LOS ANGELES _ The power of the California Horse Racing Board grew on Monday when the state Legislature unanimously approved a bill that would grant the regulatory body the authority to suspend or move racing days without a 10-day public notice period.
If this bill (SB 469) had passed a few weeks ago, the CHRB would have had the ability to shut down the last two weeks of racing at Santa Anita. After a 28th horse died at Santa Anita, Chuck Winner, CHRB chairman, and Madeline Auerbach, vice chairwoman, in a late Saturday night call asked Santa Anita to suspend racing for the remaining six days of the season. The track refused and, with a 10-day waiting period, the CHRB had no recourse. Now they do.
The bill has to be signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said he supports the bill.
"We must take action now to protect horses and jockeys, ensuring safety is always paramount in California horse racing," co-sponsor Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, said. "Because clearly, there is a problem here, and we can't sit back and do nothing. I appreciate my colleagues in the Legislature for coming together to pass this important safety measure, and I look forward to Gov. Newsom signing it into law."
The bill received bipartisan support.
