DEL MAR — The Del Mar Racetrack reported its first two racehorse deaths of the 84th summer season last weekend, track officials confirmed.
The two fatalities occurred over a period of as many days, during the second weekend of the season that commenced July 21.
Five-year-old mare Nevisian Sunrise was euthanized on July 28 after getting loose and colliding with a stationary object, leaving her with inoperable injuries, according to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club spokesman Mac McBride.
“She got loose from her rider, ran off and unfortunately ran into a fence post,’’ McBride told wire services, describing the incident as a “freak accident.”
The following day, July 29, four-year-old filly Ghostem suffered a musculoskeletal injury in her front leg during a workout on the main track. Ghostem was also euthanized after veterinarians determined the injury to be inoperable.
“Del Mar sends its condolences to the people who owned, trained and cared for both horses,” McBride said in a statement. “Through a series of reforms implemented over the last few years, Del Mar has a record as one of the safest major racing venues in North America. We will continue to focus on the safety and welfare of horses and riders at our facility.”
Necropsies are being conducted on both horses, and findings are reported to the California Horse Racing Board, which tracks data on equine deaths.
Racehorse fatalities are classified as “musculoskeletal” or “non-musculoskeletal/other” by the state board. Del Mar saw seven total equine fatalities at the racetrack in 2022, five of which were determined to be sudden deaths, according to state data.
Racing officials emphasized that Del Mar is one of the safest racetracks in the country and that while there are always more ways to improve, they have implemented several safety measures that have situated them as a leader for other tracks in California.
These measures include enhanced veterinary oversight during training and before races, stringent medication rules, and maintaining race surfaces, equipment and technology at the highest level, McBride said.
The world of horse racing is under greater scrutiny than ever since last year’s creation of a new federal oversight agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, or HISA. The organization implements and enforces racing industry rules, such as anti-doping, medication control and racetrack safety, under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission.
Lisa Lazarus, HISA CEO, told the Union-Tribune last month that Del Mar is among the tracks with the best safety standards.
