The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) released its 2025 First Quarter Metrics Report, indicating improved safety statistics in Thoroughbred racing. The report highlights that racetracks under HISA’s oversight recorded 0.85 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts from January 1 to March 31, 2025. This figure is consistent with the previous year and shows a significant 37% decrease from 1.35 fatalities per 1,000 starts in the first quarter of 2023.

For the first time, HISA provided detailed data on the causes of fatalities, revealing that 94% were due to musculoskeletal injuries, while 3% were attributed to sudden death and other causes. The report also noted a training-related fatality rate of 0.73 per 1,000 workouts, with similar causes of death. HISA has begun issuing health advisories based on this data, including one focused on risk factors for proximal forelimb fractures.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus emphasized the industry’s progress in enhancing safety but acknowledged the ongoing need for vigilance, particularly in training environments. The report documented that 23,167 unique horses participated in workouts or races during this period, resulting in a combined fatality rate of 0.35% for the covered horse population.