Oklahoma racing commission bars 171 horses amid post-race distress probe

The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission moved to shut down any immediate return for 171 Quarter Horses after investigators found an abnormal and materially elevated pattern of severe post-race distress at Remington Park. The emergency order, issued April 22, put every horse on the State Stewards’ List and made them ineligible to enter or compete until they met the order’s requirements and were cleared in writing by stewards.

That step came after the commission reviewed evidence, reports, video recordings, veterinary opinions and other material tied to horses that appeared in extreme distress after racing. Officials said the pattern was not a one-off. In repeated incidents, horses could not safely leave the track under their own power and had to be transported off the racing surface. The order also requires mandatory pre-race and out-of-competition testing, veterinary examinations, immediate post-race exams for any horse showing abnormal recovery or distress, production of veterinary and treatment records, and inspections of barns, stalls, tack rooms, treatment areas and other enclosure locations.

KFOR identified three trainers connected to protective orders filed by the commission: Josue Jacob Garcia, Jed H. Vane and Leonard Alcala. The outlet reported that nearly 200 horses showed signs of distress after racing, and that many of them needed help just to get off the track. News 4 also obtained video of a horse in distress after a race, and Kris Hiney of Oklahoma State University said the horse appeared to be in pain, with a lowered head, a stilted gait, stiffness and abnormal posture. Hiney said that kind of behavior was not normal after a race.

The commission said the exact cause of the distress remains unknown. It also said the problem appears limited and repeatedly documented with a select few trainers and stables, while roughly 3,000 horses compete at the meet and the vast majority do so without incident. If the investigation points to criminal conduct, the commission said it will refer the findings to the District Attorney’s office.

Daily Racing Form reported the horses came from three leading trainers and were placed on Remington Park’s stewards’ list after horses from those stables were vanned off following major stakes in March and the prior Saturday. KOCO reported that some of the affected horses were scheduled to race at Remington Park on April 23 but were stopped by the emergency order. Amanda English, the commission’s interim executive director, said the agency would act decisively to protect horses and would not allow any horse connected to the matter back into competition unless it is safe and humane to race.