It’s been six years since the national media descended upon Santa Anita to report on the happenings – dead racehorses – at that storied track during the winter-spring meet of 2019. As I repeatedly told media then, the killing at SA that year was no anomaly – that, in fact, dead horses were built-in to the track’s (and racing’s) business model.
Of course with that much scrutiny, big proclamations on “safety” were a given, with a promise that no stone would be left unturned. Ultimately, this led to the legislation that created HISA the following year. So where has all this new-found zeal for the welfare of the equine “athletes” brought us?
In 2019, 43 horses perished at Santa Anita. While deaths did go down in ’20 (20) and ’21 (22), most of that can be attributed to covid (less racing). In 2022, the number was 14. Putting aside whether you see this as “progress” (I don’t), at the time The Stronach Group was taking victory laps – proudly boasting that its track was “the safest in North America.”
Well.
Over the past two full calendar years (2023, 2024), 55 horses have been killed at Santa Anita (28 and 27, respectively). Clearly, a reversal. (I also firmly believe that Santa Anita’s much-ballyhooed “surgical-intervention” program is largely but a means to suppress the death numbers: injured horses shipped off-site for surgeries – if they’re even having them – who end up being euthanized are not reflected in official CHRB data. And, as we all know, most broken-bone surgeries don’t end well for horses. In the end, we’re simply left with a lot of missing horses.) And that trend continues this year.
3-year-old Ivan the Great, says the CHRB, was killed training at Santa Anita Sunday. He was the second horse killed there in three days, and seventh on the year.
When it comes to obfuscation and outright lying no entity can compete with horse racing. Horse welfare never was and never will be a priority in this business. It would be impossible for racing to exist if it were.
As an asides, humans have a lot to answer for when it comes to animal cruelty and basic welfare. For instance, the mayor of LA is proposing drastic cuts to animal shelters and closing many in the area…
My cousin who resides in California called me and asked what was going on in Santa Anita with all the deaths that year. I asked her to spread the word about all the cruelties plus the monies being spent from their tax dollars. It did work. She contacted all her friends to vote against any horse issues and to enlighten what really goes on in the industry.
Thanks to Horseracing Wrongs and CBS News for reporting on the carnage at Santa Anita Park in 2019. The national news media brought the carnage to the attention of a wider audience, but, UNFORTUNATELY, CBS News dropped the ball at a certain point.
Thanks to HW for the ongoing reporting of DAILY CARNAGE that has never stopped. The corruption of the racing people needs to be exposed to a wider range of people.
The California Horse Racing Board needed to be exposed to show their SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE cruelty to horses and the cheating and corruption by the CHRB.
The racing industry would love the public at large to be ignorant of the everyday carnage and cheating and corruption at Santa Anita as well as the other racetracks.
Thanks again, Horseracing Wrongs, for keeping everyone (who doesn’t want to be ignorant) informed of the everyday cruelty and the evildoing of injuring and killing horses in the HORSE RACING INDUSTRY.
It is never pleasant to read about but the more people who know the reality the better in order to hopefully bring this horrific cruelty to an end.
Animal Cruelty should be punished, not subsidized. Horseracing is Animal Cruelty and should not be rewarded with public funds!
As so many horse people say on racing websites” HISA is a missa” Our state Oregon, does not even participate in HISA`s rules & reg.s! From what we have heard the horse people don`t ever want to participate in HISA`s reg.s due to the added expense! Their 1/2 mile bull ring track racing is dependent on ADW / HUB taxes levied by the state on these wagering sites conducting wagers processed through the state of Oregon. When those funds are cut back or eliminated purses will be cut. We have no interstate wagers on our 1/2 mile bull ring tracks due to no HISA participation.
There never was and never will be safety in horse racing. It is impossible. End of.
Santa Anita Park & Gulfstream Park Land Is Worth A Mint!
April 17 training at Los Alamitos..Non-compliant dead.