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Thirty six horses have died at the famed
Southern California venue since the season began in late
December and although the track's safety record has improved
since it implemented drug reforms in March, some trainers are
still feeling uneasy.
"Absolutely," Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point
Thoroughbreds, told Reuters when asked if there was anxiety
among his fellow trainers ahead of the high-profile meet.
"If they don't have some anxiety they probably are not paying
attention or they aren't telling you the truth," said Finley,
who has two horses in Breeders' Cup races on Friday.
"Anybody that cares about this business worries because there is
nobody harder hit when a horse is hurt and put down than the
owners, the trainer and the people around them.
"We're concerned but things are starting to change, our culture
is starting to change," he said.
Santa Anita Park has been under scrutiny over its alarmingly
high fatality rate, which made international headlines and
prompted investigations by the Los Angeles County district
attorney and the California Horse Racing Board.
The attention has given a boost to the Horseracing Integrity
Act, a federal bill that would set up a national anti-doping
authority ban on the use of drugs on race day.
SIX DEAD
Six horses have died during the current meet, the most recent
being a filly named Bye Bye Beautiful, who was euthanized after
injuring her right front leg during a race on Sunday.
The changes implemented by the track, which included a ban on
the use of race day medications that can mask existing injuries
and lead to breakdowns, will be in effect during the Breeders'
Cup.
The venue will have a record number of veterinarians on hand to
examine each horse thoroughly before it is allowed to compete
and quickly respond to injuries, officials said.
"The safety of these horses is our number one priority," Dora
Delgado, an executive vice president at the Breeders' Cup, told
a news conference on horse safety on Wednesday.
"If we can't put a product out there that gives our fans and the
wagering public a sense of confidence then we're doing it
wrong."
Anti-horse racing activists plan to protest at Santa Anita Park
on Friday and Saturday, which in the past has led to arrests.
Breeders' Cup CEO Craig Fravel said he hopes the public
understand that the industry cares deeply about its horses and
is making extraordinary efforts to keep them safe.
"You'd be naive not to acknowledge that people are watching very
carefully and that's why we're paying so much attention to
injury prevention," Fravel told reporters.
"Although there have been changes in our approaches this is
something we've been committed to for many, many years. We value
this safety program immensely."
Finley said he hoped the fatalities at Santa Anita would serve
as a catalyst for change and lead to greater accountability and
national anti-doping standards.
"We are going to take as many positives out of these troubles as
possible," he said.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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