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Tuesday, March 24, 2026Contact: Shannon Luce 859.224.2716
The Jockey Club Releases Data from the Equine Injury Database for 2025

According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database (EID), the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009.

Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow) and by Professor Tim Parkin (University of Bristol), who has consulted on the EID since its inception.

“The Thoroughbred industry should be very proud of the work done to improve the safety of its athletes and to know that the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club and so many other organizations are proving to be effective,” Parkin said. “A nearly 50% drop in the rate of fatality since 2009 is impressive, and it’s especially encouraging to see 8 furlong and shorter races at historic lows.”

Based on the 2025 data, 99.89% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.
Statistical Summary from 2009 to 2025
(Thoroughbred Flat Racing Only)
Calendar
Year		 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Rate 2.00 1.88 1.88 1.92 1.90 1.89 1.62 1.54 1.61 1.68 1.53 1.41 1.39 1.25 1.32 1.11 1.07

Key statistics from the 2025 analysis are as follows (figures represent the incidence of racing fatality per 1,000 starts):
 
  • By age
    • 2-year-old:        1.44
    • 3-year-old:        0.87
    • 4+-year-old:      1.10
  • By race distance
    • <6 furlongs:      1.07
    • 6 – 8 furlongs:  1.08
    • >8 furlongs:      1.01
  • By track surface
    • Dirt:                  1.13
    • Turf:                 0.87
    • Synthetic:         0.97

For trends of the EID since 2009, please visit jockeyclub.com/pdfs/eid/eid_17_year_tables.pdf.

Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 0.95 as compared to 1.14 for those that do not publish. In addition, racetracks in the U.S. not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had a rate of 1.21 per 1,000 starts. The 2025 racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to HISA rules was 1.04 per 1,000 starts, which aligns with the HISA data. HISA reports race-related fatalities after regulatory review.

The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported.

The list of racetracks participating in the EID and detailed statistics from those tracks that voluntarily publish their results can be found at jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Advocacy&area=11.

Throughout 2025, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.

The Equine Injury Database, conceived at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, was launched by The Jockey Club in July 2008 and seeks to identify the frequencies, types, and outcomes of racing injuries using a standardized format that generates valid statistics, identifies markers for horses at increased risk of injury, and serves as a data source for research directed at improving safety and preventing injuries.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. A New York not-for-profit organization governed by a board of stewards, The Jockey Club has offices in New York and Kentucky. Profits from the commercial subsidiaries of The Jockey Club support investments in initiatives to improve the health, safety, and welfare of Thoroughbreds and to market and grow the sport. Among its many supported initiatives are America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), OwnerView (ownerview.com), and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (tjctip.com). Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.