Santa Anita Race Track Set to Reopen Later This Month

ARCADIA, CA — The Santa Anita Park horse-racing track is expected to reopen March 29 after a deal was finalized over the weekend between the track and the Thoroughbred Owners of California to thoroughly revise the facility's medication policies, in the aftermath of 22 horse deaths at the park since the day after Christmas.

Racing has been suspended at the track since March 5, with the two most recent deaths occurring during training.

The agreement includes the following elements:

• Complete transparency of all veterinary records;
• Strict limitations on the use of any pain or anti-inflammatory medication and treatment, including legal therapeutic NSAIDS, joint injections,shockwave therapy, and anabolic steroids;
• 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 aqualified veterinary diagnosis from a state licensed veterinarian;
• Significant and strict out-of-competition testing;
• Increasing the time required for horses to be on-site prior to a race;
• A substantial investment in diagnostic equipment to aid in the early detection of pre-existing conditions.

``This is a complete revision of the current medication policy for Thoroughbred racing. We have worked through the implementation of this groundbreaking model with our stakeholders and the California Horse Racing Board,'' said Belinda Stronach, president and chair of The Stronach Group, which owns the famed racetrack, long considered one of the major horse-racing venues in North America.

"TSG is committed to the principles of safe horse racing for both equine and human athletes and to making California racing the best in the world," she said. "It is my hope the other tracks in California will follow suit.''

The agreement announced late Saturday also includes a delay to the banning of Lasix, a diuretic that helps prevent horses from hemorrhaging. A Lasix ban was one of several changes to Santa Anita policies announced Thursday by officials, but the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers -- which both support the use of Lasix -- balked at the
ban.

Now, "following the recommendation of veterinary experts for the best interest of the health of the current horse population, Lasix will still be permitted but at a maximum of 50 percent of the current levels,'' according to language in the agreement.

However, "All horses born in or after 2018 will race at Santa Anita and Golden Gate with no race -- day medication, including the diuretic furosemide, commonly known as Lasix. This means all two-year-old horses starting in 2020 and after will be racing medication free.''

Between December and February of the previous year, 10 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.

City News Service contributed to this report.