Two years in the past, the subject at Churchill Downs was the sudden spike in horse deaths. Seven horses died in 10 days, and 12 died earlier than racing was suspended at Churchill Downs and moved to Ellis Park. Based mostly on the parameters of the arcane Equine Damage Database, the place solely racing deaths are counted, Churchill’s spring meet had 5.39 deaths for each 1,000 begins, as computed by The Occasions. The nationwide common for all tracks within the survey was 1.32 for the 12 months.
Incomplete because the EID outcomes have been, all Churchill Downs tracks refused to make their statistics public, they usually have been solely lumped in as a part of the general numbers.
The Horseracing Integrity and Security Authority vowed transparency and, after a squishy reply for the delay of 2023 outcomes, launched all racing and coaching deaths for 2024. Beforehand solely California and New York have been publicly releasing knowledge. Based mostly on final 12 months’s reported outcomes, in an unscientific melding of numbers by The Occasions based mostly on racing and coaching deaths, Churchill Downs had a better fatality fee than each Del Mar and Santa Anita, which had the bottom of the three. (Neither the Churchill Downs Coaching Heart nor San Luis Rey Downs — owned by Santa Anita — have been included within the calculations.)
To date (as of Saturday), one horse has died at Churchill Downs since coaching was allowed earlier than the Derby. Valley of Fireplace, a 3-year-old gelding, broke each entrance legs throughout coaching and was euthanized on the monitor. Tappan Road, winner of the Florida Derby and thought of a robust contender for the Kentucky Derby, on Saturday fractured his proper entrance condylar and can miss the race. The damage will not be thought-about life-threatening.
As for the explanation for the deaths two years in the past, HISA investigated and produced a 197-page report that was stuffed with bells and whistles however quick on any type of reply. There was no singular cause.
