In response to a lawsuit filed Thursday by former Santa Anita employee Michael Willman, Santa Anita Park management issued the following statement:
“The lawsuit filed by Mr. Willman is baseless and filled with false and misleading claims. Mr. Willman's employment with Santa Anita Park terminated in 2024, five years after the events he references in 2019, for reasons having nothing to do with racetrack safety. Santa Anita Park will vigorously defend itself against these meritless allegations and looks forward to setting the record straight in court, where the truth will prevail.
Santa Anita Park has been and continues to be the industry leader in horse care and safety reforms. As was widely reported in the media, last year Santa Anita Park concluded the Winter-Spring meet with a near perfect safety record of 99.7%, making it one of the safest racing venues in North America.”
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