Thoroughbred Racing's Future In Question, Reforms Sought

ARCADIA, CA — The nation's leading thoroughbred racing organization announced a new effort to enhance existing protections and develop new reforms to ensure the safety of racehorses and jockeys this week.

A shadow has fallen across the horse racing industry in 2019. Nowhere has been bleaker than the tracks of Santa Anita Park, where over 30 thoroughbreds have succumbed to racing-related injuries. Elsewhere, tracks such as Los Alamitos Race Track and Del Mar Race Track are also reporting equine fatalities due to training and racing injuries that require euthanasia.

On Tuesday, the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition has partnered to create and implement a series of significant safety, medication, operational, and integrity guidelines across thoroughbred racing to ensure the well-being of horses and jockeys and increase transparency and accountability, according to a statement issued in Lexington, Kentucky.

The coalition is composed of organizations that have individually led efforts to modernize the sport and are now using their combined resolve, expertise, and resources to advocate for enhanced safety measures throughout thoroughbred racing.

Coalition founding members include Breeders' Cup Limited, Churchill Downs Inc., Keeneland Association Inc., the New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA), Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.

Together they represent more than 85 percent of graded stakes racing in America.

"Thoroughbred racing is steeped in tradition. We want the sport to live on for generations to come. That is only possible with all of us working together to ensure that the safety and well-being of our athletes is our top priority," said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited.

In response, Animal Wellness Action's director Marty Irby has said that though they are pleased some action is being taken, the motivation for the changes are in doubt.

"We are encouraged to see Churchill Downs finally taking some action, It’s better than the status quo," Irby said. "Ultimately, we believe that unless the doping, whipping, and the multitude of deaths aren’t brought to an end in the very near future, then the public sentiment will further shift away from ending doping in horse racing to ending (the sport) itself. American horseracing is addicted to drugs and it’s time for an intervention. We’ll be encouraged if today’s announcement is that intervention."

“While we are not certain of the motives, we are encouraged to see Churchill Downs finally taking some action, it’s better than the status quo. Ultimately, we believe that unless the doping, whipping, and the multitude of deaths aren’t brought to an end in the very near future, then the public sentiment will further shift away from ending doping in horse racing to ending horse racing itself. American horse racing is addicted to drugs and it’s time for an intervention. We’ll be encouraged if today’s announcement is that intervention.”

Santa Anita Race Track has implemented security and safety measures over the embattled season to staunch the bleeding of the industry, even going so far as banning certain trainers who break the new rules of the track.

Read also: Santa Anita Asked To Cancel Races, Racing Board Oversight Increased

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

Editor's Note: The photograph included with this story referenced an incident from earlier in the season, and has been updated.