Belinda Stronach, the president and chairman of The Stronach Group, wrote a letter to congress in support of H.R. 2651, the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017. Frank Stronach, founder and honorary chairman of The Stronach Group, previously expressed his support for the legislation in April 2017.
H.R. 2651 would require that a uniform anti-doping and medication control program be developed and enforced by a private, non-profit, self-regulatory organization known as the Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority.
On June 22, the subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, part of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, conducted a hearing on the bill. The bill currently has 126 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.
With the addition of The Stronach Group's support of H.R. 2651, track associations and organizations that support the bill now represent 59% of all pari-mutuel handle generated and 63% of all graded races run for Thoroughbreds in North America in 2017. This group includes Breeders' Cup Ltd., Indiana Grand, Keeneland Association, and the New York Racing Association.
“Our sport will benefit greatly from a level playing field, uniformity and federal oversight,” Belinda Stronach wrote. “Presently, there are 38 racing jurisdictions with different rules, regulations and penalties. These inefficiencies are both ineffective and costly and compromise the integrity of our sport.”
Click here to read the letter in its entirety.
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