Races are returning to Churchill Downs next month after a review into a dozen horse deaths that occurred in a short space of time led to no concrete insights. The suspension of track activities came into effect in June, leading to the remainder of the spring meeting races taking place at Ellis Park.
This decision came on the back of a recommendation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which oversees the sport across the US. Training was still able to take place at the Kentucky race track despite the halt on actual races.
Churchill Downs is the home of the Kentucky Derby, which lost two horses from its undercard this year after they died at the famed racetrack. They were the 11th and 12th horses to die in just one month at the track.
a series of unfortunate circumstances.”
Following the conclusion of a review into the circumstances around the deaths, Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO Bill Carstanjen labeled the fatalities “a series of unfortunate circumstances.” He said that no significant differences were found in comparison to previous years and emphasized that the track is “very safe.”
The fall meeting will start on September 14 and end on October 1.