'Safety is No. 1': No equine fatalities at Del Mar's fall meet

Del Mar wrapped up its fall meet Sunday having met one of its most important goals. No horses died.

The track’s success follows that of Santa Anita, where its meet ended in late October with no fatalities in racing or training.

The recent success comes as welcome news after Santa Anita and southern California racing spent so much time in the spotlight the past two years due to a large number of fatalities at the track.

[RELATED: Santa Anita closes fall meet with zero breakdowns]

“It was a good fall season,” Del Mar racing secretary David Jerkens said. “We’re excited about the results. Definitely safety is a priority as it always is at Del Mar, so we’re thrilled the way that the meet concluded.”

The zero-fatality meets came on the heels of increased safety regulations across California and the rest of the country. Drugs, including Lasix in 2-year-old races, were banned, and post-mortem investigations were strengthened in the state.

In a controversial move, California also tightened regulations on the use of the crop by jockeys. They now are allowed only six strikes per race and no more than twice in succession

Jerkens said it was these regulations, plus a bit of luck, that led to the clean fall meets.

“You just do everything you can to make the environment as safe as possible, and it takes a collaborative effort,” Jerkens said. “It starts with the horsemen being aware, obviously. That’s something that trickles down to their staff to the exercise riders to the outriders in the morning. Everybody’s definitely more aware of making our environment as safe as possible.”

Jerkens also credited the track maintenance team for having an important role. He said Dennis Moore, who is in charge of Del Mar's main track, and Leif Dickinson, who keeps the turf course, are “the best in the country.”

After Southern California spent so much time in a harsh spotlight, Jerkens said, making it safely through the fall meets at both tracks was very gratifying.

“When I started working here I remember the emphasis that, for Del Mar, safety is No. 1,” Jerkens said. “It is a testament to the industry as a whole for coming together. This is a very resilient, prideful group all the way down to owners, trainers, everybody involved. This is an example of people coming together for a common goal. It’s amazing what people in this industry can accomplish.”

The clean meet follows a summer which had three deaths on-track and two more in the stable according to the Los Angeles Times.

The California racing schedule resumes Friday at Los Alamitos and will move to Santa Anita on Dec. 26.