A months-long investigation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has determined that there was no specific cause for the 12 equine fatalities that occurred at Churchill Downs this past spring.
The detailed study released on Sept. 12, however, has yielded a newly created “strategic response plan” that HISA believes “will either contribute meaningfully to the reduction of equine fatalities or allow further study and analysis for future implementation if confirmed by the data.”
Although many of the proposed safety measures focus on veterinary protocols, track maintenance, new rules, and the incorporation of predictive data analytics, one potential change that has direct implications for the bloodstock industry stands out: Extending the scope of HISA's medication oversight to Thoroughbred auctions.
“Many have questioned whether the industry would be better served if anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) protocols were consistent throughout the lifetime of a horse,” stated HISA's strategic response plan. “For that reason, HISA has initiated discussions with sales companies,
Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and Ocala Breeders' Sales Company toward the goal of entering into voluntary agreements to more effectively align and coordinate our respective ADMC programs throughout the lifetime of a horse.”
Another key proposal is sure to ramp up the already divisive debate over whether synthetic racing surfaces should become more of a mainstay in American racing.
“Current available data suggests that artificial surfaces may be safer for horses than dirt or turf surfaces,” the HISA strategic response stated. “While additional research and analysis is necessary to fully evaluate the potential impact of artificial surfaces on overall equine injury rates, more synthetic surface options should be introduced into Thoroughbred racing.”
HISA has also proposed a new rule requiring a 30-day stand-down time from racing and a 14-day stand-down time from workouts after a horse receives a corticosteroid intra-articular injection into the fetlock joint.
In addition, HISA wants to see more oversight for these types of injections, including the creation of a designated area at the racetrack for all intra-articular injections to be administered and/or the requirement for veterinarians to record and upload a video of the intra-articular injection along with the standard injection report.
“Oaklawn Park has volunteered to implement the designated treatment area concept for their race meet beginning in December 2023,” the HISA strategic findings stated. “The pilot program will be used to determine the feasibility and value of this approach, as well as to identify challenges that would need to be resolved for it to be successful.”
Although HISA's investigation focused on the Churchill fatalities that caused the track's corporate ownership to abandon the spring meet and move racing to Ellis Park in early June while stabling and training continued at Churchill, the findings also took into account other recent spates of Thoroughbred deaths at Saratoga Race Course and Laurel Park.
“The absence of a singular explanation for recent equine fatalities at several racetracks across the country is extremely frustrating for the entire sport of Thoroughbred racing, for fans and the public, and also for HISA,” the strategic findings stated. “Consequently, action must be taken in reaction to what we know and what we do not know, for the welfare of Thoroughbred horses…
“The fatalities at Churchill Downs, Laurel Park and Saratoga Race Course identify a number of potential factors that warrant implementation or further study and industry discussion. The inevitable recognition that horse fatalities are almost always multifactorial means that the response must similarly be multi-responsive. No one entity or issue can on its own guarantee a meaningful reduction in equine injuries. Horse racing has reached an 'all-hands-on-deck' moment requiring more than ever a truly unified effort for the horses,” the strategic findings stated.
“The investigation concludes that there was no causal relationship between the racetrack surface at Churchill Downs and the equine fatalities,” the findings report stated. “Similarly, there was not a clear pattern in medical histories or injury profiles across the fatalities that point to a single, causal explanation for the fatalities. Nor were there any medication violations present. However, analysis of training histories did indicate an increased risk profile for some of the horses due to the frequency and cadence of their exercise and racing schedules.”
This story will be updated.
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