Since December 26 horses have died at Santa Anita racetrack in Southern California. The most recent horse to succumb was Kochees, a 9-year old gelding which died last week under surgery after it was injured during a harness race.
His foot was broken and since it was not a compound fracture, veterinarians hoped they could save him with surgery. However, surgeons found that the horse’s leg had lost blood flow. This prompted the decision to euthanize the animal.
Kochees, who had run 49 races and won 11 of them, started his career in 2013.
Kochees was the 26th horse to die in racing or training at the track since the day after Christmas when races opened at Santa Anita. The deaths did not attract national attention until the 18th death, that of Breeders’ Cup winner Battle of Midway, injured during a timed workout in February.
The fatalities ceased after March 31, causing Santa Anita authorities to hope that the worst had passed. Then another death happened on May 17 with the pelvic injury of Commander Coil, also during training. The injury also required euthanasia.
For the last two months anti-animal abuse demonstrators have appeared at the entrance to the racetrack. Many have urged that the racetrack close permanently.
Belinda Stronach, chief executive officer and president of the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields has proposed several safety reforms, including banning the use of the riding crop and the use of Lasix to treat exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.
She proposes extending these rules to other tracks her company owns, but without success.
The problems at Santa Anita caused other tracks, including Del Mar and Los Alamitos to announce reforms including banning Lasix for 2-year-olds next year and for all horses on stakes races beginning in 2021.
