PETA Statement: Kentucky Racing Rules

For Immediate Release:
April 8, 2019

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo regarding much-needed racing rule changes in Kentucky:

PETA is putting Kentucky on notice. No horses died during Santa Anita Derby weekend, which seems to show that the track’s new rules—while not as strong as PETA would have liked—are a lifesaving step. Now, all eyes will be on Kentucky, where Churchill Downs—home of the Kentucky Derby—has the second-worst reported death rate for horses in the country. PETA will be attending the Churchill Downs Incorporated annual shareholders meeting later this month to question the company’s executives. At nearby Keeneland, Thoroughbred Cathedral Reader broke a leg and was euthanized on Saturday, and today, 2-year-old horses will be made to run faster than they ever will for the rest of their lives, risking injury and death to fetch a high price at the Keeneland April Sale. Change is overdue, and for the sake of the horses, it needs to come now.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.