Data Shows that HISA Tracks are Safer than Those Not Covered by the Authority

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has released its annual metrics report for 2024, which shows that tracks regulated by HISA are significantly safer than those that are not.

At the 47 racetracks operating under HISA's ADMC Program and Racetrack Safety Program, the combined rate of fatalities was .90 per 1,000 starts. At racetracks that are not covered by HISA, the fatality rate was 1.76 per 1,000 starts, almost double the number for the HISA tracks.

The new was released just days after the Jockey Club released its numbers from its Equine Injury Database, which covers most tracks in the U.S., including HISA and non-HISA tracks. The Jockey Club reported that there were 1.11 fatalities per 1,000 starts last year. The number of fatalities recorded by the Equine Injury Database in 2021 was 1.39. That was the last full year prior to the launch of HISA's Safety Program. That the HISA number is now down to .90 represents a 35% decrease from 2021.

“HISA has made significant progress in advancing its mandate across racetrack safety, technological innovation, uniform medication control and equine welfare,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “HISA pursued these initiatives with input and support from the many racing stakeholders who are the backbone of the sport, and their collective efforts have led to meaningful improvements in our safety metrics. We look forward to continuing to work with the industry to make further inroads.”

For the first time since its inception, HISA also reported what is an estimated number for fatalities that occur during workouts. That figure was .50 deaths per 1,000 workouts.

In a press release released Tuesday, HISA said that combining data from racing and training facilities will prove to be a useful tool.

“While it is too early to establish trends in combined racing- and training-related fatality data, transparency is a critical first step in identifying risk factors and developing targeted safety initiatives,” the release said. “The information collected on training-related fatalities has served to expand the already significant database HISA has built and will be instructive as the organization moves into the next phase of its data-driven efforts—identifying patterns to help racing stakeholders make more informed decisions for their horses and proposing guidance and rules designed to make training safer.”

On a state-by state basis, Indiana, where Horseshoe Indianapolis is the only operating thoroughbred track, came out on top with .26 fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2024. There were only two deaths from 7,601 starts last year at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Arizona and Turf Paradise fared the worst among HISA tracks with 1.57 fatalities.

Among the reasons why numbers have fallen so sharply is that horses running at HISA tracks must undergo repeated tests from veterinarians, who will order the horse scratched if they are not convinced it is in shape to race. For that reason, many believed that fields sizes have gotten smaller since the HISA vets are scratching so many horses. That didn't turn out to be the case. Before the Racetrack Safety Program was implemented 11.9% of the horses entered were scratched. Since HISA took over, the number has shown only a modest increase, to 12.7%.