Maryland Horse Racing Regulators Question Laurel Park Executives After 8 Horses Die In 2 Months; Track To Remain Closed To Racing

LAUREL, Md. (WJZ) — Maryland equine racing regulators questioned executives with Laurel Park aft 8 horses suffered injuries and had to beryllium euthanized since aboriginal October.

The Maryland Racing Commission volition reportedly marque a last determination 1 week from contiguous connected whether racing tin resume astatine Laurel. If they springiness the greenish light, it volition commencement again connected December 16th.

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The latest incidental happened connected Nov. 28, erstwhile American Playboy suffered injuries that would aboriginal beryllium fatal.

“When you person a fig of injuries, thing sends a reddish emblem and you’re not excessively definite what’s going to hap truthful you effort to minimize immoderate further injuries to horses,” Mike Hopkins, seat of the Maryland Racing Commission told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “We interrogation the jockeys, the trainers. We look astatine aesculapian records. We look astatine the erstwhile past of the equine to spot if they’ve been predisposed to different injuries and instrumentality a look astatine the contention way and films of the race.”

Executives with the Stronach Group, Laurel Park’s owners, answered questions from Maryland’s racing regulators Tuesday afternoon

Chopper 13 flew implicit the track, which was being groomed. Stronach pumped millions of dollars into refurbishing it conscionable past Spring.

“In this peculiar circumstance, it was conscionable antithetic to get a fractional twelve horses successful a precise abbreviated play of clip person injuries. That made america look astatine it alternatively rapidly and effort to fig retired what was happening,” Hopkins said.

Activist Patrick Battuello of Horseracing Wrongs has logged each decease connected his organization’s website.

“Over the past 4 calendar years, an mean of 33 horses person mislaid their lives astatine Laurel Park,” helium told Hellgren. “People request to disregard the distractions that the manufacture puts out—that it’s the weather, possibly it’s a atrocious trainer oregon determination are excessively galore drugs involved. The sidesplitting is built into the system.”

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His radical is calling for an extremity to equine racing nationwide. Battuello referenced the outcry 2 years agone aft 37 horses died astatine Santa Anita Park successful California, which is besides owned by Stronach.

This month, Medina Spirit, the equine that finished archetypal successful this year’s Kentucky Derby but failed a cause test after the race, died aft suffering a bosom attack astatine Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said. Baffert’s lawyer initially confirmed the decease to CBS News.

The California Horse Racing Board said successful a connection a necropsy would beryllium performed astatine a laboratory tally by the University of California, Davis, and a origin of decease can’t beryllium determined until the introspection and toxicology tests person been completed.

“Our question of the American nationalist is wherefore should equine racing beryllium fixed a walk nether the banner of sport,” Battuello said.

Back astatine Laurel Park, the owners voluntarily stopped racing to look into immoderate imaginable issues, according to Hopkins.

“Even though we mightiness not find an reply arsenic to wherefore it occurred, we instrumentality that accusation and look astatine our procedures we usage astatine the racetrack to amended the information and the payment of the horses,” helium said.

The Maryland Jockey Club said successful a connection they are focused connected information and the way volition stay closed.

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“The Maryland Jockey Club contiguous announced that Laurel Park volition stay closed for racing arsenic enactment continues to implicit renovation to the track. Live racing astatine Laurel Park was suspended connected December 3rd. Track renovation plans person been developed successful collaboration with The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the Maryland Jockey Club and manufacture experts with the extremity of having the safest imaginable racing surface. The Maryland racing manufacture remains laser focused connected prioritizing the safety, wellness and payment of equine athletes, and is committed to moving with each stakeholders to guarantee that Maryland’s historical racing manufacture remains world-class.”