The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has released its report on a high-profile cluster of equine fatalities that took place in the spring of this year. As is typical in cases of fatal injuries, the investigators did not identify any single cause for the cluster.
In total, there were 13 equine fatalities at Laurel Park from Jan. 1 to the end of the track's winter/spring meet on May 7. One was a horse who suffered a sudden death in the barn area, one had an accident in the barn area, and another was a horse who was euthanized due to aggressive cellulitis and concerns about laminitis. The other 10 were musculoskeletal injuries that took place in racing or training. Three horses died in either racing or training between March 5 and March 25, and two suffered fatal injuries on the morning of April 8, prompting the track to cancel racing and evaluate the surface.
Racing resumed on April 13, and three more fatalities followed between April 18 and April 20. The track again cancelled racing and invited additional track experts to review the surface. After their evaluations, training resumed April 27 and racing resumed April 29. The final week of the meet had no fatal breakdowns.
Three experts reviewed the surface — Dr. Patrick Erbland, chief scientist at the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory; Dennis Moore, who represented track management; and John Passero, who was brought in at the request of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
According to HISA's report, Erbland used ground-penetrating radar and additional technology to test the surface. Moore, who oversees the racing surface at Santa Anita for the Stronach Group that also owns Laurel, performed a battery of tests, the results of which were “all within industry norms.” The Racing Surfaces Testing Lab noted that an area around the half-mile pole had lower density than other places in the track, and Moore ordered heavy harrowing of the area.
Passero determined parts of the track were “lacking sufficient cushion” and suggested the track slow down tractors while harrowing, implement triple harrowing on track breaks, use drag harrows instead of rollers, and change watering procedures.
A review of the demographics of the fatally-injured horses found a few commonalities within the group. Eight of the ten horses with fatal fractures had not raced as 2-year-olds, and one didn't make its first start until the age of four. The report notes that analysis by the Equine Injury Database has previously found that later age of first start is correlated with increased risk of fatal injury.
Five of the ten musculoskeletal injuries came to horses who had acquired new trainers in the three months prior to their injuries. The EID has indicated that horses are at increased risk for fatal injury when they first arrive in a new barn, and the risk is reduced over time.
One of the horses was on the veterinarian's list as unsound at the time of the injury.
An examination of the necropsy reports from the Laurel horses found a lack of the typical signs of pre-existing lesions which are common on examination of horses suffering fatal fracture. Some peer-reviewed studies from California racehorses have found the vast majority of fracture-related fatalities show signs of damage in either the broken bone, or the same spot on the corresponding opposite limb. Vale also noted that there were five comminuted pastern fractures in the group, which was “very unusual” at Laurel. Comminuted fractures are those where the bone is broken into more than three separate pieces, which complicates or totally prevents recovery or surgical repair.
“Existing literature supports the idea that P1 fractures were over-represented at Laurel Park during the period of this review,” the report read.
An analysis of the horses' workout and race histories also found that the injured horses had more races per year and a greater time gap between their last race or high-speed work and their injury compared with other, uninjured cohorts. The report notes this was also found in a review of the fatalities at Churchill Downs this spring.
The report also cited numerous instances of rule violations or procedural deficiencies by racing officials, but noted that HISA's investigation did not find wrongdoing by any covered persons.
“Although there was not strict compliance with the rules discussed below, many of the steps taken by various Covered Persons were consistent with the spirit of the rules…” the report read in part.
Cited rule or procedural deficiencies included:
-A lack of meetings by the racetrack's safety and welfare committee, which is mandated by HISA so a group of local experts can review any equine fatalities
-A lack of timely injury/fatality reporting by the Maryland Racing Commission to HISA
-Inconsistent or total lack of submission by veterinarians of treatment records for covered horses
-A delay or lack of registration of horses as Covered Horses with HISA. This is supposed to take place within 30 days of the horse's first recorded work or first race. Three of the 13 horses who died at Laurel were not registered with HISA within that 30-day window, and two had raced without being registered.
The conclusion of the report refers readers to HISA's strategic response to address fatalities, which includes the formation of a designated group to oversee information-gathering about track surfaces during fatality spikes. That strategic plan, which was released in September, can be found here.
The complete Laurel report is available here.
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