CHRB Santa Anita Fatalities Report
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
California Horse Racing Board Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Report on Fatalities at Santa Anita Park from 12/30/18 through 3/31/19 The CHRB general office is located at 1010 Hurley Way, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95825. Field offices are located at all operating racetracks. Additional reports are available at: www.chrb.ca.gov 1 CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD REPORT ON RACING FATALITIES Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Key Findings .................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary of Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 5 Racing .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Fatalities ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Racing Summary ............................................................................................................................ 19 Necropsy Reports and Pre-Existing Pathology ................................................................................ 20 Exercise Intensity and Risk of Catastrophic Musculoskeletal Injury ................................................ 22 Discussion of Veterinary Medical, Training, and Horse Related Findings ........................................ 27 General Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 30 Case #1 ......................................................................................................................................... 32 Case #2 ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Case #3 ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Case #4 ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Case #5 ......................................................................................................................................... 38 Case #6 ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Case #7 ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Case #8 ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Case #9 ......................................................................................................................................... 46 Case #10 ....................................................................................................................................... 48 Case #11 ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Case #12 ....................................................................................................................................... 52 Case #13 ....................................................................................................................................... 54 Case #14 ....................................................................................................................................... 56 Case #15 ....................................................................................................................................... 58 Case #16 ....................................................................................................................................... 60 Case #17 ....................................................................................................................................... 62 Case #18 ....................................................................................................................................... 64 Case #19 ....................................................................................................................................... 66 Case #20 ....................................................................................................................................... 68 Case #21 ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Case #22 ....................................................................................................................................... 72 Case #23 ....................................................................................................................................... 74 Contributors................................................................................................................................... 76 California Horse Racing Board Personnel ................................................................................... 76 Special Contributors ................................................................................................................... 76 2 CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD REPORT ON RACING FATALITIES Introduction Twenty-three thoroughbred racehorses died during racing vestigators (sworn peace officers) were assigned to coordi- or training at Santa Anita Racetrack between December 30, nate the investigations. They were teamed up with CHRB 2018, and March 31, 2019. Twenty-two of those horses Official Veterinarian Dr. Tim Grande and a CHRB Safety incurred a fatal musculoskeletal injury; one horse died sud- Steward to assist with the investigations. denly during training. The California Horse Racing Board All 23 horses underwent necropsy performed by pathol- (CHRB) routinely reviews all fatalities but opened an in- ogists within the CHRB/University of California, Davis, depth investigation of these 23 deaths. The goals of this Post-Mortem Program. CHRB investigation were to uncover any potential CHRB violations related to these fatalities and, more importantly, On March 15, 2019, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s to analyze the information in order to improve racehorse Office opened a criminal investigation into the horse fatal- welfare and safety in California. The purpose of this investi- ities at Santa Anita. The CHRB Investigators worked col- gation was fourfold: 1) To prevent more horses from suffer- laboratively with the District Attorney’s Office through this ing catastrophic injuries as part of the cluster or outbreak; investigation. The District Attorney’s Office was provided 2) To prevent future clusters or outbreaks of catastrophic with copies of all documents, reports, and interviews. injuries; 3) To further understand the etiology (causes) of CHRB staff in Sacramento assisted with researching each catastrophic injuries; and 4) To develop injury prevention horse and provided CHRB investigators and those with the strategies. District Attorney’s Office with internal CHRB information Ten fatal incidents occurred during a high-speed workouts and with public information, such as past performances, (“breeze”) in morning training, and 13 horses suffered inju- workouts, and other background information. The required ries during afternoon racing. Seventeen incidents occurring Veterinary Confidential reports (Form CHRB-24) submit- on the dirt track, and six on the turf (grass). Most hors- ted to the CHRB Official Veterinarian detailing treatments es had permanent stabling at Santa Anita, while one horse and medications prescribed and/or administered by prac- shipped to race from Los Alamitos; one horse had recently ticing veterinarians were carefully reviewed for each horse. relocated from Golden Gate Fields and was breezing at San- These covered at least the 30 days preceding each fatality ta Anita for the first time. Affected horses ranged from 3 to and in some cases longer, as determined by investigators 7 years old with an average age of 4 years. There were eight in consultation with CHRB veterinary staff. The CHRB females (fillies or mares), 11 geldings, and four intact males issued over 70 subpoenas to trainers and veterinarians re- (colts or stallions). Orthopedic injuries included: 19 fetlock quiring them to provide various documents to the CHRB. failures, two metatarsal bone fractures (5 and 7-year-old The necropsy examination and toxicology reports were re- stakes mares injured on the turf one day apart), and one viewed by investigators and CHRB veterinary staff. Video carpal bone fracture (3-year-old gelding). The catastroph- footage was reviewed for racing incidents. ically injured limb was the left front in seven horses, right After the review of all the collected documents, investiga- front in nine horses, left hind in three horses, right hind in tors and CHRB veterinary staff interviewed trainers, jock- two horses, and both front limbs in one horse. eys/riders, and attending veterinarians. Over 100 detailed There were four additional non-exercise related fatalities interviews were conducted. For each horse fatality, the in- during this