Santa Anita, CHRB announce enhanced pre-race review process

ARCADIA, Calif. – The California Horse Racing Board and Santa Anita announced Wednesday that horses racing at Santa Anita through the end of the meeting on June 23 will be subjected to heightened pre-race evaluation by a panel of experts in an effort to improve safety in the aftermath of 29 equine fatalities since late December.

Wednesday’s announcement came less than 24 hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a brief statement criticizing racing for the recent fatalities. Newsom called for greater oversight from veterinarians.

Beginning Friday, a five-person team of racing board veterinarians and stewards will review the medical, training, and race records of horses entered to race and will have the ability to scratch horses deemed unfit. Horses that have been on official veterinarian’s or steward’s lists will be closely scrutinized, according to a statement released by Santa Anita.

All five members of the team must agree that a horse is fit to race. If one or more members of the team states that a horse is unfit to run, the horse will be withdrawn.

The team will include California equine medical director Rick Arthur, racing board chief steward Darrel McHargue, state veterinarian Tim Grande, and stewards Scott Chaney and Ron Church, according to racing board executive director Rick Baedeker. The review will remain in place through closing day, according to a statement released by Santa Anita.

In the statement, Baedeker described the evaluations as “historic safety enhancements.”

“We are taking these additional steps to further mitigate the risk to horses at Santa Anita,” he said. “The California Horse Racing Board is committed to doing all we can to ensure the safety of the horses there.”

Last Sunday, the racing board asked Santa Anita to cancel the final seven racing days of its season after a horse suffered a fatal pelvis injury the previous day. Sunday, a horse suffered an apparent heart attack when pulled up in a race.

Santa Anita rejected the racing board’s request to end the season, stating it would race through June 23. Currently, the racing board does not have the power to order a track to cease racing without holding a public meeting with a 10-day public notice.

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