Small uptick in fatal injuries in 2018, according to Equine Injury Database

With racehorse injuries in the national spotlight, The Jockey Club has released an analysis of data from the Equine Injury Database that shows a slight increase in fatal injuries at U.S. racetracks in 2018.

The data analysis showed an aggregated rate of fatal injury of 1.68 per 1,000 starts in 2018. In 2017, the corresponding rate was 1.61 per 1,000 starts.

Tim Parkin, a veterinarian and epidemiologist from the University of Glasgow and consultant to the EID, performed the analysis, and in a press release distributed by The Jockey Club concluded that the year-over-year aggregate increase was not statistically significant.

“Analysis of the EID has demonstrated that there are a multitude of factors that contribute to the risk of fatal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses,” Parkin said in the release. “Moving forward, we should focus on the medications present in horses during racing and training, transparency of veterinary records for all starters, and the collection of injury data from morning training hours.”

The Equine Injury Database, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format. This format is intended to generate valid statistics, identify markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and aid in research directed at improving safety.

The EID statistics include fatal injuries to Thoroughbreds that occurred during a flat race. Injuries during a race that result in a fatality within 72 hours are included. Since the EID’s inception, 109 racetracks have given data, and in 2019, tracks accounting for approximately 98 percent of flat racing days are expected to contribute to the EID.

The incident rate was 2 per 1,000 starts in 2009, the first year of reporting. Since then, it has checked in at 1.88 in both 2010 and 2011, followed by figures of 1.92, 1.90, 1.89, 1.62, and 1.54 in 2016 before coming to the most recent figures.

The 2018 EID study showed that 2-year-olds were associated with a statistically-significant lower rate (1.28 per 1,000 starts) compared to older horses (1.72 per 1,000 starts).

On dirt surfaces, the reported incident rate rose to 1.86 per 1,000 starts in 2018, compared to 1.74 in 2017. On turf, the rate was 1.20 compared to 1.36, and on synthetic, the rate was 1.23 compared to 1.10. Since the EID began collecting data in 2009, there has been a cumulative 16 percent drop in the rate across all surfaces, with an 11 percent drop on dirt, 38 percent drop on turf, and 17 percent drop on synthetic surfaces.

Racetracks are able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID in the Safety Initiatives section of The Jockey Club website. There were 25 tracks that self-reported during 2018, with an aggregate rate of 1.51 per 1,000 starts. On average, the lowest average rate, 1.45, was seen among 14 tracks that disclose their fatality rates and also are accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Safety and Integrity Alliance. Those tracks were Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Del Mar, Golden Gate, Gulfstream Park, Indiana Grand, Keeneland, Laurel Park, Pimlico, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga Race Course, Suffolk Downs, Turfway Park, and Woodbine.

Santa Anita has come under scrutiny, with 22 equine fatalities during racing or training since its current meeting began Dec. 26.