A report detailing the seizure of what the San Diego Union-Tribune described as two emaciated horses has prompted the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to begin “gathering and reviewing information” on Thoroughbred owner Debra Barkley.

Barkley had a horse, King Lee, entered to race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 18, but trainer Dale Romans scratched the California-bred colt.

The two horses described by the Union-Tribune as emaciated were seized from Barkley’s property in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., last week, and taken to a location affiliated with the county to receive medical care. The case was referred to the District Attorney’s office, a San Diego county public safety spokesperson told the Union-Tribune.

The DA’s office confirmed that the case is under review, and that there is no timeline for how long that review will take.

Rancho Santa Fe is located in northern San Diego County about seven miles inland from Del Mar. It has a number of equestrian facilities and gated properties and is considered one of the area’s wealthiest communities.

A spokesperson for the KHRGC said: “Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming is gathering and reviewing information on Debra Barkley following recent news reports in California. The horse owned by Ms. Barkley that was entered in a race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 18, 2025, has been scratched by the trainer.”

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s story, Barkley’s equine property had been the subject of three animal welfare investigations in California since 2023. No charges were filed, and no enforcement actions were taken as a result of those investigations. Visits by a county official and what the Union-Tribune called an “independent equine expert” in November 2024 and March 2025 found “no notable issues,” the publication said.

In late 2024, Barkley was charged with three misdemeanor counts for “allowing her aggressive dogs to constantly run off her property and frighten neighbors,” according to a statement from the DA’s office. She pleaded guilty to one count and received a year’s probation for that case, which the DA’s office said at the time would “allow for a court to order enhanced supervision and monitoring that can ultimately result in the protection of animals on all of Ms. Barkley’s properties.”

The county revisited Barkley’s property on Aug. 6, 2025, after receiving photos of another horse the Union-Tribune described as emaciated, and arranged with her veterinarian to have the animal euthanized the following morning with officers present. The next day, the vet informed officers that the horse had already been euthanized and the body hauled away. The remains were able to be intercepted, though a final necropsy report remains pending.

That incident led to the warrant allowing officers to search Barkley’s property last week, resulting in the removal of two more horses described as emaciated.

Barkley remains a licensed Thoroughbred owner in California, though she has not raced horses there since 2014.

In 2025, Barkley-owned horses have made 10 starts with no wins for trainers Bob Hess, D. Wayne Lukas, John Hancock, and Romans.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.