Advocates protest Santa Anita horse deaths during march in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Demonstrators held a march in Pasadena over the weekend for horses that have died at race tracks, including the dozens that have been euthanized at Santa Anita since December of last year.

Members belonging to the group Horseracing Wrongs walked the streets of Old Town Pasadena on Saturday dressed in black veils, carrying signs and cardboard tombstones as bagpipes played.

The march came on the same day that a 3-year-old gelding named Koa broke down during training at Del Mar race track and was euthanized.

Since late December of last year, 37 horses have died at Santa Anita race track.

The Santa Anita track owners and the California Horse Racing Board have enacted a series of new rules and procedures aimed at improving safety.

But the group behind the march, Horseracing Wrongs, says the changes don't go far enough and that horses are still dying.

"So, the goal is to initiate a phase out, so that horse racing will no longer be allowed in our state, very similar to what happened in Florida with Proposition 13 and the greyhounds," said Heather Wilson of Horseracing Wrongs.

Meanwhile, the California Horse Racing Board has come up with a new set of recommended reforms, following a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month.