More than 1,200 horses killed at racetracks in 2008

The rush to improve safety since Eight Belles was euthanized at last year's Kentucky Derby did little to curb the number of horses dying at American racetracks in 2008, The Associated Press found in a national count.

Although many tracks were already implementing safety reforms when the popular filly pulled up lame with two broken legs after finishing second at the Derby in May 2008, her death on racing's biggest stage gave the effort a national face and new momentum.

However, the AP's count found only a slight change in the number of fatalities in 2008 (1,217) compared with 2007 (1,247). That's around 3 percent fewer deaths.

"If it were that easy to change, we would have flipped that switch a long time ago," said Mary Scollay, Kentucky's equine medical director, who is assembling an industrywide database on horse breakdowns, the findings of which haven't been released. "We've learned injuries are very complex in their causes, and there are a number of things that need to be critically evaluated."

Racing officials and equine experts are unsure exactly why the total remains so stubbornly high, though they point out racetrack deaths can happen for a variety of reasons. Also, no single change is likely to produce overnight results and many states implemented reforms after the Derby, so their impact would only be felt for part of 2008.

Last year, using open records requests sent to all thoroughbred racing states, the AP counted more than 5,000 horses that were reported killed at tracks between 2003 and 2007. The number was highest in the 2007 count because some states didn't keep track before that.

The same request was sent again this year to cover 2008. Responses from the states varied slightly because the minor racing states of South Dakota and Wyoming provided totals for 2008 but not 2007, and Kansas, which reported seven deaths in 2007, had none to report last year because its major track, The Woodlands, closed for economic reasons. Also, some states may have slightly altered their record-keeping methods.

By this year's Derby, nearly every major racing state had banned anabolic steroids, even though a necropsy showed Eight Belles was not on them. Tracks also scrambled to enhance the testing of their racing surfaces, apply padding to starting gates, replace whips with noisy but less painful riding crops and outlaw a certain kind of horseshoe known to cause injuries.

"I believe, and I think our fans believe, thoroughbreds are competing in a safer environment today than they were one year ago," said Alex Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Although some of the reforms, such as the steroid ban, took longer to implement and in some states may have only affected a few races later in the year, a comparison between 2007 and 2008 reveals a troubling trend at some of the nation's biggest racetracks.

Of the 26 states that provided statistics for both years, 12 reported more deaths last year than the year before. Thirteen others reported fewer, with Virginia listing eight both years.

California, which hosts by far the most races due to its numerous tracks and ideal climate for the sport, again recorded more than twice as many fatalities as any other state. The AP counted 251 racing and training-related deaths there in 2008, up from 240 the year before.

Louisiana reported the biggest improvement, dropping from 68 deaths in 2007 to 40 last year.

Tom David, the state's equine medical director, attributed the change to a new pre-race exam program that was launched last year following the staggering number of deaths from 2007 — nearly half of which occurred at Evangeline Downs.

"That really threw up a flag we have a serious problem," David said.

Luis Marquez, director of racing in Arizona, where there were 81 horse deaths in 2008 and 80 in 2007, said state budget shortfalls could be hampering safety. His state wants to issue pre-race exams too, but there are 11 unfilled vacancies in the racing office that have made it difficult to keep the same level of injury monitoring, let alone add a new layer.

"An animal may be perfectly fine today, but then tomorrow it doesn't feel good and you're making it race," Marquez said. "When you do a pre-race evaluation, you have a better chance of detecting injury."

Even some tracks with pre-race exams saw their fatality numbers increase for other reasons.

When Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., replaced its dirt surface with synthetic in 2006, there was no fatal breakdown for the first 69 days of racing. Then in the holiday meet last December, eight horses died within a month — twice as many as an even longer holiday meet in 2007.

While Turfway officials are still examining what may have caused the increase, among the theories is that its ban on rear "toe grabs" — shoes that contain metal spikes to aid in traction — might have backfired. While a ban on front toe grabs is now standard in the industry, Turfway has since rescinded its ban on the rear ones.

Since the death of Eight Belles, NTRA issued a checklist of proposed safety changes and appointed a panel led by former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson to investigate tracks and accredit those in compliance. Churchill Downs, the Derby's host track, was the first to gain approval.

"Accidents can happen," Thompson said, "but if an accident happens, let's see if we can make the results of that accident as minimal as possible."

-- Associated Press

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[LanieBelle]

This article is a joke and full of inaccuracies. Just the sheer number of horses that are dieing should give every American cause for concern. If it were car racers or athletes suffering fatal injuries, these numbers would not be thrown around so non-chalantly. The supposed medical equine expert Mary Scollay should be removed from her post. By saying "the injuries are complex and need to be examined" is absurd. There's obviously an issue that she either can't or won't see. She is not using her professional expertise to help these animals. Alex Waldrop's quotes what they "believe" and what "fans believe" is ridiculous. He's obviously saturated in manure of his own. As president of the Racing Association he is obviously more interested in money and his position than the well-being of these animals. He is in a position to do something about it and doesn't. This article makes it seem as though it's a big mystery that so many horses are dieing, and points to when records were and weren't kept as a reason(?) According to this piece, the "racing officials" and "equine experts" can't figure it out? If a drug company couldn't figure out what was killing people or making them sick, would they be allowed to continue? Would they be allowed to say "we don't know how many people died because we weren't required to keep records at that time?" It's preposterous! and insulting to anyone reading this article. Dangerous traits are being bred into these horses that are contributing to the deadly nature of their injuries. Then, they are killed; most at a very young age. It's a very sad commentary on our society. Involvement from our elected officials is required to step in and regulate this industry more heavily. People should not support this form of "entertainment". It is exploitation and it is wrong. The animals can't speak for themselves.

[elleneyegreen]

Just like our health care, fraught with corruption and greed, completely and utterly controlled by the health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Same thing for horses, only sadder. They don't deserve to be eliminated.

[hoofandpick]

The saddest thing is that many of these deaths are preventable. However, one needs committed people willing to place horse welfare as their number one priority. Until this is done, more horses will die and be sent to slaughter. God forbid that ALL trainers, owners etc step up to the plate and take of the horses by providing proper care including daily comprehensive vet checks by competent vets, rest for horses who are injured and putting up money to set up retirement facilities for all of the horses who couldn't run fast to start with, those who can't run fast any longer because of their injuries and those at the end of their careers. Of course this goal requires people with HONESTY and INTEGRITY, qualities that are in very short supply in the 21st Century. Who is going to step up to the plate for the horses?