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ARCADIA (CNS) - A 5-year-old gelding died Wednesday while training at Santa Anita Park, the second fatality at the Arcadia track in the last five days.
Party Game was foaled in Ireland and had seven races and one first- place finish in his career, according to the industry website Equibase. His last official workout at Santa Anita was Jan. 25, according to Equibase.
Party Game was owned by Red Baron's Barn LLC and Rancho Temescal LLC and trained by Jeff Mullins. His jockey was Ramon Vazquez.
The California Horse Racing Board listed his injury under the "musculoskeletal" category, but no further information on his cause of death was immediately available.
On Jan. 28, the 4-year-old colt Actuator died from a training injury.
On Jan. 20, Press On -- another 4-year-old colt -- died after suffering a training injury at Santa Anita.
Twelve racehorses died at Santa Anita in 2022, according to the CHRB.
Santa Anita officials have said they've made major improvements in horse safety after 2019, when 42 horses died at the track, sparking widespread debate about safety issues at Santa Anita and about horse-racing in general. The uproar led to procedural and veterinary oversight changes at the park.
After the completion of Santa Anita's winter-spring season last June, track officials hailed what they called major improvements in horse safety, and called the facility the safest track in North America compared to those with similar racing and training activity.
In mid-January, the groups Animal Wellness Action, the Animal Wellness Foundation and the Center for a Humane Economy praised the operators of Santa Anita and Del Mar in San Diego for their overall safety records in 2022.
"We applaud the leaders at Santa Anita and Del Mar, as well as the California Horse Racing Board, for working so diligently to ensure the welfare and safety of the horses are a top priority," Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action and senior vice president of the Center for a Humane Economy, said in a statement.