ALBANY, N.Y — Ten horses died in the recent span of nine days at racetracks across New York, raising concern among animal-rights activists at a time when the sport has come under intense scrutiny following a series of deaths at a California racetrack earlier this year.

The deaths, both racing and non-racing incidents, occurred at four tracks between July 9 and July 18 — one at Belmont Park; two at Monticello Raceway; three at Saratoga Race Course; and four at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack.

Critics said the deaths were indicative of the dangerous industry.

"It's not unusual; it's built into the system," said Patrick Battuello, the founder and president of Horse Racing Wrongs, a non-profit organization in the Albany area seeking to eliminate horse racing.

A total of 50 horses, mostly thoroughbreds, have either died or been euthanized since Jan. 2 across New York's 11 racetracks, according to state data.

Thirty horses died this spring at a California track in Santa Anita this spring spurring a national debate around the sport.

Despite the recent incidents, horse-racing deaths in New York have been trending downward since 2010. The number of deaths per 1,000 starts is below the national average, according to the New York Racing Association.

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New York's Gaming Commission, which is tasked with regulating the racing industry, adopted new regulations in 2013 aiming to bolster the safety of the industry following a string of fatalities at Aqueduct Raceway.

A spokesman for the Gaming Commission said the agency reviews the circumstances surrounding each death and uses the information obtained to prevent future incidents.

Last Saturday, for example, NYRA shut down the historic Saratoga Race Course because of the high heat, the first time it did so in 13 years.

"We remain focused on being proactive when it comes to risk management at New York racetracks," the statement said.

A look at the numbers

The state is home to 11 racetracks — four thoroughbred and seven harness tracks.

Three thoroughbred tracks — Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct — are operated by the state's Racing Authority. The fourth, Finger Lakes in Farmington, Ontario County, is independently owned by Delaware North, the Buffalo-based hospitality giant.

The seven harness tracks are operated by casinos throughout the state, including Monticello and Yonkers Raceway in Westchester County.

New York has kept stringent records on the number of race horse deaths and injuries at all of its tracks since 2009.

A total of 1,357 deaths were recorded in the nine years between 2009 and 2018, or an average of around 130 deaths per year.

NYRA-operated facilities recorded 1.20 deaths per 1,000 starts in 2018, David O'Rourke, NYRA's executive director, said at a Senate hearing last month. The national average is 1.68 racing fatalities per 1,000 starts during the same period.

A spokesman for NYRA said the organization has invested in upgrading safety standards at its tracks, which, he said, are "safer now than at any point in recent memory.”

"Since 2013, NYRA has successfully implemented extensive reforms and made significant investments to modernize track surface analysis by upgrading relevant technology, equipment and facilities while providing veterinarians with the independent authority required to properly monitor thoroughbred health," Pat McKenna, the NYRA spokesman, said.

In a recent interview with New York Now, a statewide public television show, O'Rourke said the state is at the "forefront" of racing safety, but said eliminating racing fatalities completely is "not realistic."

"I thinking getting the number to zero is not realistic, but I think creating the safest environment possible is our goal and that's pretty much the commitment and cultural this organization is built around," he said.

Recent deaths

Since 2009, Belmont had the most deaths of any New York track, a total of 436. Finger Lakes was second at 397, but it also races many more days than any of the NYRA tracks.

For example in 2017, Finger Lakes had 142 race days compared to 96 for Belmont.

In three of the years, Finger Lakes had recorded the most equine deaths of any track: 43 in 2009; 62 in 2011; and 40 in 2013.

The most statewide since the state began posting its horse deaths online in 2009 was 213 in 2010, when 66 horses died at Belmont and 64 at Finger Lakes.

This year, Belmont had 21 deaths, while Finger Lakes had seven, including the four since July 9.

A spokesman for the racino said that despite the recent incidents, the number of deaths at the track has been 74% below the national average per 1,000 starts.

"Finger Lakes remains committed to providing the safest racing operation possible for its equine athletes and those who care for them," the statement said.

Saratoga Race Track, where the eight-week summer racing season began on July 11, has seen six deaths so far this year — three since the season began.

NYRA, the track's operator, did not respond to a request for comment.

The number of deaths is likely to increase as the season continues. The track has recorded 10 or more deaths every year except for 2011, according to data.

Improving safety

New York has sought to improve safety regulations for horse racing in recent years.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo convened an independent task force to assess the sport's safety after 21 horses died during the 2011-12 winter racing season at Aqueduct.

The task force issued a report with 39 recommendations — all of which were adopted by 2013.

Suggestions included improving the monitoring of racing surfaces and weather conditions, stringent drug testing and mandatory autopsies should a horse die during a racing.

An equine medical director was also appointed to ensure all regulations are being followed and to help further assess the sport's safety in the state.

"The benefit was very dramatic," Scott Palmer, a member of the task force who was later appointed as the state's equine medical director, said during last month's hearing.

The number of deaths reported at Aqueduct were cut in half the year the new regulations went into effect, Palmer said, and deaths at the state's thoroughbred tracks dropped 46% between 2011 and 2018.

"There was a complete change in the paradigm in how to manage racing injuries and who's responsible for them," he said.

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Issues remain

But Battuello said the new regulations have done little to improve safety at tracks.

He pointed to the 21 deaths that occurred at Saratoga in 2017, four years after the new regulations went into effect.

"There have always have been dead racehorses, and there always will be," Battuello said.

Battuello said he believes his cause has gained traction, particularly in the last few months where 30 horses died at the Santa Anita racetrack in California earlier this year.

He pointed to the closing of racetracks across the country and the decline in the number of thoroughbreds being breed each year as proof that the industry is on the decline.

He is planning protests at racetracks in 17 states to further bring attention to his cause.

Palmer, the state's equine medical director, acknowledged the sport was dangerous at last month's hearing, and said owners must be responsible for mitigating the risks by taking proper care of their animals.

"Risk is a part of our daily lives. Horse racing is a dangerous business, there's no question about it," Palmer said.