Four Join HISA Horsemen's Advisory Group

Craig Bandoroff, proprietor of Denali Stud, D J Stables' Jon Green, L&N Racing racing manager and part-owner Michael Levinson and trainer Todd Pletcher have been added to the HISA Horsemen's Advisory Group, the organization said Monday. The new members replace the outgoing Mark Casse, Tom Drury, Jr., Linda Gaudet, Fred Hertrich III, David Ingordo and Tom Robbins. The Horsemen's Advisory Group is a group of racing industry participants formed in 2022 to provide formal feedback to HISA's executive team and Standing Committees.

“I want to thank all of the members of the Horsemen's Advisory Group who are rotating off their roles,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “Their dedication and insightful feedback have been instrumental in tangible changes that have made HISA's rules better.

“As we welcome a new group of horsemen, I look forward to continuing our collaboration and further improving HISA's programs. Their guidance and input will be invaluable as we work together to uphold the integrity and safety of Thoroughbred racing.”

According to a release, the Horsemen's Advisory Group has been involved in suggesting meaningful changes to HISA rules that have been submitted to the Federal Trade Commission, including:

• Delaying any provisional suspension of a trainer until the B sample has confirmed the presence of a Banned Substance;

• Creating a new rule on the treatment of human drugs of abuse, such as methamphetamine, cocaine, THC, and oxycodone, which caps sanctions at 60 days, with the possibility to reduce the sanction even further;

• Re-classifying Altrenogest from a Banned Substance to a Controlled Medication;

• Allowing unsupplemented isotonic electrolyte solutions by oral or intravenous administration up to 24 hours before post time;

• Eliminating suspensions for violations related to working a horse within seven days of an intraarticular injection;

• Treating the first positive vets' list sample for a Controlled Medication as a warning and reducing the penalty for ulcer medication in vets' list samples from a sanction to a warning, and;

• Allowing a four-millimeter hind leg traction for horses racing on dirt.

The Horsemen's Advisory Group has been instrumental in helping foster an industry-wide focus on advancing equine and human safety, the release says. For example, the Horsemen's Advisory Group prompted HISA to reach out to sales companies to involve them in strengthening anti-doping and medication control policies for horses at the major auctions. They also played a role in the appointment of an ombudsman to help horsemen navigate the ADMC Program.

The Horsemen's Advisory Group contains 18 members and represent a variety of viewpoints from across the industry. Its membership includes trainers, owners, veterinarians, backstretch employees, and representatives of racing offices and aftercare initiatives. The full list of the Horsemen's Advisory Group members can be found here.