(Reuters) – A big weekend of racing together with a test for Kentucky Derby hopefuls will no longer take location at famed Santa Anita on Saturday as officials are seeking to discover what brought about the deaths of 21 horses at the Southern California song in the final two months. The San Felipe Stakes for 3-12 months-old Kentucky Derby contenders and the Santa Anita Handicap for older horses had been suspended after Santa Anita called off horse racing indefinitely on Tuesday. Unbeaten two-12 months-antique champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner was anticipated to make his 2019 debut inside the San Felipe Stakes along with stablemate Improbable.
Since past due December, 21 horses have been euthanised after struggling catastrophic injuries at Santa Anita’s essential dirt song while either racing or training The track, first opened to racing in 1934, has played a key role in U.S. Thoroughbred horse racing, often website hosting major races inclusive of the Breeders’ Cup. Meanwhile, Santa Anita’s six-furlongs (three-quarters of a mile) inner exercise music reopened on Friday after being inspected using veteran trackman Dennis Moore and Mick Peterson from University of Kentucky’s Racing Surfaces Testing Lab. No deaths have occurred at the exercising tune, and Moore stated he turned into “happy with it,” the racetrack said. Only galloping or strolling could be approved “Like all athletes horses need to live energetically, so this is a great choice for his or her standard fitness since it lets in our horses to get out in their stalls and continues them moving to resource their digestion,” Hall of Fame instructor Bob Baffert stated in a declaration. More excessive however still restrained workout routines may additionally begin on the education tune on Monday, with running and galloping probable also being approved on principle music starting on Monday, Tim Ritvo, leader operating officer of track owner The Stronach Group, informed Daily Racing Form on Friday. He stated daily workouts might be improved to the original music with the aid of following weekend. Depending on the outcome of the inspection and weather, racing could doubtlessly resume at the tune on March 21, he said. (Reporting by using Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by way of Ken Ferris)
