Year-over-year racehorse fatality rate rises
The fatality rate for horses racing at tracks under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority during the second quarter of 2025 was 1.24 per 1,000 starts, up significantly over the record low rate set during the second quarter of 2024, according to figures released on Monday by HISA.
The 1.24 rate was a sharp jump from the 0.76 rate posted in the second quarter last year. But it was still lower than the rates that U.S. racing has posted historically over the past decade, including in the second quarter of 2023, when the rate was 1.48 per 1,000 starts. For all of 2024, the fatality rate was 0.90 per 1,000 starts.
HISA began releasing quarterly fatality rates last year under general policies to provide more information to racing stakeholders and the public, despite the higher risk of reporting fluctuating rates due to smaller data sets. Previously, fatality rates had been released annually, typically by the administrators of the Equine Injury Database, which preceded the advent of HISA by 12 years.
In a statement, HISA said that it had identified several increases in risk factors among the horse population that raced in the second quarter, including long layoffs; a history of shock-wave therapy, joint treatments, or prior injuries; and repeated episodes of unsoundness. HISA also said that injuries involving the fetlock joint accounted for 75 percent of the fatalities arising from musculoskeletal injuries during the quarter, up from 66 percent during the second quarter of 2024.
"HISA takes any uptick in fatalities very seriously and is actively exploring potential factors that may have contributed to the increase in the equine fatality rates this quarter,” the statement said.
“Progress isn’t always linear and it doesn’t happen passively,” said Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of HISA, in the statement. “It takes discipline, a commitment to transparency, and a shared daily focus on doing what’s right for our horses and our sport. Now is the time for every stakeholder to step up. Safety is a non-negotiable priority. The future of Thoroughbred racing depends on our collective will to embrace change and to adapt to improved standards across the industry.”
For the first six months of the year, the fatality rate was 1.06 horses per 1,000 starts. Going back a full year, the fatality rate has been 1.02 since June 30, 2024, HISA said.
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