事故多発の米名門競馬場、３日間で新たに３頭死ぬ

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米カリフォルニア州の有名競馬場サンタアニタパークにおいて、この週末に新たに3頭の馬が死ぬ事故が起きていたことが20日に分かった。（写真は資料写真）
　サンタアニタパークの関係者は、１９日に調教を行っていた４歳のせん馬（去勢手術を行った牡馬）が、事故で負傷して安楽死させたと発表した。けがの詳細については明らかにされていない。
　同競馬場では１７日と１８日にも合計２頭が死んでおり、２０１８年１２月から命を落とした馬の数は少なくとも４２頭に上っている。
　今回の問題を受けて動物愛護団体は怒りの声を上げ、より厳しい安全規制が導入されるまで競馬を中止することを改めて州当局に呼び掛けた。
　サンタアニタパークには約２０００頭の馬が在籍しており、米国最大規模の厩舎（きゅうしゃ）となっている。
　ロサンゼルス郡検察局は昨年、サンタアニタパークで馬が死ぬ事故が続いていることについて捜査を行った結果、犯罪行為や動物虐待の証拠は何も見つからなかったと発表した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/01/22-12:14）

California's famed Santa Anita Park faced fresh scrutiny on Monday after three horses died over the weekend at the racetrack.
Santa Anita officials confirmed that a four-year-old gelding which had been training at the track on Sunday had been euthanised after suffering undisclosed injuries in an accident.
The death came after two horses died in two days of racing on Friday and Saturday, taking the toll of horses who have died at Santa Anita since December 2018 to at least 42.
The latest deaths angered animal rights activists, who once again called for state authorities to suspend horse racing until tougher safety regulations have been implemented.
Three dead horses in three days requires immediate action, said Brooke Rossi, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
The California Horse Racing Board was recently given the authority, in legislation backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, to suspend racing, and now it must do exactly that.
There is no sense in the board allowing racing and deaths to continue until it enacts all its own pending regulations and acts on the recommendations of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. If it takes the closure of a track to stop the deaths, then close the track.
Santa Anita Park, which is home to some 2,000 horses, is one of the biggest horse racing training facilities in the United States.
Horses raced or trained at Santa Anita Park more than 420,000 times over the last year with a 99.991% safety rate.
Last year, an investigation by Los Angeles prosecutors into the deaths at Santa Anita racetrack found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing or animal cruelty.
The probe by the Los Angeles County Distric Attorney's office also said there was no evidence of injured horses being knowingly raced at Santa Anita or that the park had improperly pressured trainers and jockeys to race.
The investigation recommended that state regulators increase penalties for rules violations and establish a tip line to allow people to report suspected cases of animal cruelty or rules violations.
The report also called for mandated inspections of racing and training facilities as well as reviews of necropsy and veterinary records of horses that have died.