Churchill Downs Suspends Horse Racing After 12 Horse Deaths
Andrea Powell
The Kentucky Derby has taken place at the legendary Churchill Downs Racetrack since 1875. The facility located on 175 acres draws in tens of thousands of spectators from near and far to observe Thoroughbred racehorses as they compete in races on the one-mile dirt track.
However, this year they have witnessed numerous horse deaths that have led to a voluntary racing suspension at the track.
Over the past five weeks, including this year's Kentucky Derby, the racetrack has seen "an unusual number of horse injuries" resulting in the death of 12 horses.
Some horses sustained catastrophic leg injuries during races and had to be euthanized on the track. Others suffered from cardiac arrest following a workout or race. All the deaths are being investigated as well as the footing of Churchill Downs.
In a statement released on June 2, the racetrack shared that all horse racing would be suspended to try and figure out the cause behind the increase in horse fatalities.
"The team at Churchill Downs takes great pride in our commitment to safety and strives to set the highest standard in racing, consistently going above and beyond the regulations and policies that are required," states Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. "What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols."
Churchill Downs shared that the remaining races in the Spring Meet will be relocated to Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson, Kentucky.
The 12 Thoroughbreds Who Died At Churchill Downs
- Wild On Ice
- Code of Kings
- Parents Pride
- Take Charge Briana
- Chasing Artie
- Chloe's Dream
- Freezing Point
- Bosque Redondo
- Rio Moon
- Swanson Lake
- Lost In Limbo
- Kimberly Dream
Ongoing Investigation
The Horse Racing and Integrity Authority (HISA) and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) are conducting independent investigations into the deaths of all twelve racehorses.
HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus shared in a letter the steps they are taking. "HISA's investigation will include the following:
- A review of the records pertaining to each horse which died, including the necropsy report, vets' list history, past performances, exercise history, treatment records, pre-race inspection, and video records;
- A review of Churchill Downs equine fatality rates from the recent period, the same period the year prior, and the most recently concluded year; as well as training fatality data;
- A review of racetrack maintenance records, surface measurements, and testing data; Interviews with the regulatory vet, attending vet, track management officials, and other relevant third parties."
She also shared that all findings would be made public and how KHRC is investigating. "The KHRC is leading an Equine Catastrophic Injury Review to investigate the circumstances of and potential contributing factors to each of the fatalities that occurred. The investigations are already under way, and involve, at a minimum, interviews with the horses' connections and security personnel and review of the horses' racing, training, veterinary and pre-race exam inspection records as well as video surveillance. This is in addition to the mandatory necropsies that will be performed to further inform our collective understanding of the circumstances as outlined by HISA's Racetrack Safety Program."
Track surface expert Dennis Moore has inspected the footing at Churchill Downs and reported, "There were no primary areas for concern and has verified that the various track metrics analyzed are consistent with previous years."
People praised the racetrack and all involved for taking action and hope the cause or causes will soon be revealed and prevented in the future.
A staggering 80% of horse deaths occur in horses between the ages of 2 and 4—innocent young lives lost due to the demands and pressures of the sport. See how you can help below.
