Fatality rate at HISA tracks for third quarter in line with long-term trends
The racing related fatality rate at tracks under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority in the third quarter of this year was 1.02 per 1,000 starts, according to data released by HISA on Friday.
Although quarterly rates can fluctuate substantially because fatalities are relatively rare events, the 1.02 quarterly rate is in line with recent long-term trends. For all of 2024, the fatality rate at HISA tracks was 0.90 per 1,000 starts, though the rate this year has ticked up a bit.
According to HISA, the two-year running fatality rate has been 0.95 per 1,000 starts.
HISA tracks are required to report any fatality due to an injury or distress within 72 hours of a race. The HISA rate has generally trended lower than the overall fatality rate, as measured by the Equine Injury Database, which includes fatalities at all U.S. tracks.
Training-related fatalities in the third quarter were 0.38 per 1,000 workouts, according to HISA, which said that the training related rate is trending 24 percent lower than the 2024 rate. HISA began recording and monitoring training related fatalities last year.
HISA also said in its quarterly report that it had completed an analysis of racing and training fatalities at Saratoga Race Course this year, which identified “significantly higher rates of high-speed exercise” in the six to 10 months preceding the deaths compared to the general population of horses at the track. Research has shown that most fatalities are highly correlated with microscopic bone damage due to high-speed exercise.
“Accordingly, the report underscores the importance of monitoring the behavior, performance, and soundness of horses participating in intense high-speed exercise, and of adjusting training and racing intensity to mitigate injury risk,” HISA said.
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