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Another thoroughbred died at Santa Anita racetrack on Tuesday, the 21st such fatality at the storied Southern California racetrack in about 10 weeks, officials said.
A 4-year-old filly, under the tutelage of the Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, suffered a catastrophic spill during morning workouts on the main track, Santa Anita officials said.
Southern California has endured an unusually harsh, rain-filled winter, with 16 inches falling on Arcadia, the home of the track, from Dec. 26 through Tuesday.
McAnally suggested to the racing magazine BloodHorse that the effect of the heavy rains on the track could be a factor in the horse deaths.
"Weather is the cause of all of this. I loved that filly," a visibly shaken McAnally told the magazine shortly after the horse, Lets Light the Way, which was owned by McAnally's wife, was euthanized because of a shattered sesamoid bone.
"I bought her at the sale," McAnally said. "I feel as bad as anybody, but that’s the first I had. I wanted to cry when we had to put her down."
While deadly accidents are a constant threat in horse racing, the number of recent fatalities stands out. There were 10 horse deaths at Santa Anita from Dec. 26 to Feb. 25 of 2017-18, eight in 2016-17 in that same period and 14 in 2015-16, according to data from the California Horse Racing Board.
After the first 19 deaths this season, Santa Anita shut down its main racing surface for 2 1/2 days last week to inspect the track for any deformities.
The course was declared fit and racing was off and running again — before two more horses died — the filly on Tuesday and two days prior, another filly, Eskenforadrink, that broke down during a third race Sunday.
Of the 21 that have died since Dec. 26, seven have occurred during a race on the dirt, five during a race on turf, and nine during training on dirt, The Associated Press reported.
Animal-rights activists staged a protest outside Santa Anita on Sunday in response to the mounting death toll.
As of Tuesday afternoon, live racing was still set for Friday. Regularly scheduled races for Thursday had already been called off due to forecast rain.