header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
January 22
1839 - Gov. Juan B. Alvarado gives most of SCV to Mexican Army Lt. Antonio del Valle. [story]
Diseno map


| Friday, Apr 19, 2019
Santa Anita Park. | Photo: Martin Macias Jr./CNS.
Santa Anita Park. | Photo: Martin Macias Jr./CNS.

 

By Martin Macias Jr.

ARCADIA – The California Horse Racing Board voted Thursday to bar the use of some horse medications for one year amid spirited calls from animal rights activists for a statewide ban on the sport.

The Golden State’s horse racing industry has come under intense scrutiny after 23 thoroughbred horses died in the last four months during racing or training at Santa Anita Park, one of the nation’s prominent tracks.

The deaths sparked condemnation from the public and elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The California Democrat said in an April 2 letter to the board that racing at Santa Anita should be suspended until the deaths are fully investigated.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement Tuesday that her office is doing just that, directing investigators to determine “whether unlawful conduct or conditions affected the welfare and safety of horses” at the track.

Board executive director Rick Baedeker said at a meeting at Santa Anita Park on Thursday that the board is committed to determining the underlying cause of the deaths, mainly through its probe led by four investigators who have issued over 70 subpoenas.

Baedeker also lauded an agreement by major track operators to ban racing day injections of Lasix, a diuretic used to keep horses from hemorrhaging after traumatic injuries. The drug has already been banned on race days in every country but the U.S. and Canada.

Animal rights activists dominated the public comment period of the board meeting, urging members to protect horses by banning the sport entirely. Commenter Amanda Lundberg said people who claim to love horses can’t justify racing them given the safety risks.

“You can love horses and love horse racing,” Lundberg said. “But you can’t do both.”

Other activists, holding images of bloodied horse ankles and broken bones, described horse racing as a “blood sport” and said that horses were involuntary participants because they are unaware of the risks they face by racing.

Madeline Auerbach, the board’s vice chair, told the animal rights activists they were misinformed about the treatment of horses, adding that many horses end up in sanctuaries after their careers.

“You speak about something as if you really know it,” Auerbach said. “You don’t acknowledge or appreciate how much we love these animals.”

Board chairman Chuck Winner said he sympathized with activists’ concerns and said the industry is responding to calls for reform.

“One loss is too many, we all know that.” Winner said.

The board voted Thursday to take no action on moving race dates allocated to the Los Angeles Turf Club, the operator of the track, if it decides to suspend racing in the future.

Races are scheduled at the track until the end of June.

The most recent horse death occurred on March 31, shortly after Santa Anita reopened following testing the track’s soil. The track saw heavy rains and an unusually cold winter.

In March, track operators announced a slew of new regulations meant to prevent horse deaths, including requiring trainers to apply for permission to train horses in high-speed runs, making veterinarian records transparent and banning the administration of medications on race day.

Some of the banned medications include anabolic steroids, joint injections and anti-inflammatory drugs.

The board has also shown it is responsive to concerns from the public and from lawmakers, voting in March to limit the use of riding crops in racing statewide.

Board members said they were concerned that the crop had been overused in some races and may have contributed to some of the deaths at Santa Anita, according the media reports.

At Santa Anita, the crop can only be used to correct behaviors that put the horse’s safety at risk, according to a statement from The Stronach Group, which operates the track.

The board is also clamping down on misconduct, filing a complaint Tuesday against trainer William Morey alleging he injected two horses with a substance containing an alkalinizing agent meant to enhance the horse’s performances.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, said last week they will host a joint oversight hearing on horse racing safety in May.

The lawmakers also endorsed Senate Bill 469 – co-written by state Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park and Assemblyman Ed Chau, D-Arcadia – which, if passed would give the California Horse Racing Board authority to suspend racing if dangerous conditions exist.

The first hearing on the bill is set for April 23.

Horses on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, approaching the dirt crossover. | Photo: Rennett Stowe/Wikimedia Commons 2.0.

Horses on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, approaching the dirt crossover. | Photo: Rennett Stowe/Wikimedia Commons 2.0.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

2 Comments

  1. Virginia Kennelly says:

    Being a retired State Certified Animal Control Officer it was my experience regarding numerous race horse deaths in N.J. years ago from multiple stable fires that after investigations concluded the main purpose was to collect insurance money! These expensive specimens were worth more dead, then what future winnings or breeding would give to the owners! Greed again causing pain and suffering to the innocent!

