ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — The owner of Santa Anita is investigating whether new rules were followed before the 26th horse death at the Southern California racetrack.
Kochees, a 9-year-old gelding, was euthanized Sunday after injuring his left front leg in a race a day earlier. It was the third horse death in nine days and the 26th overall since the season began Dec. 26.
Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for The Stronach Group, told The Associated Press on Monday that the track’s owner is looking into whether protocols were followed leading up to the gelding being euthanized.
“If those rules were not followed, consequences will be swift,” he said. “I’m not going to get into specifics of that incident, but anybody who thinks they can sort of skirt the rules and perhaps there was an old way of doing things, it’s not going to fly anymore.”
Among the rules put in place since March, a trainer’s veterinarian must sign off on a horse’s fitness before the track’s veterinarian also takes a look at the animal ahead of its training or racing.
Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Kochees was pulled up by jockey Mario Gutierrez entering the top of the stretch in the 5½-furlong race Saturday. The gelding was taken off the track via van and had a splint applied to his leg.
The injury appeared to be correctable through surgery. However, when doctors realized the horse had lost blood flow to the leg, he was euthanized.
“We wouldn’t have led him over if we didn’t like him. We thought he would run real well, we thought he would win,” Hollendorfer said. “In my mind, there is absolutely no doubt that we’ve done every single thing properly with Kochees and all the rest of our horses, too.”
Hollendorfer has lost two other horses during the meeting.
“We certainly are pretty sad when they get hurt,” he said.
The track’s previous fatality was Spectacular Music, an unraced 3-year-old gelding who suffered a pelvic injury during training on May 19 and was euthanized the next day after his condition worsened. Commander Coil was injured May 18 during a gallop on the training track and was euthanized.
Friedman described the seven-week stretch without any incidents before the three deaths in the past two weekends as “pretty much an unprecedented run of safety as far as catastrophic injuries go.”
“We believe that’s in part because the reforms are starting to take hold and work,” he said.
Animal rights activists protested outside the track Monday, toting signs urging the end of racing in California. The day’s 10 races went off without incident.
“We’re open because the track is safe according to every single person we have talked to,” Friedman said. “With that track safety, we’re confident in running the horses here.”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for racing to be suspended until an investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is completed.
“Decreasing the number of broken bones is not enough,” Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA, said in a statement. “Nothing short of a zero-fatality rate is acceptable.”
There were three Grade 1 races worth $500,000 each Monday:
— New York-based Vino Rosso defeated 3-5 favorite Gift Box by three-quarters of a length to win The Gold Cup. Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, Vino Rosso ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.00 and paid $10.20 to win at 4-1 odds in the seven-horse field.
Gift Box had his three-race winning streak snapped on his home course.
— Bolo, a 30-1 shot, led all the way to win the Shoemaker Mile by 1 1/4 lengths under Florent Geroux. Trained by Carla Gaines, the 7-year-old dark brown gelding ran one mile on turf in 1:34.07. The victory gives Bolo an automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November. Bolo paid $67.80 to win.
“I’m about to cry, OK?” Gaines said.
Delta Prince, the 9-5 favorite, finished eighth in the nine-horse field.
— In the $500,000 Gamely Stakes, Hollendorfer saddled Vasilika to a one-length victory as the even-money favorite. The 5-year-old mare co-owned by Hollendorfer ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.07 and paid $4.20 to win under Flavien Prat, who won three races on the card. Vasilika has won 13 out of 14 starts for Hollendorfer since he claimed her for $40,000 in February 2018.
Before the second race, jockey Drayden Van Dyke was dumped by his mount Crystal Lake as the field was making its way to the starting gate. The 3-year-old filly took off running up the track and an outrider failed to catch her. She continued running toward the stable area. Van Dyke wasn’t hurt.
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