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Zero Fatalities at Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet

Santa Anita, which concluded its 16-day Autumn Meet Oct. 25 with 1,106 horses racing and 51,200 training sessions since Sept. 5., when the Del Mar Summer Meet was winding down, had no racing or training fatalities during that time. The meet was pushed back due to the Bobcat Fire in the neighboring San Gabriel Mountains and the track did not host live racing until Sept. 25.

The main dirt track at the Arcadia oval has not had a single racing fatality in 2020, including during the Winter/Spring Meet which began in December. There have been a total of five 2020 racing fatalities from 5,069 individual starts, or 0.98 fatalities per 1,000 starters. That number is below the national average. According to Santa Anita, it is currently the safest racetrack in the nation.

“These results are the efforts of the racing community to put the safety of the horse first at every turn, including additional veterinary regulations and observations, training approvals, and analysis of entries,” said Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Racing Aidan Butler. “Last year, we set a course to reform the sport of horse racing for the next generation. This year, we are seeing the results of the hard work everyone has put into this effort. We especially appreciate the dedication of the owners, trainers, veterinarians, and hardworking men and women who care for the horses, of the jockeys who have adapted their riding styles, the California Horse Racing Board which regulates the sport, and veteran trackman Dennis Moore and the entire Santa Anita track crew, who tirelessly work the surface day and night with safety top of mind.”

Santa Anita is home to the largest training facilities in the country, operating nearly year-round with over 400,000 annual training sessions. Live racing in Southern California will move to Del Mar beginning Saturday, Oct. 31, and is not slated to return to Santa Anita until Dec. 26.

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California Bill For Improved Racing Safety Passes State Legislature

The California legislature approved a bill late Sunday from Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) to improve horse racing safety across California and build on reforms adopted last year.

“We must do everything possible to make horse racing safer for animals and jockeys, and this bill takes another step in that direction,” Dodd said. “I thank the legislature for approving my plan, which will help ensure track conditions are right and horses are fit before they hit the starting gate.”

Last year, 37 horses died at Santa Anita Park, prompting calls for immediate action. Sen. Dodd wrote Senate Bill 469, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allowing the California Horse Racing Board to suspend racing at tracks where dangerous conditions exist.

Sen. Dodd's new bill, Senate Bill 800, is expected to incorporate reforms recommended by the California Horse Racing Board, including improved veterinary medical review prior to races and increased transparency in drug testing.

It passed the Senate and Assembly Sunday night, and heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature.

Sen. Dodd chairs the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, which sets policy for the horse racing industry, among other things.

To view the bill's language, click here.

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Violations Show New Medication Rules In California Require A Learning Curve

California now has some of the strictest rules regarding medication in racehorses of any jurisdiction in the United States, and a report on medication violations for April and May show that horsemen and veterinarians are still working to understand newer regulations.

At a meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) conducted via teleconference last week, CHRB equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur reported that April saw nine medication violations, only one of which was in a post-race sample, while there were six medication violations in May, two of which were in post-race samples.

Three of April's nine violations were from horses working before the state veterinarian, and the other five were out-of-competition samples taken on horses recording workouts.

“Of the nine violations in April, six would not have been violations in other states,” said Arthur. “I suspect two others would not be violations in most states.”

Four of May's six positives were horses working for the official veterinarian. Arthur guessed only one of the six would be a violation outside of California.

In mid-March, new regulations placed restrictions on the use of “local anesthetics, narcotic analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories” on horses within 24 hours of a timed workout, and prohibiting more than one NSAID in a post-work sample. In late February, regulations went into effect prohibiting NSAIDs within 24 hours of post time.

“To my knowledge, California is the only state currently regulating these medications during training,” said Arthur. “I'm usually not sympathetic to trainers and veterinarians not paying attention to our rule changes, but we have made numerous regulatory changes recently and from discussions with trainers and veterinarians, the new rule is not as clear to licensees as I would have hoped or expected. Trainers and veterinarians appear confused between house rules and CHRB regulations.

“The most difficult change has been the new medication regulations during training. Keep in mind, regulating medication during training is a new concept in racing.”

Arthur said he is working with California Thoroughbred Trainers to guide a series of webinars aimed at educating trainers and veterinarians on the new rules. And not a moment too soon — as he pointed out, several more veterinary regulations are set to go into effect July 1, including the transfer of a health record for claimed horses and a prohibition on bisphosphonates.

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