Sen. Dianne Feinstein renews call for racing to be suspended at Santa Anita Park after latest horse death

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), citing the death of a horse that was euthanized Saturday after racing in the Breeders’ Cup, renewed her call for horse racing to be suspended at Santa Anita Park.

“With continued racetrack deaths, it’s clear that not enough has changed, so I renew that call,’’ Feinstein said in a statement Monday.

Since December, 37 horses have died at Santa Anita either while racing or while training at the racetrack.

“That’s simply unacceptable,’’ Feinstein said.

On Saturday, Mongolian Groom suffered a broken leg during the homestretch of the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and a team of veterinarians determined the horse could not be saved.

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Feinstein said she will work with California Gov. Gavin Newsom “to look at all options to protect racehorses and increase transparency at racetracks. If the horse racing industry is unwilling to treat these magnificent creatures humanely, it has no business operating in the United States.”

On Monday, Newsom called on the California Racing Board (CHRB) to take additional action after adding safety measures earlier in the year

"Gov. Newsom believes clearly more must be done if horse racing is to remain viable in California," spokesperson Jesse Melgar said in a statement. "Despite implementing new safety review standards – which are now proving to be a new national model – too many horses are getting injured or dying.

The Governor has requested recommendations from CHRB within 30 days for further potential regulatory or statutory changes to improve animal welfare."

Santa Anita’s fall meet ended Sunday and the winter meet will begin Dec. 26.

Before the two-day Breeders’ Cup, Feinstein wrote that the event would be a “critical test’’ for the future of horse racing.

“Despite increased scrutiny and additional measures that have been put in place, the horse racing industry was unable to make it through a single weekend without a critical injury and euthanized horse,’’ she said. “This problem is not unique to Santa Anita. More than 3,000 horses have died at California racetracks in the past two decades, and thousands more at racetracks throughout the country.

“Unfortunately, most states lack sufficient reporting requirements, so we may never know the exact numbers of horses that die nationwide as part of the horse racing industry. This is a gap that should be closed.’’