DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) — The 83rd summer meet at the Del Mar Race track has drawn to a close.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO Joe Harper says this is the best season yet. For the first time, not a single horse suffered an injury during a race.
"The only time we had to bring the horse ambulance out is just to give a tired horse a ride back home. With the heat, we have to be very careful," said Harper Monday afternoon.
During the 31-day summer race meet, more than 2,600 horses competed in 294 races.
"We’ve been for the last four years the safest track in North America because a lot of the protocols and procedures and it’s paid off," said Harper.
It's a stark difference from 2016, when Del Mar saw 23 horses die during either racing or training
The changes include a new $5 million track, more vets, and more exams.
"It's just more care. More observation is the best thing we can do for them," said Harper. "And that’s what’s really been the change that we’ve seen."
Harper says three horses died this season of sudden cardiac death, but not due to racing or training.
"We do [a] postmortem, and the results of those postmortems, what you look for is was this stress-induced," he said. "Did the heart have a problem from something the horse was doing, and it’s not showing that."
Harper has been with the track for nearly 50 years. He invites those who are against horse racing to see how the animals are treated.
"I've never seen a horse mistreated, ever these horses are so cared for," said Harper.
The California Horse Racing Board confirms there were no fatalities during racing at the just-concluded meet at Del Mar.
A spokesman said there had been meets without fatalities in the past, but this accomplishment at Del Mar is another major step forward because they had an inventory of more than 2,000 horses.
This effort dates back several years to when the CHRB, Del Mar, other racetracks, owners, trainers, veterinarians, and jockeys jointly committed to protecting the racehorse.
According to the board, this has resulted in more than a 50-percent decrease in equine fatalities in the last few years.
California’s regulations, policies, and procedures for protecting horses are so strong and extensive that many of the new safety measures introduced by the federal authority were patterned after California’s.
Many of the horses are headed to Santa Anita to compete. Del Mar's fall season starts on Nov. 11.
