New Dirt Track at Santa Anita Under Close Watch

There has been one racing fatality following a breakdown in the first eight days of competition on Santa Anita Park’s new dirt track, according to the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director Rick Arthur, DVM. Another death was attributable to a training accident.
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There has been one racing fatality following a breakdown in the first eight days of competition on Santa Anita Park's new dirt track, according to the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director Rick Arthur, DVM. Another death was attributable to a training accident.

In all, seven horses, including one on Jan. 6, have been removed from the Arcadia, Calif., track by van following races, according to a tally kept by the track. Arthur said on Jan. 6 that he's unsure of whether the horses were vanned off following dirt or turf racing, or whether the actions were taken due to injuries or other factors, such as pulmonary bleeding.

One horse reportedly was euthanized following its removal from the track after a $12,500 claiming race on Dec. 29, 2010. Arthur said the other fatality was a filly that died overnight after suffering internal injuries when she bolted during a gate-schooling exercise on the track during training hours Jan. 5 and collided with a pair of horses. The accident occurred near the inside rail of the clubhouse turn.

The meet began Dec. 26 with extremely fast times on the main track, but times have steadily returned to normal. In assessing the meet thus far, Arthur noted that track maintenance workers had been dealing with record rainfall since mid-December–more than 14 inches–and haven't had much opportunity to work with the surface's consistency

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Jack Shinar is a frequent contributor to The Blood-Horse magazine and is part of their Digital Media department.

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