CYPRESS (CNS) - Peek It Up, a 3-year-old quarter horse filly, has died after suffering an injury in Saturday's eighth race at Los Alamitos, becoming the 23rd horse to die in a racing or training injury at the Cypress track this year.
Jockey Vinnie Bednar was also injured after being thrown to the track, and his condition was not immediately known, according to Mike Marten, public information officer for the California Horse Racing Board.
Video of the race shows the horse running fast on the outside when she appears to injure one or both front legs, slamming violently face-first into the turf and throwing Bednar.
The video replay of Saturday's eighth race is missing from Los Alamitos' website, even though replays are available for the other seven races run that night. A replay can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/450818760.
Attempts to reach Los Alamitos officials for further information were unsuccessful.
Peek It Up was owned by Edward Allred and trained by James Glenn Jr., according to the industry website Equibase. Saturday's race was her seventh start, with one first-place finish.
In addition to the 23 racing and training deaths, at least 11 other racehorses have died from ``other'' causes at Los Alamitos Race Course in 2020, according to state records.
The track was placed on probation by the CHRB in July in response to the spate of horse deaths, essentially putting the facility at risk of having its racing permits suspended. The CHRB later signed off on a plan aimed at bolstering safety and equine-oversight at the facility.
The plan included adding another veterinarian to be a “roving observer of horses in training, while entering, exiting, or on the track,” as well as a “security steward” who oversees veterinary and barn practices.
The new plan also included an “entry review panel” of experts who have the authority to scratch horses for races.
Los Alamitos is running night time races without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.