New measures that went into effect Monday with the intent of establishing a national standard for equine safety are not being met with open arms within the horse racing industry, even as headlines from the sport’s biggest events are marred by mentions of death.
Seven horses died in 10 days at Churchill Downs leading up to the Kentucky Derby, including two on race day. Think that didn’t affect interest? According to Nielsen Ratings, it was the least watched Kentucky Derby across all viewing platforms since 2011 – not counting 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the race to be moved to September.
