Merit Song, Winner At Del Mar Last Year, 1 Of 2 Horses Euthanized After Santa Anita Races

By Editor, Times of San Diego

February 12, 2023

Two horses, including one that won at Del Mar last summer, have been euthanized after suffering racing injuries at Santa Anita Park, state officials confirmed Sunday.

The 3-year-old filly Decorated My Life was injured during Saturday’s ninth race on the turf at the Arcadia track, requiring euthanasia, Mike Marten, public information officer for the California Horse Racing Board told City News Service.

Also Saturday, the gelding Merit Song was injured during the fourth race on the main track at Santa Anita, requiring euthanasia. The 3-year-old had nine races and one first-place finish – at Del Mar in July 2022 – in his career.

Decorated My Life died on her third birthday. She had seven races and one first-place finish in her career. Her jockey, Joe Bravo, was taken to a hospital Saturday after he was unseated from the horse.

“He’s in good spirits. He underwent some tests. Waiting for the results,” his agent Matt Nakatan said, according to racing journalist Ray Paulick.

Counting Saturday’s deaths, six horses have died from racing or training injuries at Santa Anita in 2023. Twelve racehorses died at Santa Anita last year, according to the state board.

Santa Anita officials have said they’ve made major improvements in horse safety after 2019, when 42 horses died at the track, sparking widespread debate about safety issues there and in horse racing in general. The uproar led to procedural and veterinary oversight changes at the park.

After the completion of Santa Anita’s winter-spring season last June, track officials hailed what they called major improvements in horse safety, and called the facility the safest track in North America compared to those with similar racing and training activity.

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