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Many in the crowd that packed Churchill Downs for last year's Kentucky Derby left in tears and questioning the safety of horse racing after two horses died that day. Ten more died in the days surrounding the race. As a result, the track made several changes to its safety program ahead of Saturday's 150th Derby. There are more veterinarians on site and out-of-competition testing. The track's dirt surface is now deeper and more cushiony, although multiple investigations found no single factor caused the spate of deaths. Every horse racing at Churchill also has a biometric sensor to help spot signs of a potential injury.
