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White Abarrio’s last-minute scratch from the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar put regulatory veterinarians’ authority under national horse-racing safety rules in the spotlight. A new examination by Paulick Report revisits the California incident while detailing the expanding workload and staffing shortages facing the veterinarians who decide whether horses can race.
The scratch drew headlines and sparked a lawsuit, according to Paulick Report. It also raised questions about veterinary authority under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, or HISA.
Safety checks expand as veterinary staffing tightens
Pre-race veterinary checks take place at 41 HISA-governed tracks across 19 states, Paulick Report reported. The work extends beyond race-morning examinations to checks on horses returning from layoffs, pre-entry reviews and other safety assessments.
“There’s a critical shortage of equine practitioners in general, and more specifically, a critical shortage of racetrack practitioners as well as regulatory vets,” Dr. Jeff Blea told the outlet.
Paulick Report cited the American Association of Equine Practitioners as saying that 50% of graduating equine veterinarians leave the specialty within five years.
The heightened scrutiny can create friction with trainers. Dr. Deb Johnson described pre-race evaluation as an imperfect and sometimes overly cautious system. Trainer Ian Wilkes urged cooperation: “We must stop this battle between regulators and trainers.”
HISA’s 2025 Annual Metrics Report recorded 1.04 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts at Thoroughbred tracks operating under its rules, according to Paulick Report. The report described that rate as close to a 50% decline since national reporting began in 2009.
Technology adds another layer to soundness decisions
Veterinarians and trainers are also using technology to help assess horses’ soundness and injury risk. Wilkes said he had used the Sleip gait-analysis app for two years and scratches horses himself if they do not pass its assessment.
Churchill Downs began integrating the StrideSafe sensor system during its spring meet in 2023. Trainer Dale Romans told Paulick Report that the technology helped spare at least two of his horses from serious injury or worse.
Blea said objective data is where racing needs to go, while emphasizing that someone must still interpret it. Johnson cautioned against allowing electronic tools to erode observational skills: “If we become too dependent upon electronic devices, we may lose our human ability to [identify lameness].”
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Source: As reported by Paulick Report.
