Through four weeks, no catastrophic injuries during Del Mar races

DEL MAR, Calif. –Through the first four weeks of the meet, not a single horse has suffered a catastrophic injury in a race, as Del Mar has changed the narrative in Southern California following a tumultuous season at Santa Anita that had all eyes on safety heading into the meeting here.

“We’re still holding our breath,” Joe Harper, the track’s chief executive, said late on the card on Sunday. Harper cited extensive safety protocols, including additional veterinary oversight, as reasons for the run of good fortune.

“We’re delighted with the things we’ve got in place. They’re working,” Harper said. “And we’re delighted with the cooperation we’re getting from trainers.”

There have been four fatalities during training hours, including two who died in a freak head-on collision July 18. Two others had catastrophic injuries during workouts, including the unraced 3-year-old filly Bri Bri, who on Monday suffered a pelvis injury galloping out following a half-mile gate drill for trainer Jim Cassidy. Del Mar officials confirmed her identity, and that her injuries necessitated her being euthanized.