Another horse fatality at Santa Anita; 23 thoroughbreds have died since Dec. 26
Santa Anita, fearing for its future after the spike of recent equine deaths, was dealt another blow when a 23rd horse died Sunday on the track. It came on only the third day of racing after the track shuttered its doors from racing on March 4.
Arms Runner, a 5-year-old gelding, fell on the dirt track crossover of a 6 1/2-furlong race on the hillside turf course. He appeared to suffer a catastrophic injury to his right front leg. After he went to the ground, La Sardane, who was trailing Arms Runner, tripped over the fallen horse but got back up unhurt.
Arms Runner was euthanized, according to Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).
Jockeys Martin Pedroza, aboard Arms Runner, and Ruben Fuentes suffered minor bumps and bruises. Fuentes was taken off his remaining mounts but Pedroza returned to riding.
“While this incident happened during competition on a track that has been deemed by independent experts to be safe,” Santa Anita said in a statement, “we are working closely with the [CHRB] to understand if there was anything additional that we could have done to prevent [Sunday’s] tragedy.”
The accident occurred on a unique grass course, which starts at the top of a hill, includes a slight right turn and at the bottom has an 80-foot dirt crossing over the dirt track before returning to grass. Arms Runner was a few strides from returning to the grass when he fell.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-santa-anita-horse-death-20190331-story.html
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