Churchill Downs will suspend operations and move the remainder of the Spring Meet to Ellis Park due to the deaths of 12 horses since April 27. The move is being done to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all safety and surface protocols and integrity measures. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority made the recommendation that Churchill Downs suspect racing, which the track has agreed with and accepted. An independent evaluation of Churchill Downs’ track surface was started by Dennis Moore, a well-known track superintendent from California. HISA continued its first major review of safety in the industry by investigating the legendary race track.
Citing the Courier Journal, Churchill Downs has announced that it will suspend operations and move the remainder of the Spring Meet to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky. This decision comes after the deaths of 12 horses since April 27, including Kentucky Derby 149 contender Wild On Ice, who was euthanized following a training injury. Nine of the deaths were related to horses breaking down on track, while two others collapsed and died after racing. A third was euthanized following an incident in the paddock.
Racing was held at Churchill Downs on June 2, prior to the announcement, and the famed track will have live racing June 3-4 before moving the Spring Meet to Ellis Park starting June 10. Following the Spring Meet, racing is set to start again on September 13, Citing the calendar on ChurchillDowns.com.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority made the recommendation that Churchill Downs suspend racing, which the track “has agreed with and accepted this recommendation.” Churchill Downs said the decision to move the remainder of the Spring Meet is being done to “conduct a top-to-bottom review of all safety and surface protocols and integrity measures.”
“The team at Churchill Downs takes great pride in our commitment to safety and strives to set the highest standard in racing, consistently going above and beyond the regulations and policies that are required,” Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc., said in a statement announcing the move.
Wednesday, an independent evaluation of Churchill Downs’ track surface was started by Dennis Moore, a well-known track superintendent from California. HISA continued its first major review of safety in the industry by investigating the legendary race track. Moore’s evaluation Wednesday of the track in Louisville was also not open to the media, so little is known about what he actually did while at the facility.
Mick Peterson, director of the Racetrack Safety Program for Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, told The Courier Journal on Friday that the agency conducted a second analysis of the track Tuesday and found it was “consistent” with testing done prior to Kentucky Derby 149.
Despite the recent deaths, Churchill Downs had just announced new safety measures, including a reduction in the number of allowable whip strikes, and the use of non-invasive imaging technology to detect injuries in horses.
The move to Ellis Park for the remainder of the Spring Meet will undoubtedly have an impact on the horse racing industry in Kentucky. Ellis Park is a smaller track, and it remains to be seen how it will handle the influx of horses and fans from Churchill Downs. However, the decision to suspend racing at Churchill Downs and move the Spring Meet is a necessary step to ensure the safety of the horses and riders who participate in this beloved sport.
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