Breeder's Cup Will Stay At Santa Anita Park In 2019

ARCADIA, CA —The Breeders Cup will still be held at Santa Anita racetrack this year, despite concerns over a spate of horse deaths at the track during its recently concluded meet, organizers announced Thursday.

On Thursday, the board of directors of Breeders' Cup Limited unanimously affirmed Santa Anita as the location for the Nov. 1-2 event. Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders' Cup ten times, the most of any other track.

Speculation swirled that the much-lauded event should be moved away from Santa Anita in response to the deaths of 30 horses at the track during the most recent meet, which ended Sunday, June 23. Still, after much attention and radical new strategies incorporated by the owners of Santa Anita Park, the Breeder's Cup organizers decided to stay the current course of action.

"Foremost among the core values of the Breeders' Cup are the safety and integrity of the competition and we hold ourselves, our host sites and our competitors to the highest standards of both," Craig Fravel, president/CEO of the Breeders' Cup, said in a statement.

"It is clear that meaningful and effective reforms and best practices have been implemented in recent months at Santa Anita through the collective efforts of (track owners) The Stronach Group, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Trainers and the California Horse Racing Board."

The Breeder's Cup organizers fully embrace those reforms, according to Fravel.

"We will devote our time and energy in the coming months to further advance those efforts," Fravel said. "We look forward to showing the world the best in thoroughbred racing at one of its finest venues."

Belinda Stronach, chair and president of The Stronach Group, issued a statement thanking the Breeders' Cup board for its support.

"Santa Anita and the Stronach Group remain steadfast in our commitment to put the health and safety of the horses and riders above all else and we are pleased that the Breeders' Cup board recognized and shares in that goal," she said.

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior Vice President, Kathy Guillermo commented on the 30th and final horse fatality during this meet.

"PETA and Social Compassion in Legislation are working with the California Horse Racing Board and California legislators to enact rules and legislation to get to zero fatalities and this means that trainers with multiple violations must not be licensed in this state," she said. "Ending all racing cruelty would be the best, but nothing less than these conditions is acceptable."