After 21 horses die, Santa Anita Park shuts down racing

Officials at Santa Anita Park, a storied Los Angeles-area racetrack, declared an indefinite postponement Tuesday to further events at the facility, following the deaths of 21 horses there since the winter season opened Dec. 26. The most recent equine fatality occurred earlier in the day, when a 4-year-old filly was euthanized after injuring her right leg during training.

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“Something is drastically wrong. I’ve been around a long time and have never seen this,” 82-year-old trainer Art Sherman, who oversaw the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes wins by California Chrome, told the Los Angeles Times. “There’s something wrong in the foundation, or something is not right. The only way to find out is shut it down.”

Santa Anita announced that it was bringing back its former track superintendent, Dennis Moore, “as a precautionary measure with regard to the condition of the one-mile main track.” Per reports, seven horses have died while racing on the dirt oval, five have died during turf races, and nine more have died while training.

The Santa Anita racetrack in Southern California suffered its 22nd horse fatality since December on Thursday morning. The main track had re-opened on Wednesday after being shut down due to the high number of deaths. The horse, Princess Lili B, broke both front legs during a workout, and was euthanized. A track spokesman said a “major corporate announcement” is expected before noon. Training will reportedly continue on the track where over one hundred horses train. No definitive reason for the rash of horse fatalities has been identified. There has been repeated inspections and dirt sampling, the rehiring of track consultant Dennis Moore, and enhanced safety protocols. The track is aiming to reopen racing on March 22.