BY THE JOCKEY CLUB PRESS OFFICE
LEXINGTON, KY—According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database, the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009.
Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow) and by Professor Tim Parkin (University of Bristol), who has consulted on the EID since its inception.
“The Thoroughbred industry should be very proud of the work done to improve the safety of its athletes and to know that the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club and so many other organizations are proving to be effective,” Parkin said. “A nearly 50% drop in the rate of fatality since 2009 is impressive and it’s especially encouraging to see eight furlong and shorter races at historic lows.”
Based on the 2025 data, 99.89% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.
Key statistics from the 2025 analysis are as follows (figures represent the incidence of racing fatality per 1,000 starts):
- By age
- 2-year-old: 1.44
- 3-year-old: 0.87
- 4+-year-old: 1.10
- By race distance
- <6 furlongs: 1.07
- 6 – 8 furlongs: 1.08
- >8 furlongs: 1.01
- By track surface
- Dirt: 1.13
- Turf: 0.87
- Synthetic: 0.97
For trends of the EID since 2009, please visit jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid/eid_17_year_tables.pdf.
Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 0.95 as compared to 1.14 for those that do not publish. In addition, racetracks in the U.S. not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had a rate of 1.21 per 1,000 starts. The 2025 racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to HISA rules was 1.04 per 1,000 starts, which aligns with the HISA data. HISA reports race-related fatalities after regulatory review.
The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported.
The list of racetracks participating in the EID and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.
Throughout 2025, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.
The Equine Injury Database, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format that generates valid statistics, identifies markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serves as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries.
Return to the March 24 issue of Wire to Wire
