Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona has reported that their 2024-2025 race meeting concluded with the lowest event fatality rate in the track’s 69-year history.
For the entire meet, which ran from November 11th 2024, and concluded on May 3rd, the track recorded a fatality rate of 0.73 per 1000 starts. In comparison, the 2024 HISA national average was 0.90/1000, and the Jockey Club national average was 1.11/1000.
In total, there was one fatality on the main Turf Paradise track and three on the turf course among the 6,981 starters to race during the 2024-2025 race meet.
“Such accomplishments come about because of teamwork and collaboration,” said Turf Paradise owner Jerry Simms.
“A heartfelt thanks to our track crew and track veterinarian, to our horsemen and the HBPA and to our regulatory partners, the Arizona Department of Racing and to HISA.
“Zero fatalities is our next goal.”
Turf Paradise first opened its doors in 1956. The rate reduction has been a concerted effort over the past decade, which has seen the track’s fatality rate drop from a high of 3.09/1000 in 2017/2018 to 2.98/1000 in 2020, which at the time, was more than twice the national average of 1.41 per 1,000 starts.
These declines have been achieved through the collaboration with regulatory partners and industry participants and the implementation of a series of protocols such as:
- Pre-race veterinarian inspection of all horses on every live race day.
- Trainer review of necropsy reports following any fatality.
- Track veterinarian review of horses while in the paddock, during warm-ups, gate loading, and post-race exams.
- Twice monthly testing of sand-to-dirt ratio balance on the main track.
- A careful review of all track safety protocols.
It is important to note that these stats are not isolated, with numerous other racetracks also recording high fatality rates. HISA is working hard with all jurisdictions to reduce fatality rates nationally, and these results from Turf Paradise show it certainly is possible.
Light Up Racing is excited for this positive progress, but we know the work is not over.
