‘deeply upsetting’

Churchill Downs Suspends Racing After Spate of Horse Deaths

A dozen horses died at the famed track in a single month.

Churchill Downs is suspending racing to re-examine safety measures after 12 horses died at the track in a single month. “Churchill Downs Racetrack has seen an unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month resulting in 12 equine fatalities,” the track’s parent company, Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a statement Friday. The suspension will begin on June 7, with planned races to be moved to Ellis Park Racing & Gaming in Henderson, Kentucky. Animal welfare groups had called for the track’s closure in recent weeks after the string of horse deaths. “What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable,” CEO Bill Carstanjen said, promising a “top-to-bottom review” of the circumstances of the deaths.

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