Racehorse Dies At Santa Anita, 32 Deaths Recorded At Track

ARCADIA, CA — Emtech, a 3-year-old colt running Saturday at Santa Anita Park's dirt racetrack, broke two front forelimbs in Saturday's eighth race of the day, the second of the park's autumn racing meet.

A team of on-track veterinarians, led by Santa Anita Park veterinarian Dr. Dana Stead, decided to humanely euthanize Emtech right on the track, according to a release from the track's owner.
Mario Gutierrez, Emtech's jockey, was uninjured in the tragic breakdown.

"The Stronach Group and Santa Anita safety measures put horse and rider safety above all else," the statement from the group that owns the racetrack said. "There is an expected level of safety and accountability that is required to participate at a Stronach Group racetrack.

"If anything less is found which could have contributed to this incident, it will be addressed immediately. Santa Anita and The Stronach Group remain committed to leading transformative change in this traditional sport."

Dr. Dionne Benson, The Stronach Group's chief veterinarian, said that the injuries and animal would be evaluated. Santa Anita will work closely with the California Horse Racing Board and will continue to brief the public as more facts come in.

Emtech will undergo a necropsy at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, as is mandatory for all on-track horse fatalities, Benson said.

"The accident and the necropsy report will be reviewed by a team to learn what, if anything, could have been done to have prevented the accident," Benson said.

Emtech had two victories, a second-place finish and a third-place finish in his five races before Saturday. He won his most recent race before Saturday, a five 1/2-furlong race at Los Alamitos Race Course September 14.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo spoke out on the death of the colt, saying:

"The carnage continues with the gruesome breakdown of Emtech, who was injured last year and had a claim voided at Santa Anita as a result," Guillermo said. "The total is now 32 dead horses on one track since late December 2018—and still, we've received no results from the Los Angeles district attorney on the first 30.

"D.A. Lacey needs to release the findings on the culpability of trainers and veterinarians who may have used drugs, knee joint injections, and other dangerous methods to keep injured horses racing. Tragically, we have no answers, no mandate for the use of CT scan technology to detect the preexisting injuries that cause broken ankles, no switch to safer synthetic tracks—which PETA has requested—and no end in sight to the deaths. The horses may not get a funeral, but racing is certainly digging its own grave."

Santa Anita Park is under unprecedented scrutiny over safety concerns after 30 fatalities during the track's winter-spring meeting. The track is looking toward the next running of the Breeder's Cup in November of 2019.

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City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.