwhile, officials at Santa Anita released a statement Saturday reaffirming the track administration's commitment to horse safety.
“Santa Anita remains committed to transparency,” it said. “Our safety statistics and incident reports are publicly available on our website at SantaAnita.com/safety. Home to 2,000 horses, Santa Anita Park is one of the largest equine training facilities in the United States. Horses raced or trained at Santa Anita Park more than 420,000 times over the last year with a 99.991% safety rate.”
Santa Anita -- and the sport in general -- have faced increasing pressure from animal-rights activists and elected officials since the deaths at Santa Anita started garnering media attention in early 2019.
The California Horse Racing Board is set to issue a report soon on the deaths.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office concluded Dec. 19 that there was no criminal wrongdoing connected to the deaths, but offered a series of recommendations aimed at improving safety at racetracks in California.
“Horse racing has inherent risks but is a legally sanctioned sport in California,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. “Greater precautions are needed to enhance safety and protect both horses and their riders.”
The district attorney called on state regulators to develop safety enhancements to reduce horse deaths, including possible enhanced penalties for rules violations, establishment of a tip line for people to report violations or animal cruelty allegations and mandated inspections of racing and training facilities, and reviews of necropsy and veterinary records of horses that have died.
The report also made recommendations aimed at identifying pre-existing conditions in horses that could lead to breakdowns, establishing track- maintenance protocols -- including special measures during rain or extreme weather conditions, and creation of “safety codes of conduct” for owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians and others who care for horses.
The report noted that officials at Santa Anita have implemented a series of safety-improvement measures that “have reduced the number of fatal racing and training incidents.”
Santa Anita recently debuted a PET Scan machine to provide imaging of the fetlock or ankle joint -- the most common area for injuries to occur in thoroughbreds -- without horses having to undergo anesthesia, and said it will help to diagnose pre-existing conditions.
“This state-of-the-art technology reflects a new standard of care within Thoroughbred racing -- a standard that puts the health and safety of horses and riders first,” said Belinda Stronach, The Stronach Group's chairman and president.