Santa Anita Race Track Resumes Friday, Riding Crop Stipulations

ARCADIA, CA —Racing at Santa Anita Park was set to resume Friday, with stipulations on how jockeys can apply riding crops to their mounts. The California Horse Racing Board Thursday approved restrictions on certain medications administered to the animals and adopting a restriction that would mostly ban jockeys' use of whips during races at Santa Anita Park.

Though the use of whips will be banned at some point, the pre-existing rule will allow whips during races three times in succession, followed by a pause allowing time for the horse to respond.
It is unclear what officials will do if crops are misused during race time.

Although the CHRB approved the measure during its meeting at Santa Anita, it will be subject to a 45-day public comment period and another final vote.

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo discussed the weakening of the Santa Anita racetrack's ban on whipping, voicing her displeasure at the waffling rule.

"To the racing industry, the ban may sound progressive, but to the public, repeatedly striking horses is visible and obvious cruelty to animals," Guillermo said in a release. "The public may not know the ins and outs of the Lasix debate, but it does see that horses are being beaten and dying—and it understands that the jockeys are fighting for the right to abuse animals."

The overall result of the board's meeting, however, was to ensure Friday's resumption of racing at Santa Anita for the first time since March 5, when races were suspended indefinitely. A total of 22 horses have died at the track since Dec. 26.

The board approved previously announced proposals to strictly limit the use of anti-inflammatory medications. It also approved a much-discussed 50 percent reduction in the allowable amount of Lasix, a diuretic that helps prevent horses from hemorrhaging. Santa Anita officials had initially proposed a ban on Lasix, but struck a compromise with the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers calling for a 50 percent reduction in allowable dosage.
Santa Anita officials previously announced a series of other measures being implemented to help bolster the safety of the horses, including:

• Complete transparency of all veterinary records;
• Trainers must apply for permission to work a horse (a timed, high- speed training exercise) at least 48 hours in advance;
• No therapeutic medications of treatments will be allowed without a qualified veterinary diagnosis from a state licensed veterinarian;
• Significant and strict out-of-competition testing;
• Increasing the time required for horses to be on-site before a race; and
• A substantial investment by The Stronach Group in diagnostic equipment to aid in the early detection of pre-existing condition

The spate of 22 horse deaths prompted the hiatus on racing at the track. Between December and February of the previous year, ten horses died at Santa Anita, compared with eight in 2016-17 and 14 in 2015-16

The track averaged about 50 deaths per year from 2008-18, according to data from the CHRB.
The unusually large amount of rain that has fallen over the Southland this winter has been mentioned as a possible factor in explaining the surge in deaths

Former track superintendent Dennis Moore and Mick Peterson of Racing Services Testing Lab were brought in to conduct a thorough analysis of the main track, and officials repeatedly said they found no problems.

With racing resuming, Santa Anita will have a busy schedule ahead.

The Grade 2 $200,000 San Luis Rey Stakes will headline proceedings, with first post time at 1 p.m. Friday

As part of the revised schedule announced previously by the track, the 82nd running of the Grade 1 $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, which was originally scheduled for March 9, will now be run April 6, when the $1 million Santa Anita Derby headlines a day that will also offer a third Grade 1 stakes, the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks

Also on April 6, the Grade 2 $200,000 Royal Heroine and the Grade 3 $150,000 Providencia will be complemented by two additional stakes, the $200,000 Evening Jewel and the $200,000 Echo Eddie

Along with the Santa Anita Handicap, two other graded stakes originally scheduled for March 9 have been rescheduled and will now be run Saturday: the Grade 1 $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile and the Grade 2 $200,000 San Carlos will also be joined by the Grade 1 $400,000 Beholder Mile, which was originally scheduled for March 16, and the Grade 3 $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes
The Grade 3 $100,000 San Simeon, which was originally scheduled for March 16 and then set for Saturday, is now set for Sunday.