  2. Roger Combs says:

    Horses love to race each other. Put them in a pasture and they will race even without a rider. So saying horses are unwilling participants is incorrect.
    While I do not currently know people involved with the industry in the past I have and been informed that race horses are mostly owned by syndicates which are profit making corporations and have no concern for the horse that can’t make them money. So when a horse is injured they will pressure the vet to condemn and euthanize that horse so they can collect the insurance as that is the only way they can recoup some or at times even all of their money.
    To ban horse racing is a poor idea. But to stop the use of performance enhancing drugs and require an independent oversight of injured horses before they are euthanized would help. After all, from what I read in news none of those horses died while racing or from injuries, but rather all of them were “put to sleep”.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025
Hughes Fire Consumes More than 9,000 Acres, Red Flag Warning Extended
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone reported in a press briefing held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 that the Hughes Fire has consumed more than 9,400 acres.
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025
Fire Forces School Closures for Thursday, Jan. 23
School districts in the Santa Clarita Valley have announced a list of schools that will be closed Thursday, Jan. 23 due to the Hughes Fire.
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025
South Coast AQMD Issues Wildfire Smoke Advisory
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a wildfire smoke advisory for Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas. 
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council will present Mastering Strategies on a Shoestring Budget on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 4-6 p.m.
Feb. 13: Small Business Council, Mastering Strategies on a Shoestring Budget
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone reported in a press briefing held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 that the Hughes Fire has consumed more than 9,400 acres.
Hughes Fire Consumes More than 9,000 Acres, Red Flag Warning Extended
School districts in the Santa Clarita Valley have announced a list of schools that will be closed Thursday, Jan. 23 due to the Hughes Fire.
Fire Forces School Closures for Thursday, Jan. 23
The Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $50,000 disaster relief grant from Petco Love, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of pets and their families.
National Nonprofit Petco Love Invests in the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation To Save and Improve The Lives of Pets
We would like to start by thanking all of our staff, especially our transportation department, and first responders for their support and swift action during the rapidly evolving situation related to the Hughes Fire.
Castaic Union School District Issues Message of District Closure for Jan. 23
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a wildfire smoke advisory for Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas. 
South Coast AQMD Issues Wildfire Smoke Advisory
Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce for the February Business After Hours Mixer on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at FastSigns, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 19: SCV Chamber Mixer at FastSigns
DACC is actively responding to the ongoing “Hughes Fire,” which has burned more than 5,000 acres in the region.
County Animal Care and Control Mobilizes For Evacuations Due to the Hughes Fire
The 2025 Los Angeles Homeless Count, an annual event to count unhoused people in Los Angeles County has been rescheduled to Feb. 18-20.
Feb. 18-20: 2025 L.A. Homeless Count Rescheduled, Volunteers Sought
In an abundance of caution, the Saugus Union School District has asked families of students at Tesoro del Valle Elementary and West Creek Academy to pick up their students from school immediately.
SUSD Ask Parents to Pick Up Students From Copper Hill Area Schools
 L.A. County has launched a one-stop portal to connect the public with trusted organizations that are providing crucial relief and support in our communities.
County Launches One-Stop Funding, Relief Portal
California State University, Northridge professor Jeremy Yoder has been honored by his peers in three national scholarly societies on evolutionary biology for his work advancing equity and justice in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. 
CSUN Prof Jeremy Yoder Honored for His Work Promoting Inclusion in STEM
An emergency Evacuation order has been issued for areas around Castaic Lake due to the break of of the Hughes fire. 
Update: Hughes Evacuation Orders Expanded to Copper Hill Area
1839 - Gov. Juan B. Alvarado gives most of SCV to Mexican Army Lt. Antonio del Valle. [story]
Diseno map
The leaders of federal and local law enforcement agencies have joined together to create the Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute fire-related crimes as Los Angeles County recovers from devastating wildfires.
Officials Form Task Force to Combat Crimes Related to Los Angeles-Area Wildfires
Spectrum has announced a donation of $2,500 to Finally Family Homes through the company’s employee-driven grants program that recognizes the value of community service, Spectrum Employee Community Grants.
Spectrum Presents $2,500 Grant to Finally Family Homes
The city of Santa Clarita hosted the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Unity Walk on Monday, Jan. 20 at 8 a.m. in Central Park in Saugus. The event attracted a crowd of several hundred from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley to listen to speeches and entertainment before walking through Central Park.
Santa Clarita Hosts MLK Day Unity Walk
Metro has a plan to make it easier to get around by expanding the Metro rail system to the Westside with the D (Purple) Line Subway Extension Project. This critical, highly anticipated new addition to Metro’s network will add seven new stations and a reliable, high-speed connection between downtown Los Angeles and the Westside.
Feb. 5: D Line Extension Project Lunch ‘n Learn Webinar
College of the Canyons has successfully completed the first year of its five-year Veterans Upward Bound grant program. This transformative initiative aims to provide comprehensive support services to eligible student veterans in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley and parts of the San Fernando Valley.
COC Celebrates Successful First Year of Veterans Upward Bound Grant
The Master's University men's and women's swim teams met in the pool against Fresno Pacific University at Sunnyside Aquatic Center in Fresno Saturday afternoon, Jan. 18.
TMU Swim Teams Take to the Pool at Fresno Pacific
Caden Starr tied a career high with eight three-pointers to lead The Master's University men's basketball team to a 90-54 win over the Park-Gilbert Buccaneers Saturday, Jan. 18 in Chandler, Ariz.
TMU Bucks Buccaneers in Arizona
The Los Angeles County Joint Coordination Information Center has released the following information as of 11 a.m. on the Palisades and Eaton Fires. A total of 37,734 acres has been consumed in the two fires. More than 17,000 structures have been confirmed as destroyed or damaged.
Palisades, Eaton Fire Updates, 27 Dead, 15,798 Buildings Destroyed
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office has released the list of four productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 26.
Jan. 20-26: Four Productions Filming in Santa Clarita
SCVNews.com