Los Alamitos Race Course is facing possible suspension of its license after three horses suffered fatal injuries during races Sunday night, state horse racing officials said Tuesday.
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The deaths bring the number of fatalities at the Cypress track to 18 this year.
Backside Ace, a 2-year-old gelding running in his third race, finished third in Sunday's seventh race after being bumped at the start, but was later ambulanced off.
Champions Run, also a 2-year-old gelding who had eight career races -- all at Los Alamitos -- and one first-place finish, did not finish Sunday's eighth race and was also ambulanced off.
B Ratifyed, a 2-year-old filly with six career races, four in New Mexico, was injured in Sunday's fifth race, in which she finished eighth out of 10 horses. The official race chart said she "lacked response."
California Horse Racing Board spokesman Mike Marten said the precise nature of all three fatal injuries would be verified by required postmortem examinations.
The CHRB sent a letter to the track's owners on Tuesday, demanding "significant changes to its safety program," or the board could call an emergency meeting and suspend its license.
"The CHRB (both staff and Commissioners) are profoundly concerned about the recent safety record at Los Alamitos, including the alarming catastrophic injuries that occurred this past weekend," CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney wrote to track President Cathy Allred, wife of owner Ed Allred, in a letter provided to City News Service.
"In fact, the concern is so great that the Chairman has suggested preparing a notice for an emergency Board meeting outlined in CHRB Rule 1435. As you know, this rule was created in the wake of the events of 2019 to give the Board both the authority and flexibility to suspend a track's license quickly based on a safety concern. ... Dr. (Jeff) Blea and I have spoken and plan to call that emergency meeting unless Los Alamitos makes significant changes to its safety program and the injuries decrease precipitously and quickly," the letter continued.
"CHRB requires that you develop a plan that will address this issue. That plan should outline steps you will take in addition to actions the CHRB, in consultation with Equine Medical Director Blea, suggests. We have endeavored to provide a few necessities right now but may add additional measures should we learn more about this recent spike."
The letter outlines the following steps, which Chaney said "should be taken as a minimum for reform, rather than a complete list."
-- Add a second regulatory veterinarian for morning soundness examinations and entry panel review watch list examinations.
-- Ensure there is an attending (private) veterinarian on the grounds in the stable area each night while racing is conducted.
-- Purchase and/or utilize and staff a second equine ambulance for use during racing.
-- Further restrict the use of IA injections, especially those that are close in time to racing and workouts.
-- Hold weekly meetings with the CHRB staff and commissioners (as permitted under the law), the Equine Medical Director, a Steward, the Safety Steward, regulatory veterinarians, CHRB investigators, track management and any other personnel who may be helpful in identifying additional ways to reduce fatalities.
"With regard to the last point, CHRB will reach out to schedule the first of such meetings on Monday," the letter continued. "In addition to these actions, Los Alamitos should develop its own plan which incorporates your items for increasing the emphasis on safety. You can confirm that the CHRB items have been implemented, as well as further details on Monday: Otherwise, the CHRB will begin the process outlined in rule 1435."
Los Alamitos officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to the 18 racing and training deaths in 2025, 11 other horses have died at Los Alamitos this year from what the CHRB classifies as "other" causes.
The Cypress track saw 18 horses die from racing or training injuries in 2024.
The track was briefly placed on probation by the CHRB in 2020 due to a spate of racehorse deaths. Regulators later signed off on a plan to allow Los Alamitos to continue holding races after track officials agreed to add several layers of oversight, including adding another veterinarian to be a "roving observer of horses in training, while entering, exiting, or on the track," a "security steward" who oversees veterinary and barn practices, and an "entry review panel" of experts who have the authority to scratch horses for races.
California horse racing officials have taken several steps to try to reduce fatalities since 2019, when at least 42 deaths at Santa Anita Park sparked widespread debate about safety issues in the sport and even drew the attention of state lawmakers. Those changes include drug reforms, increased veterinary oversight and improvements to racing surfaces.
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