California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed concern about the rate of fatal injuries at Santa Anita in a statement issued on Tuesday evening, calling for enhanced veterinary examinations for horses entered to race.

“I continue to be troubled by the horse deaths at Santa Anita Park,” the two-paragraph statement began. “Enough is enough. I’m am calling on the California Horse Racing Board to ensure that no horse races until they are examined by independent veterinarians and found fit to compete.

“As Santa Anita prepares to host the 2019 Breeders’ Cup in November, we must show the horse racing world that California puts safety first.”

It was not immediately clear what additional veterinary procedures Newsom would like racing to introduce. Currently, all horses entered are examined by veterinarians employed by racetrack or the racing board on the morning of races. In recent months, some horses have undergone additional examinations for soundness in the days before they are scheduled to race.

There have been 29 equine fatalities since Santa Anita began its current meeting on Dec. 26, including two last weekend.

Some measures have been implemented in recent months to increase examinations of horses scheduled to race or undergo workouts.

Beginning in March, Santa Anita enacted a policy in which trainers intending to give horses timed workouts must complete forms with the track’s racing office detailing which horses will undergo such exercise and when, allowing for racing officials to study race records of the involved horses.

Earlier this month, Santa Anita’s racing office introduced a policy in which private veterinarians sign pre-race examination forms before horses are allowed to rate. Veterinarians must sign the form which states the horse is “sound at the trot and I am unaware of any issues that would preclude it from safely racing.”

Newsom’s statement comes two days after Santa Anita rejected a request from the racing board to cease racing for the remainder of the current meeting, which ends on June 23. The racing board made the request to “provide the industry more time to fully implement announced safety initiatives and perhaps additional ones.”

Santa Anita officials indicated at the time they plan to continue the season.

Currently, the racing board cannot suspend a race meeting without approval of a track operator or without holding a public meeting with a 10-day advance public notice.”

Legislation that will give the racing board the right to rapidly suspend a race meeting for issues related to horse safety has been introduced in the California Legislature, and recently passed the state Senate by a vote of 38-0. The measure has been sent to the California Assembly, which has not scheduled a vote as of Tuesday.

Monday, California senator Dianne Feinstein issued a statement calling for The Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita, to suspend racing at the track immediately. Feinstein made similar declarations on two occasions earlier this spring.

“We need to take a long pause and do a thorough review of Santa Anita: the track, the practices employed there, what medicines are used, how horses are trained,” the statement issued on Monday read in part.

“We need to get to the bottom of what’s going on and why so many horses are dying. With only two weeks left in the racing season, there’s no reason to wait for more dead horses. Terminate racing at Santa Anita and do it now.”

Racing at Santa Anita is scheduled to resume on Friday for two three-day weekends.