La Plata: Another Day of Canceled Races as the Crisis Deepens

The administration and the Asociación Unificada de Jockeys y Cuidadores fail to reach an agreement, and La Plata'sracing scene continues to suffer

LA PLATA, Argentina – The administration of Hipódromo de La Plata announced on Monday the suspension of Tuesday’s race card after failing to reach an agreement with the Asociación Unificada de Jockeys y Cuidadores. As the standoff continues, the crisis in the southern circuit deepens like never before. With more than two weeks without racing, the outlook remains bleak, as provincial lottery officials remain firm in their stance, insisting that injured jockeys and exercise riders be treated at public hospitals in Buenos Aires. On the other side, horsemen continue to demand access to private medical care—such as the Hospital Español. Neither party is willing to budge.

In a new statement, the track administration blamed the association’s "intransigence" for the cancellation and reiterated that the request for private healthcare "contradicts the guidelines upheld by this administration in conjunction with the Instituto Provincial de Lotería y Casinos de la Provincia."

However, this reasoning appears questionable, as countless private contracts exist between the provincial government and various entities. The refusal to secure private medical attention for jockeys—whose safety is constantly at risk due to frequent racing accidents—remains perplexing. The most recent and triggering case is that of Juan Ignacio Pintos, which further exposed the fragility of the current system.

Additionally, the racecourse announced that, starting Tuesday, jockeys and apprentice riders must visit the racing commission’s office to sign the proposed medical care and referral protocol in order to be eligible for training or competition. The statement warned that “those who fail to sign the agreement but engage in riding activities will face provisional sanctions, along with the trainer who assigned the mount.”

The measures are set to take effect on Monday, April 7, adding another layer of tension to an already contentious dispute. The Bosque is slowly fading away, with the government bearing a heavy share of the blame for its dire state. And for this and many other reasons…