Belmont and California Racing: A 2019 Welfare Debate Revisited

Historical context: This article discusses the 2019 Santa Anita safety crisis and the racing calendar as it appeared that fall. References to that summer’s Del Mar meet and Belmont’s immediate prospects are historical, not a current schedule or a claim that the same conditions persist today. The California Horse Racing Board describes later changes in safety oversight; current racing and fatality data should be checked separately.

The fall is a time of year when horse racing begins to slow down on the West Coast and move east. Del Mar just wrapped up its 2019 summer race meet and now serious horse racing bettors will turn their eyes to Belmont Park and other East Coast tracks. What can these race tracks expect from bettors given the disastrous 2019 Santa Anita Meet which saw the deaths of many horses?

The Aftermath of Santa Anita

The 2018–2019 Santa Anita meeting produced a major welfare crisis and public debate over surface conditions, medication, veterinary oversight and underlying injury. This article’s historical count was 30 fatalities. Such totals require a defined period and activity scope. They do not establish that every death had the same cause or justify a blanket allegation that all U.S. tracks tolerated illegal medication. Investigation records, not speculation, are the basis for attributing individual incidents.

The original article connected the crisis with lower Del Mar business, citing handle and attendance declines. Del Mar’s own September 2, 2019 meeting report states that all-sources handle fell 10.9% while the track ran 21 fewer races, a 6.6% reduction. That supports a dated business comparison, but it does not isolate the welfare crisis as the sole cause or measure individual bettors’ motives.

Del Mar’s report describes no serious injuries during racing at its 36-day summer meeting. That is a racing-meet statement, not evidence of zero deaths or injuries across training and every other activity on the property. Keep the definition and dates attached to a safety claim. Handle totals, race counts and attendance are separate measures; they cannot by themselves establish why a particular person attended or stayed away.

Compare Santa Anita and Del Mar only after matching the dates, activities and reporting definitions. A fatality total covering racing and training is not directly comparable with a statement restricted to racing. Positive reports deserve scrutiny of their scope just as adverse reports do. See Del Mar’s September 2019 meeting report for its specific claims and business figures.

Can Belmont Right The Ship of Horse Racing?

In New York the closing of the Saratoga summer meet means on to the fall Belmont meeting. It begins just after Labor Day in 2019. A lot of eyes will be on the meet to see if New York is taking a proactive stance on horse racing issues. The development plans discussed below were part of the 2019 debate; they were not evidence that Belmont’s closure was inevitable.

Major changes are taking place at Belmont Park that will change the legendary horse racing track into a multi-purpose venue. This is the site of Secretariat’s legendary Triple Crown victory by 31 lengths. Now, the famous picnic area of the track will be demolished to make room for a new arena for the New York Islanders. The Islanders will leave the Barclay Center in Brooklyn for a new home beside Big Sandy, the race track that hosts the annual Belmont Stakes.

One only needs to look at California to see how racing is slowly pushed out by other interests. Hollywood Park once occupied a vast area of land that now belongs to development companies. In New York the problem is compounded by the fact that many believe New York cannot sustain three race tracks. The article presented Saratoga as the strongest venue and discussed uncertainty about Belmont and Aqueduct. Those were historical expectations, not a guarantee about any track’s permanent future. Development decisions and racing calendars must be followed through dated official announcements.

Belmont’s fall meet is only 23 days long, but it features historic races like the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Losing the track at any point in time would be a devastating event for horse racing.

California’s Racing Crisis and Its Lessons for the Industry

The horse deaths at Santa Anita Park in 2018 and 2019 that turned national attention to California racing represented a crisis point that forced the entire American racing industry to confront uncomfortable questions about the relationship between competitive pressures and horse welfare. The cluster of fatalities at one of the country’s most prestigious tracks, playing out under intense media scrutiny in a state with a large and vocal animal welfare advocacy community, created a level of public and regulatory pressure that could not be managed through conventional crisis communications.

California’s response included pauses for safety review, veterinary changes and medication-rule changes. The later CHRB account describes the crisis as a turning point in oversight. To assess whether measures improved safety, compare defined fatality rates across equivalent periods, including race starts and training activity where reported. The adoption of a reform is different from evidence of its outcome, and the motives of participants should not be assumed without attributable statements. For the broader context of how safety reforms have evolved across American racing, our article on do race horses get treated well covers the welfare landscape. And our guide on California governor wants to ban horse racing explores the political dimensions of the crisis.

Follow Racing Without Confusing Wagering With Welfare Support

Following racing does not require opening an account, and a deposit is not proof that a specific welfare program receives support. Readers can study safety reports, track announcements and aftercare information without wagering. If you separately choose to compare betting products, use our online racebook reviews to evaluate eligibility, track coverage and account rules. Registration timing and access depend on the particular operator. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. These products are not universally available in the United States. Use the online racebook comparison and verify your physical location and the specific racing product before funding an account.

• Betting Guide for 2021 Belmont Stakes

Separate the Tracks and the Questions

Belmont’s racing schedule, California’s safety record and the industry’s public trust are related topics, but one venue cannot by itself resolve another jurisdiction’s welfare problems. Compare dated figures from the relevant racing authority, including which activities and time periods the figures cover. The California Horse Racing Board publishes its own oversight background and fatality records; use those primary records when assessing claims about what changed after 2019. CHRB overview.