“In addition to our commitment to providing the safest racing environment for our participants, we have an immense responsibility as the economic engine of the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky which provides jobs and income for thousands of families every day,” Carstanjen continued. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesĬhurchill Downs 'troubled' after 12th horse death in past 2 months LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 06: The field heads into the first turn during the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on in Louisville, Kentucky. Ellis Park is also owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. The rest of the Spring Meet will take place at nearby Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, starting June 10, the release said. 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.” “What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. “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,” Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in the release. “Following a thorough internal review and concurrent investigations conducted by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (‘KHRC’) and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (‘HISA’), no single factor has been identified as a potential cause and no discernible pattern has been detected to link the fatalities.”Ĭhurchill Downs and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority chose to conduct the intensive review in collaboration with national experts. “Churchill Downs Racetrack has seen an unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month resulting in 12 equine fatalities,” the company said in a news release. The company said that an expert review concluded that the racetrack’s surface is consistent with that of past years and that there is no clear factor linking the deaths yet. Horse racing regulatory officials call 'emergency summit' following 12 horse deaths at Churchill DownsĪccording to Churchill Downs Incorporated, all racing operations at the Louisville racetrack will be suspended from June 7 through the remainder of the Spring Meet, which was scheduled to run to July 3.
"This is a response, but it feels like a shell-game response.Javier Castellano, right, gallops atop Mage in front of Flavien Prat, atop Angel of Empire, after winning the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. "We renew our request that Churchill Downs suspend its racing schedule until there is a proper forensic analysis of the horse deaths and a comprehensive plan to remediate future deaths. "But it's apparent that there's more at work here than track surface threats. "If the track surface was the singular cause of the rash of horse deaths at Churchill Downs, changing the racing venue might make sense," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. Given that the surface does not appear to be the issue, animal rights activists questioned the logic of moving the races to Ellis Park. HISA's track surface expert submitted his review of the racing surface at Churchill Downs earlier on Friday and found there were "no primary areas for concern" and that it was consistent with previous years. Investigations by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission have yet to identify a reason for the spike in equine fatalities, which overshadowed last month's Kentucky Derby. This weekend's races will go ahead as scheduled and the remainder of the meet will be relocated to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Racing will be halted from June 7 through the remainder of the Spring Meet, which concludes on July 3. June 2 (Reuters) - Churchill Downs on Friday said it would suspend racing as it conducts a "top-to-bottom" safety review following the death of 12 horses at the famed Kentucky track in the past month.
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