Cover Stories Winter 2000-01

Deaths and Injuries Increase Dramatically at Iowa’s Bluffs Run Race

Council Bluffs, Iowa: The rising toll of greyhound deaths and injuries at Bluffs Run Casino and Greyhound Park was the subject of front-page news in the Nov. 3 edition of The Des Moines Register. According to state records, 112 greyhounds were injured during the first nine months of 2000, including 18 dogs who died. Six of those 18 greyhounds died in September, the worst month for fatalities. The number of deaths and injuries are up sharply from 1999, when the track had 74 injuries and six deaths in the same nine-month period.
Sally Prickett, a state veterinarian at Bluffs Run, said, “This is a source of concern to everyone involved, and I think it is being successfully addressed.” Prickett said the deaths don’t usually happen on the track, but after a serious injury develops the dogs are euthanized. Prickett said the most common serious injury to dogs at Bluffs Run is a stress fracture in the right tarsal joint, a part of the lower leg known as the hock.
Antonia Russo, a longtime opponent of greyhound racing, contends the deaths and injuries are evidence that Iowa should get out of the dog racing business. “Greyhound racing is inherently cruel to these animals,” Russo said. “There is a dirty underside to what we are seeing up front, which is the fun and the winning tickets. This is not family entertainment. The true nature of the sport is being exposed here.”
Various reasons for the injury rate were cited, including the faster, more competitive greyhounds racing at Bluffs Run, the counter-clockwise direction of the race course, and the track design and racetrack surface. Verne Welch, the track’s general manager, said Bluffs Run’s high purses, which are subsidized by the track’s slot machines, attract some of the nation’s best greyhounds. These top-notch dogs run harder and are more injury-prone, Welch said. “These greyhounds are trained to win,” said Rory DeSantiago, Bluffs Run’s racing director. “They come out of that box and go into the straightaway at full speed. As they go into the turn, there is not one of them that will be denied. There are a lot of jams and a lot of collisions,” DeSantiago said.
Peter Muir, a University of Wisconsin veterinary scientist who has studied greyhound orthopedics, said greyhounds always race counter-clockwise and consequently all turns are to the left, placing more stress on one leg. Each time a dog rounds a turn on the racing oval, its weight shifts to the right rear leg. “The main problem involves the central tarsal bone,” Muir said.
Muir contends the nation’s greyhound industry can do more to maximize the health and welfare of racing greyhounds. He said he believes it is possible to achieve a measurable reduction in central tarsal bone fractures in greyhounds, but it would require research money and a cooperative effort within the industry.
A harder, faster track can potentially cause more injuries. “Bluffs Run has worked hard to improve the condition and consistency of the track surface,” DeSantiago said. The surface is composed of sand, clay, silt and water and tests are regularly conducted to check the density and surface composition, he said. However, heating coils under the track surface complicate maintenance. The coils, which prevent freezing in cold weather, make it difficult to grade the track deeply.
Harveys Casino Resorts, a Nevada-based company, took over Bluffs Run’s operations last year. Harveys had never managed a dog track, “but that probably isn’t a factor behind the increase in deaths and injuries,” said Jack Ketterer, the administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, because Harveys inherited experienced track employees.”
Bluffs Run officials told the commission they were working exhaustively to reduce the injury rate. “We remain committed to the safety and care of greyhounds at Bluffs Run,” said Lyle Ditmars, a lawyer for the track.
On Nov. 16, however, officials from the Bluff’s Run track told the commission that they would not renew the racing contract of kennel operators Arthur and Beverly Yates. Beverly Yates has been outspokenly critical of the track’s condition after 20 of their dogs suffered broken legs and another 10 to 15 dogs sustained other injuries.
The track’s decision prompted a protest from the Iowa Greyhound Association. “It is very suspicious that a vocal critic of the track’s condition hasn’t received a contract while the others have,” said Jerry Crawford, a lawyer for the association.
Ditmars denied that Bluffs Run officials have been vindictive toward any kennel operators and told state regulators the decision was based on a lack of competitiveness by dogs from the Yates kennel, which ranked near the bottom in race standings. “This isn’t anything personal,” Ditmars said.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commision declined to intervene stating it was an internal matter for the track's owner.

Source: The Des Moines Register. William Petroski