LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Before Churchill Downs marks the monumental milestone of Kentucky Derby 150, horse racing will actually begin this Saturday on opening night of the Spring Meet.
Many are holding their breath that this meet won't be a repeat of last year.
Twelve horses died at the track within the first few weeks, leading to the decision to move the rest of the meet to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.
Tuesday, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) said although things were learned from the tragedies at the track, the comprehensive investigation found commonalities linking the horse deaths.
"When we say that there is not one singular factor that caused the breakdowns, it doesn't mean that we don't know what the risk factors are that contribute to breakdowns," Lisa Lazarus, HISA CEO, said.
Lazarus points out that much was gleaned from examining the different horses' medical and training history.
Even though there was no fault found with the track itself, Churchill Downs worked on improvements, including trucking in more than 2,000 tons of specialized dirt to improve the dirt track's cushion and drainage.
"The surface was good last year, it's even better this year," Ann McGovern, HISA Racetrack Safety Director, said. "What I mean by improvements is the gauge of consistency amongst impaction, and moisture content, and mix of materials."
McGovern also applauded Churchill for its investment in new track maintenance equipment.
Spring Meet 2024 will also be the first full year of operation by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU).
HIWU sets and facilitates new standards in drug testing racehorses, as well as upholds the uniform ban of certain drugs.
HISA says data proves what's a play now is helping to minimize horse deaths.
"In 2023, we're encouraged to report that tracks operating under HISA's rules experienced a lower rate of equine fatalities than the previous year," Lazarus said. "But more importantly, our rate was significantly lower than tracks that are not operating under HISA's safety guidelines and rules."
As far as winning over the critics in the sport, Lazarus added, "We're in a much better place today than we were six, seven, eight months ago."
►Contact reporter John Charlton at jcharlton@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@JCharltonNews) and Facebook.
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