CHRB To Form Five-Member Review Panels For Los Alamitos, Del Mar Meets

“Los Alamitos and Del Mar have shown their strong commitment to helping improve horse and rider safety by agreeing to these panels,” said CHRB Chairman Chuck Winner. “We look forward to working with them during their meets.”

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has announced that five-member review panels, similar to the one established during the last two weekends at Santa Anita, will be in place for the upcoming Los Alamitos Summer Thoroughbred Meet June 29-July 14 and the Del Mar Summer Meet July 17-September 2.

Established at the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, the five-member panel at Santa Anita scrutinized veterinarians’ lists, stewards’ lists and other available information for horses scheduled to race, in order to heighten efforts to protect the safety of horses and riders. Over the two weekends the panel was in operation at Santa Anita, a total of 38 horses were either scratched from races or denied entry to races pursuant to the panel’s recommendations.

The Los Alamitos and Del Mar panels will perform the same function.

At Los Alamitos, as at Santa Anita, a five-member team will evaluate horses identified by the racing office as intended for entry in races yet to be drawn. It will identify those horses considered to be at elevated risk and recommend they be denied entry. Los Alamitos has agreed to accept the panel’s recommendation when finalizing entries.

The panel will also be in place at Del Mar’s meet. Instead of evaluating horses pre-entry, however, the panel members will evaluate horses after the races have been drawn. Any horse they consider to be at elevated risk will be scratched by the stewards.