DA Investigates Racehorse Deaths At Santa Anita Track

ARCADIA, CA —Santa Anita Race Track is again under the microscope for its string of horse deaths, this time at the behest of the District Attorney's Office.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey Tuesday announced the creation of a task force to investigate the deaths of nearly two-dozen horses at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia since late December. It's a high-stakes investigation because of Santa Anita Park's prominent role in the national pastime. The spike in racehorse deaths has put a spotlight on the darker side of the sport, emboldening critics calling for an end to the races.

"I have formed a task force of experienced deputy district attorneys and sworn peace officers with varied expertise within my office who will thoroughly investigate and evaluate the evidence to determine whether unlawful conduct or conditions affecting the welfare and safety of horses at Santa Anita Park," the county's top prosecutor said in a released statement. Investigators will work directly with the California Horse Racing Board.

Santa Anita issued a statement saying it has been working cooperatively with investigators from Lacey's office.

"Santa Anita has, is and will continue to fully cooperate with the district attorney's investigation," according to the track statement. "The Stronach Group (the track owners) is fully committed to modernizing our sport in a way that prioritizes the welfare and safety of horses above all. We will work with anyone -- including the District Attorney's Office -- that shares our commitment to this cause."

Demonstrators from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested outside the district attorney's downtown Los Angeles office just over a month ago and continue to protest in front of the race track. They have urged the DA to begin a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the horses' deaths.

According to PETA spokesperson David Perle, the group is hoping for some "real answers," now that the DA is involved.

"The public deserves to know whether injured horses were medicated and subjected to painful shockwave therapy just to keep them running, even though their bones were likely to snap," Perle said in his statement. "The racing industry has shown that it's incapable of policing itself, and PETA hopes this task-force investigation will finally lead to the end of abusive practices that are killing horses on tracks in California."

Racing was suspended at the track for much of March while authorities studied the racing surface for possible causes. Races resumed after the state horse racing board approved a series of safety measures, including limits on certain types of medications administered to horses.

Twenty-three horses have died at Santa Anita since Dec. 26 -- most recently Arms Runner. The 5-year-old gelding suffered a severe and ultimately fatal injury to his right front leg during the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes as he was about to re-enter the turf portion of the course that starts at the top of a hillside and has a crossover point on dirt.

In a letter to the California Horse Racing Board, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called April 2 for racing to be suspended at the track "until the cause or causes of these deaths can be fully investigated."

The CHRB had been set to meet last week to discuss the possibility of relocating races away from Santa Anita, but they scrubbed the meeting. The discussion of Santa Anita racing will take place at the board's meeting Thursday at Santa Anita.

Moving races away from Santa Anita would require approval from the track's owners, The Stronach Group. Tim Ritvo, The Stronach Group's chief operating officer, told the Daily Racing Form that Santa Anita fully intends to maintain its schedule of racing through the end of the current meet, June 23.

Read also:

23rd Horse Dies At Embattled Santa Anita Park

3 Race Horses Euthanized After Santa Anita Race Track Disasters