The owners of Santa Anita Park, through 1/ST Racing (a division of The Stronach Group), are publicly supporting the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, a bill in Congress that would permanently ban the slaughter of horses and mules for human consumption, including their export for this purpose. They are urging the horse-racing industry to unite behind this legislation, emphasizing that equine welfare is critical to the sport’s future and credibility. Although horse slaughter facilities no longer operate in the U.S., over 25,000 horses were exported for slaughter abroad in 2025, and the SAFE Act aims to close this loophole by prohibiting the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption nationwide.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, has bipartisan support and is currently under consideration in the House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. While advocates like Buchanan see the legislation as a commonsense step reflecting national values, some critics, such as Martha Sullivan of Kill Racing Not Horses, argue the bill does not go far enough, as it still allows slaughter and shipment of horses for non-human consumption uses like pet food and fertilizer. They call for stronger language to ban all horse slaughter and shipment for any purpose.