Santa Anita Park recently completed its Winter-Spring season with a remarkable 99.97% safety record, making it one of the safest tracks in North America among those with a comparable volume of racing and training. The park has seen significant improvement in horse safety since the implementation of reforms to modernize the sport of Thoroughbred racing by 1/ST Racing, the California Horse Racing Board, and industry stakeholders.
Over the course of the season, 6,678 horses participated in races on Santa Anita’s main track and turf course, resulting in two racing fatalities and eight deaths from training injuries. This marks a significant 90% improvement in racing fatalities over the past five years since the implementation of these reforms.
Nate Newby, SVP and General Manager at Santa Anita Park, expressed his gratitude to the entire racing community for prioritizing horse safety above all else. He credited the diligent efforts of owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians, and track workers for making safety their top priority. Newby also commended the track crew led by Dennis Moore and thanked the CHRB for their leadership in championing horse welfare.
Santa Anita Park’s veterinarians conducted nearly 6,400 examinations before horses worked at the track since September 1st of the previous year to ensure that horses received a heightened level of scrutiny and care before working at Santa Anita’s main track or turf course. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing, highlighted how adopting Santa Anita Park protocols has positively impacted overall horse safety since these reforms were implemented.
The success of Santa Anita Park’s Winter-Spring season demonstrates that even with increased scrutiny and care for horses during training and racing sessions can result in an impressive safety record.
