HISA

According to a posting on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) website, top California trainer Phil D'Amato has had a horse test positive for the banned substance methamphetamine. The 4-year-old filly Thebestisyettobe (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) tested positive following an Aug. 1 workout at Los Alamitos. Before HIWU/HISA made changes to its rules regarding its Anti-Doping Medication and Control program, D'Amato would have been facing a suspension of up two years. Over time and in the face of criticism that it was charging trainers who had horses test positive for...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Nov. 6 issued an order approving the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's $80-million budget for 2025. The Authority's proposed 2025 budget garnered only three public comments after it was first submitted to the FTC on July 31 and subsequently published in the Federal Register. The public commentary period closed Sept. 12. According to the FTC's order, "Two of the comments were brief and did not address the Decisional criteria that the Commission must apply in determining whether to approve a proposed budget. A third,...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) board of directors announced Monday an important change to a controversial aspect of the federal program's enforcement approach. The HISA board have requested that the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) limit the circumstances under which they issue provisional suspensions. These are the temporary suspensions imposed before a trainer or other allegedly guilty party has had a chance to argue their cause during a formal hearing and relate to cases associated with banned substances. The announcement states that the HISA board has determined...

The racing season at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, AZ, which was supposed to open Saturday, Nov. 2 before an 11th-hour intervention from HISA, is now set to begin next Monday, Nov. 11, according to a joint release sent out late Sunday evening from the track and the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). On Thursday, Oct. 31, HISA issued a press release, expressing concerns over the condition of the racetrack surface. Track officials postponed the start of the season, and an inspection team from HISA was expected to be...

On the eve of the start of the 2024-25 racing season at Turf Paradise, track management announced late on Friday that Saturday's opening day card has been called off. "In order to address some final track maintenance issues, there will be no live racing at Turf Paradise on Saturday," the track's social media feed on X stated late in the day Nov. 1. The news comes on the heels of a Thursday recommendation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) that the Arizona track-which has a well-documented recent history...

Over a month ago, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) and the University of Kentucky issued their respective reports into multiple alleged management and operational failures at the university's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (UK-EACL) under the leadership of its former director, Scott Stanley. Earlier this month, Stanley issued a response through his attorney. He categorically denied falsifying results and claimed many of the allegations leveled against him were made without evidence. At the same time, Stanley criticized the logistical challenges of running a lab under HIWU's regulatory oversight, including...

The latest development in Jonathan Wong's ongoing case stemming from a June 2023 metformin positive saw him file a complaint against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority in the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division. Wong is currently serving a two-year ban under HISA. In the complaint filed Tuesday, Wong asserts the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) had threatened the immigration status of one of his intended witnesses before a prior arbitration hearing-something the agency denies doing....

Philip Serpe, a licensed trainer since 1984 who has maintained a nearly violation-free record while campaigning graded stakes winners up and down the East Coast, is fighting "banned substance" sanctions involving the alleged detection of clenbuterol in an Aug. 10 Saratoga Race Course winner he trained by suing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in federal court. Serpe's Oct. 17 lawsuit in United States District Court (Southern District of Florida) cites the purported unconstitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), "because, first,...

A contentious, years-long legal battle over the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) appears headed for a showdown in the highest court in the land. At the opposite ends of any future court ruling is one that could essentially impact just the future of horse racing, or one that could take a wrecking ball to various core pillars of modern life. Industry players' stance on HISA can probably be boiled down into three main camps: those who are in ideological lock-step with the new federal body of governance; those who...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 10/15/2024 Licensee: Michelle Hemingway, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication...

A legal filing made Tuesday by horsemen who lost a decision last month in a federal appeals court means there are now three separate cases involving the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) vying for the attention of the Supreme Court of the United States. A group of plaintiffs led by Bill Walmsley, the president of the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA, on Oct. 15 filed a writ of certiorari asking the Supreme Court to...

Edited Press Release At the conclusion of the first day of the International Jockey Concussion, Safety and Wellness Conference, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), in collaboration with Jockeys' Guild, announced that they are launching a major initiative to support jockey well-being. As announced by HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus and Jockeys' Guild President Terry Meyocks, HISA and the Guild have established a groundbreaking partnership with Onrise, a leading athlete-specific mental health company, to provide jockeys with easily accessible mental health care in their primary language. As part of HISA...