Fatal musculoskeletal injuries incurred during racing and training in Thoroughbreds

Review of PM records from Thoroughbred racehorses that sustained a fatal, exercise-related injury at a California race track during a 9-month period in 1991 revealed that 79 horses had a fatal musculoskeletal injury (FMI) while racing, with an incidence risk of 1.7/1000 race entrants. While training, 71 horses incurred an FMI. Age and sex distributions of California race entrants during the same period depended on race track. Males were at twice the risk for sustaining an FMI while racing compared with females, and 4-years olds were at twice the risk compared with 3-year-olds. These findings suggested that differences in fatal injury rates among race tracks may be attributable in part to differences in entrants' age and sex distribution among race tracks.