Vet panel excludes nine horses through first weekend of inspections

ARCADIA, Calif. – Seven horses were scratched at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday and two were excluded from being entered for Sunday’s races by a five-person panel of veterinarians and stewards formed last week to conduct more stringent inspections of horses in the aftermath of 29 equine fatalities since late December.

The creation of the panel was announced by the California Horse Racing Board and Santa Anita on June 12, a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for more detailed pre-race inspections by veterinarians.

The panel will be in place through the end of the current Santa Anita meeting on June 23, and consists of California equine medical director Rick Arthur, chief steward Darrel McHargue, state veterinarian Tim Grande, and stewards Scott Chaney and Ron Church.

The panel reviews medical, training, and race records of horses entered to race and has the ability to scratch horses deemed unfit. All five members of the panel must agree that a horse is fit to race. If one or more members of the panel states a horse is unfit to run, the horse will be withdrawn.

Arthur said the panel’s goal is to “prevent horses from being entered that don’t fit the current scenario at Santa Anita.”

“We are admittedly overcautious and that was our intent going in,” Arthur said. “We keep records of exams. We know the horses fairly well.”

Issues regarding horse safety have drawn attention of politicians. Arthur and McHargue were two of the officials who accompanied California congresswoman Judy Chu and a representative of California Senator Dianne Feinstein on a tour of Santa Anita on Saturday.

Chu’s district includes Arcadia, Calif. where Santa Anita is located. In late May, Chu called for a suspension of racing at Santa Anita “until the safety of the horses can be guaranteed.” Feinstein has issued three statements since early April requesting racing be halted at Santa Anita for a review of safety issues.

Last Friday, Feinstein issued a statement supporting the creation of the five-person review panel.