Churchill Downs president on steps taken to improve safety of horses, riders

This twelvemonth marks nan 150th moving of nan Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville. It's nan longest continuously-held sporting arena successful America. But arsenic celebrated arsenic it is among racing fans, 2023 was a acheronian twelvemonth for nan Derby when, successful nan weeks surrounding nan "Run for nan Roses," a twelve horses went down during training astatine nan track.

An independent investigation cleared Churchill Downs of immoderate responsibility successful nan equine deaths.

In a statement, Lisa Lazarus, CEO of nan Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, told "CBS Sunday Morning," "Following nan events of past Spring, HISA responded quickly to support Churchill Downs successful their efforts to place nan causes of nan breakdowns and forestall further equine injury. Although we recovered nary azygous origin connecting nan fatalities, arsenic per HISA's recommendations, Churchill Downs has taken respective steps to amended way surfaces. These see investing successful and introducing caller aboveground attraction instrumentality and expanding nan wave of aboveground testing.

"HISA is moving intimately pinch Churchill Downs to guarantee nan highest standards of integrity and information are upheld for this year's meet – but it's important to statement that ensuring nan information of a equine must hap year-round. HISA has been laser-focused successful nan past twelvemonth connected enhancing nan ecosystem of attraction surrounding nan horses astatine each track, including making judge way surfaces are successful optimal condition, enforcing our anti-doping program, enhancing veterinary oversight, and investing successful cutting-edge exertion to forestall equine injury."

[The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is simply a backstage self-regulatory organization, created by Congress and overseen by nan Federal Trade Commission, to instrumentality nationalist standards for information rules astatine racetrack facilities.]

Jockey Luis Saez atop of Tapit Trice follows nan battalion to nan decorativeness statement during nan 149th Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs, May 6, 2023 successful Louisville, Kentucky. Rob Carr/Getty Images

Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack, told "Sunday Morning" analogous Jim Axelrod, "After nan customary investigation that our authorities and national regulators performed and our ain soul thorough investigation, we could not find 1 singular origin for that cluster of unfortunate equine injuries. So, we don't person 1 singular mentation to springiness you. It was a tragedy. And each equine fatality is simply a tragedy."

The news past twelvemonth came successful nan aftermath of akin reports of equine deaths astatine different tracks, including Santa Anita successful California, and Belmont Park successful New York.

"I deliberation it was somewhat of a wake-up telephone for nan industry," said Anderson, "to guarantee that location is unwavering adherence to nan regulations and rules, some from a information position and medicine perspective. I deliberation nan manufacture has stepped up. And we've taken respective cardinal initiatives present to make things moreover better."

In summation to improved aboveground guidance and amended training regimens, Anderson noted immoderate technological advances being employed to protect horses, including a biometric instrumentality called StrideSAFE, "which is simply a instrumentality that you really put successful nan saddle of horses, [that] tin observe irregularities of horse's stride. So, we tin forestall wounded if we return 'em disconnected nan way early enough. …

"We've accrued our veterinary care. We've added further resources pinch our main aesculapian officer, main equine aesculapian serviceman to springiness him that specialized equine care, whether it's for introduction screening aliases pre-race examinations," he said. "We've created a information guidance oversight committee, which includes equine men and women, veterinarians, jockeys, and our guidance squad truthful we tin person candid conversations amongst each different and stock thoughts and ideas [on] really to amended information protocols and return real-time action. …

"Churchill Downs takes information of our participants very seriously," Anderson said. "There's thing much important to america than nan information and well-being of each of our participants, quality and equine. And we return each azygous information measurement and protocol wrong our power to guarantee that our racetracks are safe to tally on, our practices and policies astir nan behaviour of races are followed. In coordination pinch our regulators, we person nan highest standards successful place. … We want to protect nan integrity of really nan nationalist perceives us, our fans, our bettors. And we want them to consciousness assured that we're takin' each nan correct steps."

Axelrod asked, "Have you done enough?"

"I deliberation nan manufacture is making improvements and consistently getting better," Anderson replied. "I deliberation there's still room to grow. But present astatine Churchill Downs, again, we spot ourselves arsenic nan golden standard. And we don't return that lightly. And we've accepted nan challenge. And we're gonna guarantee that nan highest information standards are met here."

       
For much info:

• Churchill Downs, Louisville
• Mike Anderson, president, Churchill Downs Racetrack 
• The 150th moving of nan Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs will beryllium held Saturday, May 4

In:
• Kentucky Derby
• Churchill Downs