Horse racing oversight board reports equine fatality rate of 1.23 per 1,000 at tracks it regulates

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Horse racing’s federal oversight body says racetracks under its jurisdiction experienced 1.23 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2023, a much lower rate than at tracks outside its watch.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority report, released Tuesday, also stated that its fatality rate was lower than the Jockey Club’s national rate of 1.25 for 2022 and the 1.32 rate reported on Tuesday in its 2023 Equine Injury Database. The HISA release stated that methodologies and criteria for reporting rates are identical to the Jockey Club, but noted that the Jockey Club’s rates for the past two years include data from U.S. thoroughbred tracks operating outside of HISA’s jurisdiction.

Those tracks have a significantly higher rate of 1.63 per 1,000 starts, the release added.

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HISA’s fatality rate report was the first for tracks under its watch since a safety program was enacted in July 2022. An anti-doping and medication control program took effect last May.

Mage, jockeyed by Javier Castellano, wins the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said the organization was pleased to see the rate "trending in the right direction," while adding that significant work remains in making the sport safer.

"HISA’s most important goal is driving down equine fatalities," Lazarus said in the release. "The reduction in the rate of equine fatalities at tracks under our jurisdiction demonstrates that setting high standards for racetrack safety and