Churchill Downs outlines new safety plan for September meet

Churchill Downs Racetrack will resume live racing for the regularly scheduled meet beginning Sept. 14. The meet will take place following a temporary suspension of racing operations to conduct an internal safety review.

Churchill Downs shifted the last weeks of its spring meet to Ellis Park in June after 12 horses died as a result of illness or injuries at the track.

After a comprehensive evaluation of existing safety protocols and a thorough assessment of industry best practices, Churchill Downs Inc. has implemented several enhancements to further ensure the safety and well-being of equine and human athletes.

Key elements include:

Infrastructure upgrades. Analysis by multiple leading industry experts found no issues with the racing surfaces, however, to further maximize surface oversight and consistency, the racetrack has invested in additional new surface maintenance equipment and committed to doubling the frequency of surface testing.

Increased veterinary oversight. Additional resources will be added to CDI’s veterinary team to provide additional monitoring and specialized care for horses and assist in pre-race inspections and entry screening.

Collaboration with industry experts. Work will continue with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and other industry experts to predict at-risk horses using up-to-date data and advanced analytic techniques.

Establish safety management committee. A new safety committee will be established consisting of horsemen designees, racetrack employees and veterinarians to candidly discuss concerns and observations to constantly provide real-time feedback on areas of improvement.

“Our commitment to safety remains paramount as we enter this September meet," said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “And our participants, fans and the public can be assured that we will continue to investigate, evaluate and improve upon every policy and protocol.”