The equine fatality rate at North American Thoroughbred racetracks fell to its lowest rate yet in 2022, to 1.25 horses per 1,000 starts, the fourth consecutive year that rate has fallen, according to data released Monday by The Jockey Club. The 1.25 rate compares favorably to other major racing jurisdictions worldwide, following widespread adoption of new rules and regulations in most major racing states designed to increase veterinary scrutiny of horses and pare back the use of regulated medications. In 2009, when the racing industry launched the Equine Injury Database, the rate was 2.00 horses per 1,000 starts, meaning that the rate has fallen 37.5 percent in 13 years. “We can say with confidence that the risk of fatal injury is heading in a sustained downward direction both overall and in many specific areas,” said Dr. Tim Parkin, an epidemiologist who has examined the data since the inception of the EID. “The six-month period from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, was the safest six-month period on record . . . This evidence of positive progress is very encouraging and should be applauded by everyone in North American racing.”  Artificial surfaces like those in use at Woodbine, Golden Gate Fields, Turfway Park, and Mahoning Valley continue to post far lower fatality rates than dirt surfaces, at 0.41 compared to 1.44, according to the data. In 2022, the fatality rate for turf was 0.99. The fatality rate for turf racing has typically fallen between the rates for dirt and artificial surfaces. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  Each of the rates by surface type were the lowest on record.  The fatality rate for 2-year-olds in 2022 remained on its historical trajectory, at 0.98 per 1,000 starts, two years after a sudden spike to 1.58 horses per 1,000 starts in 2020. Researchers and epidemiologists have surmised that disruptions to training schedules caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in the sudden spike, which disappeared in 2021, when the rate was also 0.98. The fatality rate for 3-year-olds was 1.13, while the fatality rate for horses 4-years-old or older was 1.34. Because researchers believe that the primary factor behind nearly all fatalities is pre-existing damage to bone, they have begun stressing to horsemen that older horses may need more regular breaks from high-stress exercise. Some racetracks have also begun to utilize cutting-edge scanning technology in an attempt to identify horses at higher risk for injury from pre-existing damage. Races at shorter distances continued to post higher fatality rates than races run at distances longer than one mile. In 2022, the fatality rate for races farther than one mile dropped to 0.86, its lowest rate ever. The fatality rate for races shorter than six furlongs was 1.38, while the rate for races at six furlongs to one mile was 1.31.  Data from the EID has been used over the past 10 years to develop lists of risk factors for certain types of horses, and those risk factors have been incorporated into racing-office software to flag horses for additional veterinary scrutiny upon being entered into a race. Regulatory veterinarians also have used the red-flag system to discuss possible risk factors with horsemen in an attempt to raise awareness of the need to use caution when exercising or running certain horses. For 2022, The Jockey Club said that 99 percent of all races run at North American tracks were evaluated for racing fatalities. Participation in the EID is voluntary. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.