By JEFFREY McMURRAY,
Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- The chief veterinarian of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission says eight horses died of racing injuries during last month's meet at Turfway Park. That figure is double the total from a year earlier.
Bryce Peckham disclosed the figures Monday during the commission's first meeting of the year. Several members of the panel demanded answers on what caused the spike in fatalities. A call by The Associated Press to Turfway president Bob Elliston was not immediately returned.
Peckham says Turfway's synthetic track has been reconfigured twice in the last two years. He says racing officials were also looking into whether Turfway's ban on a certain kind of shoes for a horse's hind legs also played a role. That ban was recently rescinded.
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