Why are horses dying at Santa Anita? The racing surface has come under scrutiny, as have the use of whips, the effect of an unusually wet winter and an assortment of medications commonly used on thoroughbreds
The racing industry presents its safety data in a specific manner, with the Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database showing between 1.54 and 2.00 fatalities per 1,000 starts at participating tracks since 2009.
When a horse’s foot hits the ground, it needs to slide forward a little to help dissipate the force of impact. The caveat is, too much cushioning or slide can result in soft-tissue injuries such as tendon and ligament damage. Turf racing, which is common in Europe, is also statistically safer but has never been as popular in the U.S., where the venues and breeding have always focused on dirt.
“It just all of a sudden became two different racetracks,” said Joe Harper, Del Mar’s longtime president and chief executive officer. “That’s scary when you’re training on one and racing on another.” Though initially optimistic about synthetic, Harper switched Del Mar back to dirt. This scenario played out across the nation as other venues struggled with maintenance and eventually gave up. But the last few months have shown that weather can sometimes affect dirt tracks too.
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