A third racehorse has died during the Summer 2022 season at the Del Mar Racetrack, according to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, raising the death toll during the year's first meet at Del Mar to three.
Three-year-old filly thoroughbred, Miss Sugar Hill, died of a sudden death, during training Thursday.
The California Horse Racing board confirms the death as not resulting from musculoskeletal injury.
A spokesperson for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club confirmed the death was not related to an injury suffered due to exercise or track surface.
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The California Horse Racing Board lists on their website that four horses associated with the Del Mar Racetrack -- Night Girl, Munny One, Show Your Cards, and Miss Sugar Hill -- have died.
However, according to Mac McBride, Media Coordinator at Del Mar Racing, only three horses died at Del Mar. The fourth horse listed, Show Your Cards, "actually died at the veterinary office at San Luis Rey Training Center and was not a horse related to Del Mar," McBride said.
"The horse is listed as Del Mar related, because it is the 'active meet' taking place closest to San Luis Rey, so [Del Mar] 'collects' that statistic," McBride added.
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Citing The Jockey Club's Equine Inquiry Database, Del Mar Racetrack claims to be the safest major racetrack in North America, mainly "due to a series of equine health and safety reforms and veterinary monitoring protocols," said McBride.
