Los Angeles — A horse that was injured during a race at Santa Anita on Sunday was euthanized, bringing the total number of horse fatalities in racing or training at the California track to 25 since late December, CBS Los Angeles reported. Spectacular Music, a 3-year-old gelding, suffered a pelvic injury at the track, and a decision was made on Monday morning to euthanize him, The Associated Press reported.
Just days before, a 3-year-old horse named Commander Coil was euthanized after suffering a shoulder injury while galloping during training. In addition to the 25 horses that died since December 26, 36 horses died in 2018 at the Santa Anita race track, according to a CBS Los Angeles investigation.
“Uncovering the deaths of an additional 36 horses in 2018 raises the stakes … further reforms may be necessary,” Edwin Chau, a member of the California State Assembly, said in a statement.
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Rep. Judy Chu said more needs to be done.
“We need to make sure that the horses are also not over-raced, over-performed when they are in danger of death because of fractures that were existing in the all that time,” said Chu.
Santa Anita officials announced new measures to help keep horses safe from injuries at the track in early April. The measures include medication restrictions, workout regulations and checking for pre-existing conditions in the horses.
The Stronach Group, which owns the race track, said it is “committed to advocating for the health and safety of horses and riders and will continue to work with stakeholders in California and nationally to drive further progress.”
