Churchill Downs will suspend racing and move the remainder of its spring meet to Ellis Park to conduct a review of safety and surface protocols in the wake of 12 horse fatalities over the past month.
Churchill Downs will suspend its current thoroughbred meet at the conclusion of Sunday’s card to examine safety measures after 12 equine fatalities in the past month, the track’s parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., announced Friday.
The meet, originally scheduled to run through July 3 at the Louisville, Kentucky, racetrack, will resume June 10 at Ellis Park in Henderson, about two hours down the road. The company plans to conduct a “top-to-bottom review of all safety and surface protocols and integrity measures in collaboration and consultation with nationwide experts.”
The move comes in the wake of intense scrutiny aimed at the track after 12 horses died from April 27 to May 27, beginning with Kentucky Derby contender Wild on Ice, who broke down in an April 27 workout.
