Cities fighting a sports betting ballot initiative. A coalition claims the state measure, from Pechanga Resort Casino, referred to as the Tribal Sports Wagering Act, would fuel excessive litigation against card rooms, potentially shutting them down, effectively killing 32,000 jobs. It would allow sports wagering at tribal casinos and at four California racetracks-Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Del Mar in San Diego, and Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley.
Bay Area horse racing track Golden Gate Fields in San Francisco to close permanently later this year. After the Golden Gate Fields meet ends, The Stronach Group said it will focus on moving horses from the Bay Area to Arcadia, with a goal of increasing field sizes and adding a fourth day of racing to the weekly schedule at Santa Anita Park, beginning in January. See hard copy in VF. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 28, July 20, 2023.
Run of good luck. Superstitious trainer Bob Baffert wins Awesome Again Stakes with fifth-choice Defunded at Santa Anita Park yesterday. Jockey who rode Defunded was Edwain Maldonado.
What is the horse racing industry doing to prevent catastrophic injuries? The deaths of 7 horses at the home of the Kentucky Derby has once again intensified the debate over the safety of horse racing. How common are injuries and deaths? There have been a spate of deaths in recent years, most notably 30 at Santa Anita Park in 2019. Those led to a series of safety reforms that spread nationally. Article also answers the questions, Why are horses euthanized after a limb injury? Are there treatment alternatives? What is racing doing to address injuries? Who was Barbaro and why did he matter?
Bob Baffer, horse trainer, is denied stay of suspension by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. He has been suspended for 90 days, effective March 8 through June 5, and was fined $7,500. He was trainer of Medina Spirit, a horse that is now deceased but tested positive for the steroid betamethasone following the Kentucky Derby last May 1. Medina Spirit was stripped of the Kentucky Derby crown and collapsed and died on December 6, 2021 of a heart attack after a trianing run at Santa Anita Park.
Taiba among trainer Bob Baffert's 5 winners on opening day at Santa Anita Park, in front of a crowd of 41,446. The crowd, Santa Anita park's largest on opening day since 46,514 showed up in 2016.
Second horse dies in two days at Santa Anita Park racetrack. Barraza, a 4 year-old colt is the second horse to die in two days, after a sesamoid injury Saturday morning during a workout, requiring euthanasia. Four year-old filly named Pray for My Owner died the day before. A total of eight horses have died at Santa Anita Park this year.
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit stripped of crown. Medina Spirit is no longer the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The colt died unexpectedly in December 2021 at Santa Anita Park and was unofficially disqualified by Kentucky racing officials yesterday for failing a drug test after winning the race. This ruling is a blow for famed trainer Bob Baffert.
Appeals court in Kentucky rejects Bob Baffert's bid to halt ban. Signage outside Baffert's barn at Santa Anita Park was removed as part of a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) rule that mandates any trainer who is suspended for 60+ days be banned from all CHRB-licensed facilities.
Race horse Cave Rock gives trainer Bob Baffert another Grade I victory at the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park yesterday. Jockey Juan Hernandez was the rider.
Santa Anita Park to host Breeders' Cup for a record 11th time, in 2023. Local horsemen were overjoyed at the announcement. Santa Anita Park is still the only track to host the Breeders' Cup for 3 consecutive years, in 2012-2014.
Breeders' Cup. Horse named Practical Move dies after gallop at Santa Anita Park. A short time later race horse Arcangelo dropped out of the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.
Horse racing regulations lead to fewer equine deaths. Fatalities in California have been cut in half in 2 years and plummeted to the lowest levels since 1990 as a result of reforms implemented after dozens of death at Santa Anita Park in 2019. The reforms in the last two years include strict limitations on use of whips by jockey, a prohibition on most medications before races, installation of new imaging technologies to catch injuries sooner, more opportunities for veterinarians and stewards to sideline horses and a mandatory requirement for trainers to participate in the postmortem.
No definitive cause of death found by exam of Medina Spirit, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winning horse. The necropsy results were released by California Horse Racing Board yesterday. The colt had collapsed and died after a workout on December 6, 2021 at Santa Anita Park. Necropsy reported that the horse had swollen lungs and foam in his windpipe, enlarged spleen and congestions and mild hemorrhages in other tissues that "are common in horses dying suddenly..." Trainer was Bob Baffert.
Two more horses die after injuries at Santa Anita Park. Jockey Joe Bravo was hospitalized after a tumble on horse Decorated My Life. Decorated My Life and Merit Song are the names of the horses euthanized. Six animals in all have been euthanized this year at the racetrack where twelve died last year. Santa Anita Park officials have said they've made major improvements in horse safety after 2019, when forty-two horses died at the track.