California Legislators to Hold Hearing on Racing Safety

The recent rash of fatalities during racing and training at Santa Anita Park has moved California legislators to call for a thorough investigation into the safety of horse racing and introduce legislation that would give the California Horse Racing Board the authority to take immediate action to suspend live racing if dangerous conditions exist.

State Sen. Bill Dodd and assemblyman Adam Gray—both Democrats—announced April 12 their plan to call for a joint oversight hearing next month. The hearing will included testimony from expert witnesses who can discuss the steps the racing industry and regulators have already taken to improve safety to both horses and jockeys as well as identify areas for improvement, according to a statement issued by Dodd.

In his statement, Dodd said he and Gray met with CHRB chairman Chuck Winner several weeks ago to discuss the steps the state could take to improve safety, which includes empowering the CHRB to take emergency action when warranted. Dodd introduced Senate Bill 469, which would give the CHRB the authority to act quickly.

"This common-sense bill is one part of the solution, and chairman Gray and I will be convening a hearing to determine whether there are additional steps the industry or the state should take to enhance safety," said Dodd in his statement. "It's clear that state regulators need the power to act swiftly and decisively when exigent safety concerns arise."

SB 469 would allow racing board directors to convene an emergency meeting to consider temporary track closure when a situation emerges requiring prompt action. The usual 10-day meeting notice would be waived, but the board would still be required to notify the media and public. 

The bill requires a vote of at least four of the six CHRB members to suspend racing due to safety issues. If fewer than four members are present for an emergency vote, the members present must be unanimous in their decision, according to the bill's language. The bill also allows CHRB "at any time to change, limit, restrict, or reallocate racing weeks, days, or dates" as it relates to the suspension of racing.

"Both Sen. Dodd and I believe that California's horse racing industry must be willing to accept and adopt forward-thinking solutions to address long-standing issues and debates," said Gray, in the release issued by Dodd. "This hearing will give the committees an opportunity to conduct a thorough review of the industry's safety track record and highlight new and potentially necessary reforms to improve safe racing conditions."

SB 469, which is scheduled for its first hearing April 23, is co-authored by Sen. Susan Rubio and assemblyman Ed Chau, Democrats whose districts include Santa Anita Park.

"The unfortunate deaths of 23 horses in Santa Anita Park, which is located in my district, has been alarming and demands our most urgent attention," Chau was quoted in the statement from Dodd. "It brings to mind the question on why we are not suspending horse racing when emergency action is necessary. This legislation will empower the board to take action more swiftly in order to protect the welfare of both horses and riders and is an important step in a series of ongoing reforms."

"I have joined as principal co-author of SB 469 because I believe that the safety of the horses and the jockeys is a top priority," Rubio was quoted in Dodd's statement. "In doing so, I request that my colleagues join me in moving forward by having a full and open dialogue with all stakeholders. We need to ensure we don't implement legislation that causes unintended consequences, such as unnecessarily impacting the livelihood of thousands of workers and their families throughout the San Gabriel Valley."