California governor calls for more veterinary oversight

California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed concern about the rate of fatal injuries at Santa Anita in a statement issued Tuesday evening, calling for enhanced veterinary examinations for horses entered to race.

“I continue to be troubled by the horse deaths at Santa Anita Park,” the two-paragraph statement began. “Enough is enough. I’m am calling on the California Horse Racing Board to ensure that no horse races until they are examined by independent veterinarians and found fit to compete.

“As Santa Anita prepares to host the 2019 Breeders’ Cup in November, we must show the horse racing world that California puts safety first.”

It was not immediately clear what additional veterinary procedures Newsom would like racing to introduce. Currently, all horses entered are examined by veterinarians employed by the racetrack or the racing board on the morning of races, in the paddock, during warmups, and as they are loaded into the starting gate.

In recent months, some horses have undergone additional examinations for soundness in the days before they are scheduled to race.

There have been 29 equine fatalities since Santa Anita began its current meeting on Dec. 26, including two last weekend.

Some measures have been implemented in recent months to increase examinations of horses scheduled to race or undergo workouts.

Beginning in March, Santa Anita enacted a policy in which trainers planning to give horses timed workouts must complete forms with the track’s racing office detailing which horses will undergo such exercise, allowing for racing officials to study race records.

Earlier this month, Santa Anita’s racing office introduced a policy requiring private veterinarians to sign pre-race examination forms before horses are allowed to race. Veterinarians must sign the form which states, in part, the horse is “sound at the trot and I am unaware of any issues that would preclude it from safely racing.”

Newsom’s statement comes two days after Santa Anita rejected a request from the racing board to cease racing for the remainder of the current meeting, which ends June 23. The racing board made the request to “provide the industry more time to fully implement announced safety initiatives and perhaps additional ones.”

Santa Anita officials indicated at the time they plan to continue the season.

Currently, the racing board cannot suspend a race meeting without approval of a track operator or without holding a public meeting with a 10-day advance public notice.

Legislation that will give the racing board the right to suspend a race meeting for issues related to horse safety has been introduced in the California legislature, and it recently passed the state Senate by a vote of 38-0. The measure has been sent to the California Assembly, which had not scheduled a vote as of Tuesday.

On Monday, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a statement calling for The Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita, to suspend racing at the track immediately. Feinstein made similar declarations on two occasions earlier this spring.

“We need to take a long pause and do a thorough review of Santa Anita: the track, the practices employed there, what medicines are used, how horses are trained,” the statement issued Monday read, in part.

“We need to get to the bottom of what’s going on and why so many horses are dying. With only two weeks left in the racing season, there’s no reason to wait for more dead horses. Terminate racing at Santa Anita and do it now.”

Racing at Santa Anita is scheduled to resume Friday for two three-day weekends.