Senator Feinstein Calls for Increased Oversight

With the current Santa Anita Park meeting coming to a close, Senator Dianne Feinstein has sent letters to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the operators of Del Mar and Los Alamitos race tracks urging enhanced safety reviews at those tracks.

The Santa Anita meet, which concludes June 23, was marred by a rash of catastrophic breakdowns. Los Alamitos will conduct the first of its Thoroughbred meets June 29-July 14, while the summer Del Mar meeting will be conducted July 17-Sept. 2. 

On Thursday the California Horse Racing Board continued to move forward on equine safety policies, voting to further restrict use of shockwave therapy and bisphosphonates in racing.

The full text of the letter to Governor Newsom dated June 18, 2019 follows:

"I write in support of your agreement with The Stronach Group to require an enhanced safety review of horses before they race at Santa Anita Park. While this policy is currently limited to Santa Anita, I ask that you extend the protocol to all horse races and tracks in California for the remainder of 2019.

"The 29 fatalities experienced at Santa Anita this year have brought into focus the danger horses face when competing at a high level. Statistics show that most horses who suffer a fatal injury while racing are found to have had a preexisting condition that may have contributed to their breakdown. We should pursue any reasonable measures to detect those preexisting conditions and prevent horses from racing when they are at-risk of catastrophic injury.

"The extra layer of review you established to examine each horse's medical records and racing history is a prudent step to ensure racehorse safety. I urge you to implement it at racetracks throughout California for the remainder of the year."