Churchill Downs Unveils New Safety Initiatives Following Fatalities

A dozen horses died in the first five weeks of the spring meet at Churchill Downs, including seven in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. As public pressure demanded change, Churchill Downs is taking steps in the right direction to make the racetrack a safer place for the equine athletes.

The newly formed Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) conducted an emergency summit and review of the racetrack on Tuesday. While the findings have not yet been revealed, it does not appear the track is the source of the problem.

A specific problem has not been accurately pinpointed, however, the moves Churchill Downs unveiled today make it clear that some of the horses that suffered catastrophic injuries had no business participating in those races.

LA Times' John Cherwa points out that Kimberley Dream, the 12th horse to die at Churchill Downs this spring, had lost her last five races by 19, 32 1/2, 14 1/2. 31 and 33 lengths.

— Tim Sullivan (@TimSullivan714) May 27, 2023

Under new rules enacted by Churchill Downs, Kimberley Dream would have been ineligible to participate in the race that led to the horse’s death. Also, purse money will be limited to only horses that finish in the top five, instead of every horse that enters the race, removing incentives from ownership to push horses to perform before they’re ready.

New Horse Racing Rules at Churchill Downs

The following initiatives will go into effect immediately as racing resumes Thursday evening.

 — A pause of track-based incentives such as trainer start bonuses and purse pay-out allocations to every race finisher through last place. Purse pay-outs will now be limited to the top five finishers. Churchill Downs is engaged in ongoing discussions with horsemen to determine ways to reallocate these funds to best serve industry needs;

— Restricting the number of starts per horse to four starts during a rolling eight-week period;

— Ineligibility standards for poor performance. Horses that are beaten by more than 12 lengths in five consecutive starts will be ineligible to race at Churchill Downs until approved by the Equine Medical Director to return. 

This may be the first of many actions Churchill Downs takes this spring. The results of the HISA investigation may lead to more reform at the world’s most famous racetrack.