Los Alamitos track agrees to improve animal safety after 3 more horse deaths

Faced with the possible suspension of its license, Los Alamitos Race Course has pledged to increase safety measures in the wake of three racehorses suffering fatal injuries in one day.

The latest deaths, which occurred on Nov. 23, prompted the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to send a letter Tuesday to Cathy Allred, race course president and wife of Ed Allred, who owns the Cypress venue.

According to the letter, staff and board commissioners were “profoundly concerned about the recent safety record at Los Alamitos,” including the three most recent racehorse deaths, which were described as “alarming.”

Records show that Backside Ace, Champions Run and B Ratifyed all suffered musculoskeletal injuries last Sunday at Los Alamitos Race Course. The exact type of injuries sustained will be determined by postmortem examinations, currently pending.

Ambulances carted Backside Ace and Champions Run off the track after their races began, while B Ratifyed “lacked response,” an official race chart noted.

Two other racehorses suffered fatal injuries at the track earlier this month — Tame the Tiger on Nov. 8 and Cayce in Gray the following day, both during training — according to an online equine fatality dashboard maintained by the CHRB.

The most recent string of racehorse deaths from racing and training at Los Alamitos Race Course has brought the tally to 17 this year, one more than all such fatal injuries recorded in 2024.

Board Executive Chairman C. Scott Chaney and UC Davis Equine Medical Director Dr. Jeff Blea in a letter outlined five “significant changes” track officials must adopt to avoid an emergency meeting over their license.

“[Board] personnel will be meeting with management at Los Alamitos on Monday and expect all five of the conditions to be met by that time,” said Mike Marten, a board spokesperson. “If not, an emergency meeting would be very likely.”

The fast-track suspension authorities are part of reforms enacted in 2019 after Santa Anita Park in Arcadia saw 42 racehorse deaths that year.

The board has threatened Los Alamitos’ license before. In 2020, the track was placed on a 10-day probationary period until officials adopted new safety measures following a series of racehorse deaths.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, track operators have signaled their intent to comply with the most recent safety measures outlined.

“Los Alamitos Race Course management takes the safety and welfare of our equine athletes and humans with paramount urgency and will be implementing every measure listed,” officials said in a statement Tuesday.

The board has called on the course to add a second regulatory veterinarian for morning examinations and entry panel reviews.

Other measures include ensuring an attending veterinarian is on the stable area grounds during racing events, staffing a second ambulance during races and further restricting joint injections for horses, especially closer to training and races.

The letter also proposed weekly meetings between race course management, board staff and commissioners until the risk to racehorses is reduced.

Allred has spoken with Chaney and will participate in weekly meetings.

Chaney and Blea described the five measures as “a minimum for reform, rather than a complete list.”

Track officials contend they began implementing additional safety measures as early as the night of the Nov. 23 races.

“Animal safety has always been our top priority, and it has become an even greater priority today,” they said in Tuesday’s statement. “We are prepared to work with [board] staff as we face this very important moment.”