It’s been about three weeks since Churchill Downs moved its horse racing spring meet to Ellis Park while the Louisville track implements safety changes following a concerning slew of horse deaths. And so far, so good.
Trainer Brad Cox told WLKY that he’s “pretty content and happy” with training his horses at the track in Henderson.
“No breakdowns, everything’s been really good with the track, turf and dirt,” he said. “Same thing in the mornings — it’s been really solid in the mornings as well.”
Why Churchill Downs horse racing is going on at Ellis Park
Twelve horses died after injuries sustained at Churchill Downs surrounding the Triple Crown. Three other horses were euthanized due to race-related injuries at Pimlico Race Course and Belmont Park.
As a result, Churchill Downs chose to move its spring meet to sister track Ellis Park starting on June 10 while it implemented new safety measures. Ellis Park is a much smaller facility, with an attendance of 6,000 compared to 170,000 at Churchill Downs.
In response to the Churchill Downs horse deaths, the Kentucky Horse Race Commission opted to create a position of a safety steward. This position is responsible for overseeing the health and well-being of horses competing in the state. There is no current position on staff dedicated solely to those issues. Some take part in those responsibilities, but have other duties as well.
First-ever Grade I stakes race coming to Ellis Park
There have been 13 Churchill Downs race dates so far at Ellis Park, all without significant issue. Major races have included the Chicago Stakes (Grade III), Matt Winn Stakes (Grade III) and Mighty Beau Stakes.
On Saturday, Ellis Park will host a Grade I stakes race for the first time in its history in the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes. West Will Power, ridden by legendary jockey Flavien Prat, is the 7-2 favorite.
Changes already coming to the industry
In the wake of the horse deaths, Churchill Downs implemented three changes to help toward safety:
- A pause on trainer start bonuses and purse payout allocations to every race participant.
- New ineligibility standards for poor performances.
- Only four starts allowed per horse during a rolling eight-week period.
Essentially, there is no reason for trainers to allow horses with any sort of health concerns to compete in any Kentucky horse racing event.
The KHRC and Horserace Integrity and Safety Authority made two changes as well.
- Horses will have post-entry screenings and pre-race inspections to help identify those with a greater risk of injury.
- An independent track superintendent will review Churchill Downs’ surface.
Will horse racing health issues continue in Kentucky?
Trainer Kenny McPeek thinks so. But that’s not necessarily on Churchill Downs or any track.
“Horses do get injured,” he told WLKY. “I think that we’re never going to have a zero-sum game where no horse ever gets injured. It is the hardest part about the game. No one’s more upset when it happens than myself, staff (and) the client. It’s something everybody is working really hard on.”
According to McPeek, the sport itself is incredibly strenuous on the horses. It’s not natural, and thus injuries are inevitable.
“They have bones in (their) ankle, if they take a bad step, can be catastrophic,” he said. “It’s something we all worry about every day.”
