The industry’s far-reaching drive to improve racing safety across a number of areas continues to be profitable based on Horse Injury Database figures released March 29 by The Jockey Club.
The 2021 fatal injury rate, 1.39 per 1,000 cases to begin with, is the lowest rate in 13 years for which EID has collected such data. It marks the third consecutive year of record lows reported for such incidents since the launch of the EID in 2009. The risk of fatal injury in 2021 is down 1.4% compared to 2020 and 30.5% overall since 2009.
Based on 2021 data, 99.86% of flat races started at EID participating races were completed without a fatality.
Statistical Summary 2009-2021
(Pure purebred flat racing)
|
Calendar
Five
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
two thousand and thirteen
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
Year 2020
|
Year 2021
|
|
Ratio
|
2.00
|
1.88
|
1.88
|
1.92
|
1.90
|
1.89
|
1.62
|
1.54
|
1.61
|
1.68
|
1.53
|
1.41
|
1.39
|
Key stats from the 2021 analysis are as follows (figures represent racing deaths per 1,000 starts):
By age
- 2 years old: 0.98
- 3 years old: 1.52
- 4 years old and up: 1.38
According to the race distance
- less than six feathers: 1.35
- six eight feathers: 1.46
- More than a mile long: 1.19
According to the surface
- Dirt: 1.51
- First leg: 1.25
- Total: 0.73
EID trends since 2009 are available at jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid_13_year_tables.pdf.
Figures from the database for 2021 suggest that the spike in 2-year-old races could be just one cause related to the challenges of pony racing during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a spike in 2020 to lead all age groups, 2-year-olds back have the lowest racing mortality rates of any age group.
The incidence of 0.98 per 1,000 initiations in 2-year-olds was the lowest recorded for age, and the 2-year-old mortality rate fell below 1.0 per 1,000 for the first time.
Dr. Tim Parkin, a veterinary epidemiologist who has been consulting on EID since its inception. “We will continue to investigate the data to help prevent injuries and make sport safer.”
There has been a statistically significant decrease since 2009 in the risk of fatal injury on all surfaces: dirt (28.1%), turf (35.6%), and materials aggregate (51%). The synthetic surface-to-surface ratio (0.73) fell below 1.0 for the second time and is the lowest since 2009.
Also for the second time, the middle distance races (1.46) were generally higher than the shorter (1.35) and longer (1.19) races. Mortality rates from shorter and longer distances are the lowest for the respective categories since 2009.
The researchers believe that the cause of the catastrophic house breaks is multifactorial, and the race has introduced reforms in several areas that have helped reduce equine mortality. Some of these reforms include the removal of anabolic steroids from racing, new restrictions on therapeutic drugs, improved monitoring of racing surfaces, new rules on horse requirements, new guidelines on wallets regarding the price claim, thorough pre-race inspections by the prescribed veterinarian, the addition of safety officers at the tracks and the horse medical director at the regulatory level.
“We have made this database available as a service to the industry and we are delighted that it is proving to be an invaluable asset in learning more about how to keep our athletes safe. me,” said Jim Gagliano, President and CEO of the Jockey Club. “The downward trending EID data is very encouraging and I would like to thank the participating racecourses and the official veterinarians who worked with us and provided this important data.”
Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their stats from the EID on the Jockey Club website. Racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported 1.15 racing deaths per 1,000 starts compared to 1.54 for those that don’t.
The 22 racecourses accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Safety and Integrity Alliance reported 1.24 racing deaths per 1,000 starts compared with 1.50 for 58 races. unaccredited raced in 2021 and reported to EID.
EID statistics are based on injuries resulting in death within 72 hours of race day. Statistics are for official Mastery races only and do not include downhill races. Summary statistics for EIDs are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into EID goes through a multi-level quality control process to ensure complete and accurate data is reported.
A list of races participating in the EID and detailed statistics from races that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.
Throughout 2021, approximately 99% of all Purebred initiations are included in the EID.
The Horse Injury Database, conceived at the first Grayson-Jockey Research Club Safety and Welfare Summit, was launched by the Jockey Club in July 2008 and finds how to determine frequency, type and outcome of racing injuries using a standard format that generates valid statistics, identifying markers for horses at high risk of injury and serve as a data source for research to improve safety and prevent injury.
