Santa Anita Race Track Opens For Fall Meet Amid Scrutiny

ARCADIA, CA — On Friday, September 27, the Santa Anita Racetrack reopened for autumn, implementing what they hope are life-saving measures for the horses who run here. Thirty horses died at Santa Anita between late December and June. A 31st died earlier in September, during training.

Park owners say the landmark measures related to veterinary care and equine-athlete evaluation will ensure safety to horses and riders. The Stronach Group that runs Santa Anita Park, which employs generations of workers, jockeys and trainers, has stepped up to put a good face on not just the business of horse racing, but the love of the animals who run here.

"They say horses don't talk, but if you listen, ride and understand how to listen, you hear a lot," a veteran jockey, Aaron Gryder, said in a video released by the park. "You can learn a lot from a horse."

Santa Anita would like the world to know they take the safety of horses and riders seriously, aiming to make a difference in the world of horse racing.

The highlight of the 2019 racing meet is the Breeders Cup World Championships, scheduled for Nov. 1 and 2, and will be the tenth time Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders Cup.

Despite the excitement among horse-racing enthusiasts for that event, the sport as a whole has come under increased pressure in response to the spate of deaths during Santa Anita's most recent meet.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior VP Kathy Guillermo welcomed the new safety measures being implemented by Santa Anita and the Stronach Group, but expressed reservations on horse racing in general.

"We welcome Santa Anita's precautions and safety measures to protect horses. But California and all other racing states must enact stronger legislation to ban all medications in the two weeks before a race, mandate safer synthetic tracks, install the CurveBeam CT scan equipment to detect pre-existing injuries, get rid of trainers and veterinarians who violate the law, and be completely transparent," Guillermo said.

PETA is still waiting for the California Horse Racing Board to release documents related to Triple Crown winner Justify's positive drug test from last year's Santa Anita Derby, she said. "Death and secrecy must end now."

Racing halted at the track for most of March. Multiple experts conducted thorough examinations on the track's surface.

Races resumed April 4 after the state horse racing board approved a series of safety measures.

Santa Anita officials took a bold tack aimed at bolstering the safety of horses at the track.
The safety modifications included: equine medication restrictions, advance workout permission, and a significant investment in diagnostic equipment to aid in the early detection of preexisting conditions.

Santa Anita and the California Horse Racing Board also created a "safety review team" that evaluates all horses at the track. The panel of veterinarians and stewards has the authority to scratch a horse from a race if even one panelist questions the animal's fitness.

Santa Anita officials announced earlier this week it would have a seven-member veterinary inspection team for the Autumn Meet. Dionne Benson, the chief veterinary officer for track owners, will lead the team, according to a release from the Stronach Group.

The veterinary team will "oversee every aspect of Santa Anita's training and racing operation."

The veterinarians will review past performance, workout patterns and veterinary records.

"This team will continue to observe horses as they go to and exit both the main track and training track each morning," the Stronach Group said in the release.

The equine vets will observe horses as they go through their daily routines, be it jogging, galloping or breezing.

Track officials noted that all horses entered to run at the track will be "physically inspected at their respective barns."

Veterinarians like Dr. Dana Stead conduct full evaluations, making sure that they are going out there without any issues before going into a race.

Before a horse sets foot to the training track, the team of equine vets must receive a 48-hour notice to work out, on either the one-mile main track or six-furlong training track. They will then review all horses entered to run in races.

The death of a horse at Santa Anita earlier this month was the fifth training death to occur in Southern California since Santa Anita's closing day on June 23. Four horses died while training during Del Mar's seven-week meet. Two of the deaths came as the result of a freak accident on the second day of the meet. In that incident, a horse threw his rider and ran headfirst into another horse. Both animals died instantly.

Meanwhile, opposition continues to clamor for transparency and racetrack safety.

"I don't want propaganda, I want you to improve safety and stop turning a blind eye to trainers who drug horses," Twitter user Allison Cardinal said.

Meanwhile, jockeys like Gryder are getting ready for upcoming races.

"I'm amazed when I can climb aboard and communicate," Gryder said. "To this day, it is still the most amazing thing to me."

Read also:

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Santa Anita Racetrack Owner Speaks On Future Of Horse Racing

DA Investigates Racehorse Deaths At Santa Anita Track