Based on numbers from the Equine Injury Database for 2023, racetracks competing under the standards of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority enjoyed what would have been a record year for safety in the 15 years of the database.
HISA, which began oversight of safety issues in July 2022 and anti-doping and medication control in May 2023, has become the industry standard of oversight since bringing a uniform, national set of rules to the vast majority of United States tracks. In 2023 tracks within HISA’s jurisdiction saw just 1.23 equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, better than the 2022 record EID safety performance of 1.25 for all U.S. tracks.
Because equine fatality rates in 2023 were higher at several tracks that continue to operate under state standards instead of those set by HISA, for all U.S. tracks last year the EID reported a slight uptick in the injury rate to 1.32 per 1,000 starts—the second-lowest rate in the 15 years these numbers have been tracked.
A strength of the EID is getting to the truth of injury rates through consistent data. While the 2023 racing season saw some well-publicized equine safety issues at high-profile tracks such as Churchill Downs and Saratoga Race Course, the overall rate for the season nearly matched the record safe year of 2022. Based on the 2023 data, 99.87% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.
“There was a slight increase in the rate of fatality from 2022 to 2023 of 5.6%,” said professor Tim Parkin, of the University of Bristol, who has consulted on the EID since its 2009 launch. “However, this is not statistically significant, and we are encouraged by the low numbers in 2023 that the industry is still headed in the right direction with regard to keeping its horses safe.”
More telling than the year-to-year comparison of 2023 to 2022 were the numbers of tracks with HISA oversight compared to the few remaining tracks in states without HISA oversight. Tracks under HISA saw a rate of 1.23 per 1,000 starts while tracks remaining under state oversight saw a 32.5% higher rate at 1.63.
“HISA’s most important goal is driving down equine fatalities,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “We undoubtedly have significant work ahead of us, but I am pleased to see the rate is trending in the right direction. The reduction in the rate of equine fatalities at tracks under our jurisdiction demonstrates that setting high standards for racetrack safety and anti-doping and medication control across the country makes Thoroughbred racing safer.”
In a release sent Feb. 27, HISA said its regulations and interventions have had the most dramatic impact on small and mid-sized tracks in states where safety had been historically underfunded and underregulated.
Several of the tracks that race under state oversight instead of under HISA do not make their equine safety numbers public. Some of those non-HISA tracks not reporting numbers are Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots, Louisiana Downs, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Mountaineer Casino Resort, and Sam Houston Race Park. Lone Star Park, also not under HISA jurisdiction, reported a 2023 rate of 1.0 per 1,000 starts, which is better than the national average.
Since March 2012 racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 1.07 as compared to 1.50 for those that do not publish. The list of racetracks participating in the EID and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.
As for the EID numbers overall, this is the fourth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5 fatalities per 1,000 race starts. When compared to 2009 (2.0 fatalities per 1,000 starts), 2023 shows a 34% decrease in risk of fatal injury. Analysis of the EID was provided by Parkin and Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow).
“This change is statistically significant,” Parkin said of the overall trend. “This is equivalent to 171 fewer horses sustaining a fatal injury racing in 2023 than would have occurred had the number of starts remained constant since 2009.”
Key statistics from the 2023 analysis for all U.S. tracks are as follows (figures represent the incidence of racing fatality per 1,000 starts):
By age
- 2-year-old: 0.79
- 3-year-old: 1.37
- 4+-year-old: 1.38
By race distance
- <6 furlongs: 1.22
- 6-8 furlongs: 1.37
- >8 furlongs: 1.32
By track surface
- Dirt: 1.43
- Turf: 1.13
- Synthetic: 0.97
For trends of the EID since 2009, visit jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid_15_year_tables.pdf.
The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported.
Throughout the course of 2023, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.
HISA’s racetrack safety regulations require pre-race veterinary exams and other expanded veterinary protocols, ensure equine treatment records follow a horse throughout its racing career, make horses’ full medical and workout histories available to veterinarians around the country, ensure every racetrack is held to the same high standards for facility safety, require racing surface conditions be monitored and reported to HISA regularly, and require claims be voided if a horse dies, is euthanized, or is vanned off the track.
As part of HISA’s commitment to public reporting, the organization will release an inaugural annual report next month that will include a detailed analysis of key metrics for 2023 concerning equine fatalities, registrations, fines assessed, track accreditation, and riding crop violations.
