Despite 2 more horse deaths, California's Santa Anita racetrack refuses to close

Santa Anita Park has rejected a request from the California Horse Racing Board to cancel the remainder of its season, following the deaths of 29 horses at the track since Dec. 26.

There are six days of racing left in the season, the Los Angeles Times reports, but management at the track "believes that for a variety of reasons, the future of California racing is best served by continuing to race," the board said in a statement. The California Horse Racing Board is a regulatory agency, and cannot immediately suspend or cancel races without a track's approval. Activists have also been calling on the park to close so investigators can figure out what is causing so many deaths.

After the 22nd death, the park suspended races on March 5 for track testing and evaluation, reopening on March 29. The most recent deaths took place over the weekend, with Formal Dude, a 4-year-old gelding, euthanized on Saturday after being injured during a dirt race, and Truffalino, a 3-year-old filly, dying suddenly during a race on Sunday. The Times reports that while the first several fatalities involved injuries to a horse's front legs, since May 17, four of the six deaths have been related to pelvis or shoulder injuries.

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