Racing Fatalities Drop to Lowest Recorded Level

According to the initial data analysis from the 16th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database, the fatal injury rate in 2024 was 1.11 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the fifth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 15.9% from 2023 and has decreased 44.5% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009.

Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow) and by Professor Tim Parkin (University of Bristol), who has consulted on the EID since its inception.

“It is remarkable and indeed gratifying to see the sustained improvement in these figures,” Parkin said. “It is a credit to all involved in the industry that such a significant improvement in the risk of fatal injury can be achieved off the back of the establishment of the EID and, of course, alongside lots of hard work from very many parties.”

Based on the 2024 data, 99.89% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.

Statistical Summary from 2009 to 2024

(Thoroughbred Flat Racing Only)

Calendar

Year    2009    2010    2011    2012    2013    2014    2015    2016    2017    2018    2019    2020    2021    2022    2023    2024

Rate    2.00     1.88     1.88     1.92    1.90     1.89      1.62     1.54    1.61     1.68      1.53     1.41     1.39     1.25     1.32     1.11

Key statistics from the 2024 analysis are as follows (figures represent the incidence of racing fatality per 1,000 starts):

             By age

• 2-year-old:        0.9
• 3-year-old:        0.94
• 4+-year-old:      1.21

         By race distance

• <6 furlongs:      1.20
• 6-8 furlongs:     1.12
• >8 furlongs:      0.98

           By Track Surface

• Dirt:                  1.18
• Turf:                  0.88
• Synthetic:         1.02

Trends of the EID since 2009 are available on The Jockey Club website.

Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 0.88 as compared to 1.27 for those that do not publish

In addition, racetracks in the U.S. not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority had a rate of 1.76 per 1,000 starts. A HISA press release reported in late February that the 2024 racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to HISA rules was 0.90 per 1,000 starts, which aligns with the EID data. HISA reports race-related fatalities after regulatory review.

Release: Thoroughbred Racing at HISA Tracks Has Safest Year

The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported. 

The list of racetracks participating in the EID and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found online. 

Throughout 2024, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.

The Equine Injury Database, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format that generates valid statistics, identifies markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serves as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries.

This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.