Just a year after charting real progress in equine safety, Churchill Downs has again become a focal point for concern.

With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty skipping the second leg of the Triple Crown, NBC’s race segment averaged just 4.56 million viewers, its lowest Preakness audience since 1995.

At issue is nearly $2 million HISA says Churchill owes in back fees. 

 In many ways, the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Authority's full report on Churchill Downs' equine fatalities from earlier this summer is more of the same.

The reviews are for just two of the dozen equine fatalities at Churchill since April 27, and are posted publicly by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

The nation’s most famous racetrack will go dark for racing and training in the wake of a dozen horse deaths in just over a month.

An "emergency summit" called by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has concluded by finding "no obvious or specific pattern" for the 12 horse fatalities in a month at Churchill Downs, while imposing several additional layers of review for entries and handling breakdowns.

It's the first crisis test for HISA, formed in 2020 by an act of Congress. 

The national Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority said Monday it will launch an independent inspection of the racing surface at Churchill Downs and will hold an emergency veterinary summit at the track on Tuesday to discuss the deaths of 12 racehorses since late April.