KHRC Vet: No Fatalities at Ellis Park After Six Days

Dr. Nick Smith, chief veterinarian for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, told KHRC commissioners June 20 that there have been no equine fatalities over six days of racing at Ellis Park this month after a spate of horse deaths at Churchill Downs in the spring. There have been no fatalities during training there either, Smith added.

The safe initial racing at Ellis Park follows a troubled Churchill Downs meet that was halted and shifted to Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., after 12 Thoroughbred fatalities in Louisville. Churchill Downs last raced June 4, ending racing about a month earlier than scheduled. The Churchill-at-Ellis meet began June 10.

Of the dozen fatalities at Churchill Downs, one came during training just before the meet, another from a paddock accident, two from sudden deaths, and eight from musculoskeletal injuries, Smith said at Tuesday's regular June meeting of the KHRC.

This followed a Keeneland meet during April that had three racing fatalities and one from training, Smith noted.

Initial investigations and necropsies have not resulted in any announcement from officials linking the fatalities at Churchill Downs. Churchill said it suspended racing out of an abundance of caution and "in alignment" with a decision from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. HISA oversees Thoroughbred racing in most states.

Horses have continued to train at Churchill Downs, which serves as a stabling base for many horses from spring through fall.

The KHRC retroactively approved the move from Churchill Downs to Ellis Park during Tuesday's meeting after KHRC executive director Jamie Eads granted conditional approval earlier this month.

Asked by commissioner Bill Landes if Churchill Downs Inc., which owns both Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, had considered other options for the remainder of their meet, Eads replied that it had.

"There were multiple discussions between the racetrack, the commission cabinet, and HISA. Several options were considered but this is the one that was landed on and viable," she said.

There was no public discussion among commissioners or public update from the KHRC staff about continued investigations into the equine accidents that occurred at Churchill Downs.

Smith reported that the state's regulatory veterinarians, who are in charge of pre-race inspections of horses, among other responsibilities, had made a "pretty seamless transition" since the Churchill Downs meet was moved. Ellis Park's customary meet is to follow the Churchill at Ellis meet over the summer.

CDI director of racing Gary Palmisano introduced commissioners via videoconference to Matt Pressley, the recently promoted general manager of Ellis Park. Pressley has worked at Ellis Park in another capacity over the past couple of years. According to Palmisano, Pressley could not be at the KHRC meeting in Central Kentucky due to a new infield video board being installed in advance of weekend racing.

Also during Tuesday's meeting, the KHRC approved a backside improvement project at Ellis Park for the purchase of a new warning system to give an alert when a horse gets loose.

The KHRC also provided approval to reduce purse payouts for Kentucky-bred horses down to fifth place. The action had previously been granted conditional approval by Eads.

In response to the equine fatalities at Churchill Downs, CDI announced several rule changes, one of which was the pause of track-based incentives such as trainer-start bonuses and purse payout allocations to every race finisher through last place.