Results of California Horse Racing Board investigation on horse deaths to be released in December

ARCADIA, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board announced on Thursday that an investigation into a series of fatalities at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting earlier this year is nearing completion and the results will be released in December.

The investigation is headed by veterinarian Alina Vale, who will author a report “focusing on the nature of the injuries,” according to a statement released by the racing board. The racing board’s study has sought to find “any common characteristics or causes and develop strategies for preventing similar injuries in the future,” the racing board’s statement said.

The racing board has issued more than 120 subpoenas for records related to the fatal injuries, according to the statement. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced it was holding an investigation into the fatalities, but has not filed any charges.

The fatalities marred the winter-spring meeting, leading to a three-week gap in racing in March while the main track underwent renovation and inspection. When racing resumed in late March, a series of tighter measures were implemented to inspect horses entered to race.

After a smaller series of fatal injuries in May and early June, a panel of stewards and veterinarians was formed at the insistence of Gov. Gavin Newsom to review the racing, training and medical reports for all horses entered to race in an effort to reduce injuries.

While the number of fatal injuries at Southern California Thoroughbred tracks has subsided in recent months compared to earlier this year, there was a fatal injury during training at Santa Anita on Friday.

GQ Covergirl suffered an injury to a foreleg while exercising on the infield training track and was euthanized.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, GQ Covergirl won consecutive $40,000 claimers at Los Alamitos in September and here on Oct. 4. She won 6 of 16 starts and earned $200,730.