After a disastrous spring season in which it was forced to close after the deaths of 30 horses, Santa Anita Park in Southern California is under a record level of scrutiny as opened its fall season last week.
Unfortunately, two days into the 23-day fall race meeting a three-year-old colt had to be euthanized.
That compares to a fatality-free racing season at Del Mar over the summer.
“The Great Race Place,” owned by the Stronach Group, is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup races November 2-3. After last season’s closure, management took a number of safety measure, including resurfacing the track, checking grading and having a team of seven veterinarians to inspect each horse before training or races. It also imposed race-day medication limits.
As much pressure as Santa Anita is under, so is the California Horse Racing Board, both from animal rights activists and from Governor Gavin Newsom, who demanded that the board close Santa Anita earlier this year.
Last week in an interview with the New York Times, he declared, “I’ll tell you, talk about a sport whose time is up unless they reform, that’s horse racing. Incredible abuses to these precious animals and the willingness to just to spit these animals out and literally take their lives is a disgrace.”
The horseracing industry is starting to counter-demonstrate to the animal rights activities. It’s posting track workers, making the point that racing provides jobs to thousands and that the animals are well cared for and loved.
Emtech, the colt that was euthanized, broke down during the eighth race, breaking both front forelimbs. The track’s chief veterinarian Dr. Dionne Benson issued this statement: “As is protocol at Santa Anita, we will open an immediate review into what factors could have contributed to Emtech’s injury.”
She added, “Santa Anita will work closely with the California Horse Racing Board and will continue to brief our stakeholders and all of our constituents, including the public, as more facts come in. Emtech will undergo a necropsy at the University of California–Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine, as is mandatory for all on-track accidents.
“The accident and the necropsy report will be reviewed by a team to learn what, if anything, could have been done to have prevented the accident.”
