(WAVE/WKYT) – According to new figures out from HISA, the “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority”, the rate of horses dying from racing injuries went up in 2025.
The 2025 Annual Metric Report released by HISA on Tuesday revealed a national fatality rate among its member tracks of 1.05 horse deaths per 1000 starts.
That is up slightly from just 0.9 in 2024.
“If you look just at the numbers, we are a tad higher this year than last year,” HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said. “That being said, I would still say we are in a better place because what matters to me is like a sustained trend.”
The rate of deaths at Churchill Downs was 1.62 per thousand starts.
11 horses died from racing injuries at Churchill last year, up from six the previous year.
Churchill Downs and HISA were locked in a legal dispute over fees.
Lazarus said the two groups were not talking much as a result.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to cooperate and liaise with Churchill as much this year as we have in previous years due to some of the ongoing disputes,” Lazarus said. “But, that’s hopefully changing. And they are certainly committed to safety and integrity, and I hope that in the future, we can work collaboratively together again and sort of try to determine what, if anything, can be done to bring that number down.”
However, on Tuesday, March 24, soon after this story originally aired, HISA and Churchill Downs reached an agreement on the $5.25 million in required fees for 2025.
Before this, a HISA Board panel claimed Churchill Downs violated federal racing rules by not paying any of last year’s assessment fees for its racetracks in Louisville, along with Ellis Park, Turfway Park, and Presque Isle Downs.
If the groups hadn’t reached an agreement, Churchill would have had to put a hold on off-track betting for races.
The exact terms of the agreements have not yet been released.
A spokesman for Churchill Downs did not respond to a request for comment.
In the meantime, HISA’s reported numbers continue to give horse racing critics reasons to ask new questions about why even the best tracks seem to struggle in eliminating fatalities.
Horseracing Wrongs claims to have counted 12 thousand horse deaths at US tracks in 11 years.
“If they can’t protect horses at Churchill Downs, which is arguably the most famous racetrack in America, then they can’t protect horses, period,” Horseracing Wrongs President Patrick Battuello said. “It’s clear that horse racing kills horses inherently. It’s all part of the business model. They know it, I know it, and it’s just a matter of the public saying enough is enough.”