Astonishing death toll rises at shuttering Bay Area racetrack

Another horse has died at Bay Area racetrack Golden Gate Fields, bringing the total to seven dead horses since late September.

According to the California Horse Racing Board’s equine fatalities database, thoroughbred Kind Of Gallant died during a training session on Oct. 30; its cause of death is listed as “pending.” Other horses that have died since September are Gardees World (Sept. 20, cause of death pending), Great Story (Sept. 25, sesamoid), Weeping Willows (Sept. 27, cause of death pending), Navy Queen (Oct. 1, sesamoid), Hangin At Haven (Oct. 4, cause of death pending) and Zakkiyyah (Oct. 21, cause of death pending).

At least 15 horses have died at the Berkeley racetrack since the beginning of the year. There are no consistent patterns in the deaths. Some died after breaking bones in their legs while racing, like Great Story. Others died off the track of gastrointestinal issues, like Big Laugh on Feb. 22. Still others, like Lexcellent on April 8, have only “sudden death” listed in the database. There is no one trainer who has significantly more deaths than others.

Across the state, California racetracks have struggled to keep racehorses safe over the past few years. In 2019, Santa Anita Park temporarily closed after 21 horses died in 10 weeks. Recently, the CHRB has also attempted additional safety measures, which it said in a July press release appear to be working. For the 2022-23 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, the state had recorded 26 deaths from musculoskeletal injuries among horses that were racing or training. The year before, it recorded 39 such deaths.

“That’s still too many fatalities, but it shows that all of the new regulations, policies, and procedures that that we’ve introduced in cooperation with the industry have had a significant effect,” CHRB chairman Greg Ferraro said in a statement. “Our efforts are focused primarily on preventable injuries, and that’s what the numbers reflect.”