By T. D. Thornton
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday issued what it called a “final rule” that pushes back the start date for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety (HISA) Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program until May 22.
The ADMC program had been expected to go into effect May 1 after twice having its start delayed this year.
TDN had reported on Apr. 25 that this date change was in the pipeline. The switch was revealed when Tom Chuckas, the director of Thoroughbred horse racing for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, on Tuesday brought up the ADMC's latest delay during a Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission meeting.
An FTC press release issued Thursday confirmed the change.
“Today's new FTC rule notes that a recent federal court decision delayed the implementation of the Anti-Doping Rule until May 1, and the FTC rule also notes that further extending the Anti-Doping Rule's effective date to May 22 will ensure that the horseracing industry has sufficient time to prepare for the Anti-Doping Rule to become effective,” an FTC press release stated.
“The FTC's rule notes that the extension will also avoid the chaos and confusion that could occur if the Anti-Doping Rule became effective on May 1, during the lead up to the Triple Crown races scheduled during May,” the release stated.
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