Another horse (reportedly the 21st) dies at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — A 21st horse has died at Santa Anita, with the latest fatality occurring during training, a person with direct knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the fatality has not been announced publicly.

The person said a filly trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally was pulled up during morning training on the dirt track and was taken off by van. The filly was later euthanized because of her injury.

A total of 21 horses have died since the racetrack’s winter meet began on Dec. 26. Of that number, seven have occurred during a race on the dirt, five have occurred on turf and nine came during training on dirt.

In 2017, 20 deaths occurred among a total of 8,463 starts over a span of 122 racing days at Santa Anita, according to the most recent figures compiled by The Jockey Club.

Track officials had already announced that Thursday’s racing was canceled and racing won’t resume until Friday, although the track is open daily for training.

Last week, Santa Anita was closed for two days while the dirt surface underwent extensive testing.

Mick Peterson, a soil and safety expert from the University of Kentucky who was brought in, proclaimed the track “100 percent ready” to resume racing.

Peterson said radar verified all of the materials, silt, clay and sand, as well as moisture content, were consistent everywhere on the track. Its dirt surface was peeled back 5 inches and reapplied.

Since Peterson’s comments, two horses have died, including McAnally’s filly. The 86-year-old trainer is one of the most respected in horse racing and has won three Eclipse Awards as the nation’s outstanding trainer.

McAnally didn’t immediately return a message left on his cellphone by the AP.

The other death occurred Saturday during the third race when 4-year-old filly Eskenforadrink was in the lead. Jockey Geovanni Franco pulled her up with an injury to her front leg. The filly was vanned off the track and later euthanized.

Santa Anita received 11 1/2 inches of rain and had unusually cold temperatures in February, but it’s unknown whether track conditions have played a role in any of the fatalities.

The National Weather Service is forecasting 1 to 2 inches of rain in Los Angeles County starting Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

The number of deaths has drawn both concern and criticism, much as it did in 2016 at Del Mar, California’s other major racetrack located north of San Diego.

That year, 16 horses died during the summer meet. Ten of those fatalities came during training and the other six were in races.

In 2017, Del Mar had six fatalities.

A handful of animal rights activists gathered outside Santa Anita’s main gate on Sunday, carrying signs and shouting.

Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, said in a statement last week, “We consider the safety and security of the athletes, both equine and human, who race at our facilities to be our top priority. All industry stakeholders, including our company, must be held accountable for the safety and security of the horses and we are committed to doing just that.”

The track will host a major day of racing Saturday, including the $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap for older horses and the $500,000 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-old Kentucky Derby hopefuls.