A third racehorse death in an eight-day span at Santa Anita has brought the total number of fatalities in racing and training at California’s three thoroughbred and quarter-horse tracks to 26 this year, marking an increase over most recent years, according to data posted by the California Horse Racing Board.
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The 3-year-old colt Eye of the Smiley, who was winless in five races, was injured in training Saturday morning. The 2-year-old colt Single Vision, winless in one start, was injured in training last Thursday. The 2-year-old gelding Scam Alert, winless in four starts, was injured in training on Sept. 19.
At Santa Anita, Los Alamitos and Del Mar, the 26 deaths from injuries and other causes in racing and training from Jan. 1 to Sept. 26 were more than the average of 22.6 in the same part of the year in 2021-25, though far fewer than the 42 in this period in 2020. Those numbers are based on unofficial counts from CHRB data.
At Santa Anita, which began its six-week autumn racing season last Friday, 14 horses died from injuries and other causes in racing and training from Jan. 1 to Sept. 26. That’s double the number in the same period in 2025 and more than the average of 10.6 for this period since 2020, when the racing board began making fatality data public following a spike in horse deaths at Santa Anita in early 2019.
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At the CHRB’s July meeting, executive director Scott Chaney said that from July 2025 through June 2026, a total of 51 deaths in racing, training and other activities at California facilities, 33 from musculoskeletal causes, represented “the lowest fiscal-year total yet again.”
“While one fatality is too many, recognizing the progress that California has made in the area of animal welfare is important,” Chaney said.
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