Churchill Downs Suspends Racing Amid Horse Deaths Investigation

Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, has suspended its racing operations beginning June 7 after 12 horses died in the last month. The suspension will continue throughout the Spring Meet schedule. The CEO of Churchill Downs said that despite their best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, no issues have been linked to their racing surfaces or environment. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority have determined that no single factor has been identified as a potential cause and no discernible pattern has been detected to link the fatalities. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Churchill Downs to close, terming the facility a “killing field.”