LOUISVILLE, Ky.\u00a0(WDRB) — Just a year after charting real progress in equine safety, Churchill Downs has again become a focal point for concern. A new report shows the historic racetrack had more racing deaths than any other facility in the country this spring \u2014 part of a troubling quarter that saw Kentucky lead the nation in racing fatalities.<\/p>\n
But both the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and Churchill cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from a single quarter, especially as regulators work to establish long-term benchmarks in a still-developing national database.<\/p>\n
HISA’s safety protocols have improved equine safety, but regulators and industry stakeholders remain vigilant when spikes occur.<\/p>\n
Louisville<\/a> | Kentucky<\/a> | Indiana<\/a> | Eric Crawford<\/a><\/p>\n “Progress is not always linear,”\u00a0the report stated.\u00a0“… We will have a much clearer picture of context and contributing factors by year\u2019s end \u2013 once we have been able to smooth out anomalies from short-term fluctuations due to weather, track conditions or random variation.”<\/p>\n Churchill Downs recorded\u00a0seven racing-related fatalities\u00a0between April 1 and June 30, a rate of\u00a02.06 per 1,000 starts\u00a0\u2014 higher than the\u00a00.58 per 1,000 starts\u00a0reported during the same period last year. But it\u2019s also significantly lower than the spring of 2023, when 12 horses died at Churchill in just over a month, prompting the track to suspend racing and overhaul safety protocols.<\/p>\n In a statement to WDRB, Churchill Downs acknowledged the Q2 rise but pointed to its ongoing safety efforts and the broader context.<\/p>\n “After 416 races and 3,400 starters during the Spring Meet, there was an uptick in our safety metrics compared to last year,” the track said.\u00a0“Over the last two years, we\u2019ve further strengthened equine safety protocols including expanded pre-race veterinary examinations, continuous monitoring of the racing surface, and strict medication oversight under uniform national standards. These measures reflect the industry’s most advanced approach to safety, and we remain committed to careful review of all data in partnership with regulators and experts to ensure our safety measures remain effective and evolve with the best available science.”<\/p>\n Just 75 miles away,\u00a0Keeneland reported three racing fatalities\u00a0in its spring meet, a rate of\u00a02.39 per 1,000 starts\u00a0\u2014 also well above the national average.<\/p>\n Combined, Churchill and Keeneland accounted for\u00a010 racing deaths in Q2, giving Kentucky\u00a0the highest total of any state.<\/p>\n National racing fatality rate rises<\/p>\n Nationwide, HISA reported a\u00a0racing-related fatality rate of 1.24 per 1,000 starts\u00a0between April 1 and June 30 \u2014 up from\u00a00.76 per 1,000\u00a0during the same period in 2024.<\/p>\n While that rate remains below 2023 levels (1.48), the upward swing has regulators concerned. The spike at Churchill Downs, in particular, comes after the track drew international attention for 12 deaths in the spring of 2023 \u2014 and then implemented new protocols that appeared to reduce risk through most of 2024.<\/p>\n That year, Churchill\u2019s fatality rate dropped to\u00a00.88 overall. But the latest HISA data suggests a regression, especially during the high-profile spring meet.<\/p>\n “So far in 2025, the racetrack has experienced a concerning reversal in safety outcomes” the report said of Churchill, though it listed no it listed no change in practices or negligence on the track’s part.<\/p>\n Training deaths raise further concerns<\/p>\n The report also flagged\u00a0training-related deaths, which occur during timed workouts or other conditioning. In this category, Kentucky also equaled the most deaths in the country for Q2, though it also logged more workouts:<\/p>\n 10 training deaths, tied with PennsylvaniaTracks reporting fatalities: Churchill Downs (4), Turfway Park (3), Keeneland (2), and Churchill Downs Training Center (1)Kentucky\u2019s Q2 training fatality rate was 0.45 per 1,000 workouts, just below the national average of 0.52.<\/p>\n When combining both racing and training deaths, Kentucky\u2019s toll reached\u00a019 equine fatalities for the quarter \u2014 again, a number that led the nation, though Kentucky’s 0.61 deaths per 1,000 workouts matched exactly the national average.<\/p>\n One reason for the jump in Churchill\u2019s numbers here was simply more thorough data gathering. A year ago, only 307 workouts were logged for Churchill. This year the number was nearly 6,500.<\/p>\n HISA: Risk factors and red flags<\/p>\n In analyzing the uptick, HISA cited several common risk factors among horses that died nationally.<\/p>\n Long layoffs\u00a0before returning to competition, histories of unsoundness, joint injections, prior injuries, use of\u00a0Shock Wave Therapy or horses making their first starts after being removed from veterinarians lists.<\/p>\n Perhaps most alarming,\u00a0fetlock injuries\u00a0\u2014 affecting the cannon or sesamoid bones \u2014 accounted for more than\u00a075% of musculoskeletal racing deaths, up from about two-thirds in 2024.<\/p>\n “These fractures are usually the result of accumulated microdamage,” HISA said, “meaning those responsible for the horse\u2019s care have time to intervene and prevent career-ending or fatal injury.”<\/p>\n Cardiac screening and sudden death<\/p>\n The report also highlights new research into\u00a0Exercise Associated Sudden Death (EASD), instances where horses die unexpectedly, often during or shortly after training.<\/p>\n In several cases, horses were found to be in\u00a0atrial fibrillation at rest, a condition that can escalate into fatal heart arrhythmias during exertion.<\/p>\n That finding has prompted HISA to explore routine\u00a0ECG heart screenings\u00a0and wearable technology that could flag arrhythmias before a horse competes.<\/p>\n “Historically, sporadic atrial fibrillation has been considered performance-limiting but relatively benign,” the report said. “But the discovery that these horses were in atrial fibrillation at rest… opens the door to early detection and intervention.”<\/p>\n What\u2019s next for Churchill \u2014 and the sport?<\/p>\n The Churchill Downs fatalities are especially notable given that the track had been working closely with HISA since 2023. Last year, HISA credited the venue with showing improvement. But this spring\u2019s reversal has renewed pressure.<\/p>\n “Safety is a non-negotiable priority,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “The future of thoroughbred racing depends on our collective will to embrace change and to adapt to improved standards across the industry.”<\/p>\n Other tracks were praised in the report, including\u00a0Turf Paradise in Arizona, which reduced fatalities to zero after adopting a full compliance partnership with HISA.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, HISA says it is closely monitoring tracks with significant spikes \u2014 including\u00a0Oaklawn Park\u00a0and\u00a0Parx Racing, which each recorded\u00a0five deaths\u00a0in Q2.<\/p>\n Final stretch<\/p>\n For now, the numbers tell a complicated story: national safety rates have improved since HISA\u2019s founding, but\u00a0progress is uneven\u00a0\u2014 and in Kentucky this spring,\u00a0it edged backward.<\/p>\n As Churchill Downs prepares for fall racing and Keeneland gears up with renovations to host the 2026 Breeders\u2019 Cup, the burden of leadership in safety reform will likely fall once again on the tracks that lead the industry in visibility \u2014 and where fatalities draw more attention, whenever they occur.<\/p>\n Sports Coverage:<\/p>\n Coffee with Crawford | Travis Kelce threw deep. 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