At last week’s Racing and Gaming Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York, the ongoing discussions about the future of racing underscored a critical focus: equine safety. California Horse Racing Board executive director Scott Chaney emphasised that moving forward, any initiative within the sport must prioritise the safety of the horses.
Chaney’s remarks came in response to a question from Ken Lowe, chairman of the West Virginia Racing Commission, regarding the significant equine fatalities at Santa Anita Park in 2019 that catalysed the creation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Although Chaney was not in his current position at the time, he was a steward in California and witnessed first-hand how those events shifted public perception and regulatory action. He pointed out that while some within the industry viewed California’s issues as isolated, the general public sees equine safety concerns as a national issue, not confined to a single state.
Chaney acknowledged that while California’s situation in 2019 may have been viewed as a blemish on the sport, recent safety issues at Saratoga Race Course, Churchill Downs, and Laurel Park have demonstrated that the public’s concerns are widespread. “These days there's no such thing as a hole on your side of the boat," Chaney said, emphasising that safety is now a shared responsibility across the sport.
The positive news is that significant progress has been made, both in California and under HISA regulations. Chaney noted that many of the safety measures pioneered in California have been adopted nationwide. "Certainly from a safety perspective in the past five years, our [equine injury] numbers are way down," Chaney said, highlighting California’s leadership in implementing safety regulations.
Santa Anita Park, which was at the centre of the 2019 controversy, reported a 90% reduction in racing fatalities over the past five years. Nate Newby, senior vice president and general manager at Santa Anita, credited the entire racing community for prioritising horse safety. “From the owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians, and the hard-working men and women who care for the horses each day, everyone has done their part to make safety our North Star,” Newby said.
The emphasis on safety has extended to other HISA-regulated tracks as well. In the second quarter of 2024, racetracks operating under HISA reported 0.76 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, a substantial improvement from the 1.48 fatalities per 1,000 starts in the first quarter of 2023—a 49% year-over-year reduction.
Chaney reflected on how attitudes have shifted over the years. Higher equine death rates in past decades in California did not spark the same public outcry that they do today, highlighting the increased awareness and concern for equine welfare. He concluded, “We’re all in this together. Racing is a national sport; it’s a global sport.”