IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Churchill Downs announced it is suspending all racing as safety measures are re-examined following the deaths of a dozen horses at the famed track in the past month.
The track's parent company, Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a statement Friday that the remainder of its Spring Meet would be moved to another Kentucky venue it owns, Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson. The season ends July 3.
On June 10, the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, will wrap up the Triple Crown races for 2023.Racing at Churchill Downs was expected to cease after the weekend's races and then continue at Ellis on June 10, the track said.
The track, home of the Kentucky Derby, reported on May 27 that two more horses had died. They were the 11th and 12th horses to die during the spring season.
The venue probed track surface conditions but found no red flags. There have also been probes conducted by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
"No single factor has been identified as a potential cause and no discernable pattern has been detected to link the fatalities," Churchill Downs Incorporated said in its statement.The parent company said it wanted to suspend racing in order to see if safety measures are working.
"Even though the investigations and expert reports have indicated no surface issues, CDI has elected to relocate the meet in order to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all safety and surface protocols," it said.
Animal welfare organizations decried the deaths and urged tracks to improve conditions.
"It should be a top priority for Churchill Downs and all other tracks to make horse welfare their top priority," Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, said in a statement just ahead of the Kentucky Derby in May.
(U.S. News - Dennis Romero)
