Deaths down in California racing

The number of musculoskeletal fatalities in racing or training at California tracks has decreased sharply compared to a year ago, according to state equine medical director Jeff Blea.

The California Horse Racing Board had recorded 26 musculoskeletal fatalities since July 1, 2022, compared to 39 in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, and 43 in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The current fiscal year ended on Friday.

In testimony before the racing board at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Blea said the decline “is an indication that the safety rules put together by this regulatory board have been very impactful to reduce the musculoskeletal fatalities.”

In an interview later on Thursday, Blea said the participation of trainers “adhering to the safety and welfare regulations” has played a vital role in the decline.

In the last four years, California has enacted changes in medication rules and pre-race veterinary examinations to reduce fatalities following a series of fatal injuries at Santa Anita in early 2019 that made international news.

Blea presented other fiscal year data at Thursday’s meeting.

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, there was a rise in non-musculoskeletal injuries caused by a variety of illnesses, accidents in the stable, or sudden deaths. Through Thursday, there had been 43 such deaths compared to 26 in 2021-2022.

Blea said colic is sometimes a cause of such fatalities.

“Colic is a horse issue, not just a racehorse issue,” he said. “We’re staying on top of those.”

Overall, there have been 69 fatalities at state racetracks in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, compared to 66 in 2021-2022, Blea said.

The number of fatalities has declined sharply in recent years. There were 144 fatalities in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The number was as high as 265 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

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