After a special meeting between track officials and horsemen Thursday, Churchill Downs introduced a slew of new “safety initiatives and precautionary measures” to prevent equine injuries in the wake of an uptick in horse deaths.
A total of 12 horses have died in two months at the home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, including two on the Derby’s undercard. The most recent deaths came Friday and Saturday, when Lost in Limbo and Kimberley Dream were euthanized following injuries.
Churchill Downs is pausing “track-based incentives” that give trainers bonuses for horses’ starts; as well as limiting payouts to the top five finishers instead of every race finisher through last place.
Horses will also be restricted to four starts during a rolling eight-week period in an effort to keep them from being overworked.
The racetrack also announced “ineligibility standards.” A horse beaten by more than 12 lengths in five straight starts will be ineligible until the track’s equine medical director approves the horse for return.
“The attending veterinarians and trainers at Churchill Downs are incredibly capable and knowledgeable,” Dr. Will Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a news release. “We feel a duty to provide the latest information on surgical interventions from an expert (Dr. Ryan Carpenter, an equine surgeon) who experienced the challenges in California a few years ago that we currently face today. Any decision must be made first and foremost with the long-term well-being of the horse in mind. It is imperative that all available, educated and informed options can be efficiently, confidently and thoroughly relayed to the owners.”
–Field Level Media