After last year’s tragic spate, which included two on the day of the Derby, the track has upgraded its safety program ahead of Saturday’s Run for the Roses.
Uncle Lino is comforted after an injury during the Preakness Stakes on May 21, 2016, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The horse survived the injury and was retired in 2017. Memories are made at the Kentucky Derby, most of them good. Whether cashing a winning ticket, sipping mint juleps or marveling at the horses, crowds pack Churchill Downs to experience a bucket list sporting event.
The number of deaths in the United States increased slightly in 2023 from the year before, according to data tracked by the Equine Injury Database and reported by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Investigations by Churchill Downs and HISA didn’t identify one common cause for the deaths around the Derby.
“The track is a lot different than it was. It’s got more sand in it now, it’s got more base, more cushion,” said 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who saddles Just Steel in the Derby. “It’s quite a bit deeper. Horses are getting over it good.” Churchill Downs added an equine safety and integrity veterinarian to help enforce its rules. Fifteen vets from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission joined the track’s vet team to observe horses this week before, during and after training and in their stalls after they arrive.
NTRA president and CEO Tom Rooney points to HISA, as well as investments in new diagnostic technologies, advanced data analytics and veterinary and track surface protocols, as “a testament to our collective dedication to enhancing safety practices within the industry.”
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