Churchill Downs to suspend operations following trend of horse deaths

Churchill Downs has suspended its racing operations beginning June 7 and continuing throughout the Spring Meet schedule, according to a release from the racetrack.

The decision comes following a month where 12 horses died at the home of the Kentucky Derby, including a cluster of horse fatalities in the week leading up to the event on May 6.

“What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable,” Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs Incorporated’s CEO, said in a statement. “Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.”

Earlier on Friday, reports had started to surface that the Spring Meet would shift to Ellis Park in Kentucky, and that’ll now happen after racing concludes Sunday — officially starting June 10.

An emergency summit was called Tuesday to analyze the facility and protocols, and Churchill Downs said in its release that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority determined that “no single factor has been identified as a potential cause and no discernible pattern has been detected to link the fatalities.”

Seven horses died between April 29 and May 6, and an eighth — 3-year-old Rio Moon — was euthanized the weekend after Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby.

Ahead of the Kentucky Derby, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called Churchill Downs a “killing field” and called for the track to close and for different protocols to be implemented.

Following Mage’s victory in the Kentucky Derby, National Treasure — and trainer Bob Baffert — claimed the Preakness Stakes to prevent any chance of a Triple Crown winner ahead of the Belmont Stakes on June 10.