While ideas were floated about different paths for racing at last week’s Horse Racing and Gaming Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York, California Horse Racing Board executive director Scott Chaney reminded everyone that any ideas that move forward must prioritize horse safety.
Chaney made that assessment after a question from an audience member, Ken Lowe, chairman of the West Virginia Horse Racing Commission, about a series of deaths at horse races in 2019 at the Santa Anita Park is the driving force behind the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority.
Chaney, who stepped down from his current role in California in 2019 but has served as a regulator, agrees that California’s issues have driven HISA, but he says it’s important to keep in mind how the public views these issues. The public lumps safety issues into racing—as opposed to an individual state’s problem.
He acknowledged that some in the industry viewed California as an embarrassment to the sport when Santa Anita ran into problems in 2019, but he said it was clear that public concern was not limited to the Golden State. He said the public reaction to the problems at Saratoga Race Track, Churchill DownsAnd Laurel Park In recent years it has shown to be a common concern across the sport.
“Today, there are no holes in the side of your boat anymore,” Chaney said.
The good news is that improvements were made and results followed, first in California and then under HISA. Many of California’s ideas were adopted by HISA to some extent.
“Certainly from a safety standpoint, over the last five years, we have seen a significant reduction in (horse injuries),” Chaney said. “We are at the forefront of safety regulations.”
In June, Santa Anita Park reported a 90 percent reduction in racing fatalities over the past five years, crediting efforts from management as well as track owner 1/ST Racing and industry stakeholders.
“It cannot be overstated how diligently the entire racing community has prioritized horse safety above all else,” said Santa Anita senior vice president and general manager Nate Newby. “From owners, trainers, jockeys, veterinarians and the hard-working men and women who care for horses every day, everyone has done their part to make safety our North Star.”
To some extent, that emphasis has carried over to other HISA horse racing states. Racetracks operating under HISA rules that are open to horse racing reported 0.76 horse racing fatalities per 1,000 starts in the second quarter of 2024 compared with 1.48 horse racing fatalities per 1,000 starts in the first quarter of 2023, down about 49% from the same period last year.
Chaney notes that the higher number of horse fatalities in California in previous decades rarely made headlines, but times have changed. Horse safety has become a public concern, and the change is not limited to California, as the issue has received national attention as mentioned above.
“We’re all in this together,” Chaney said. “Racing is a national sport; it’s a global sport.”
