HIWU

Alan Foreman, the recently appointed ombudsman on behalf of HISA's rules with a primary focus on the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, will donate all compensation paid to him by both groups in connection with his duties as ombudsman to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), according to a press release from the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority. Foreman is a leading racing law and equine attorney in the U.S. with expertise in medication, drug testing, equine safety and welfare. He is counsel to many horsemen's and racing industry...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. The TDN also posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These include decisions from around the country. California Track: Del Mar Date: 09/10/2023 Licensee: Antonio Fresu, jockey Penalty: One-day suspension Violation:...

Effective immediately, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) have named Alan Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations, Inc. (THA), as ombudsman on behalf of HISA's rules, with a primary focus on the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, both organizations released in a joint statement Wednesday. As the national ombudsman, which is modeled after the World Anti-Doping Agency's Ombuds Program, Foreman's responsibilities include: Serving as an impartial and unbiased resource for Covered Persons and other Thoroughbred...

Veteran trainer Dick Clark, who was based at Prairie Meadows this summer, has received a 90-month suspension and an $62,500 fine from the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). The lengthy suspension and the fines were the result of five different positive tests that occurred with horses trained by Clark from June 19 to July 24. He was suspended 18 months and fined $12,500 for each offense. Clark's suspension is the lengthiest one handed down so far by HIWU. According to the HIWU website, in each case there was,...

HISA released a request for proposals concerning research over the administration of furosemide to Thoroughbred racehorses during the 48-hour period before the start of a race, the organization said in a release late Tuesday. This research is required as part of HISA's Congressional mandate. The conclusions will be used to guide HISA's Furosemide Advisory Committee in its recommendations to their Board on the next course of action regarding the administration of the drug. Responses are due by Nov. 15 at 11:59 pm (ET). Questions pertaining to the process for submitting...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has released its proposed budget for 2024, totaling $80.96 million, including $38.7 million earmarked for the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), the drug testing arm of the federal program. The total fee assessments for the states and racetracks come out to $78.5 million, but available credits potentially bring that number down to $59.8 million. HISA's 2023 total budget was initially set at $72.5 million. That number was subsequently revised down to $66.4 million earlier this year. The proposed 2024 budget was issued...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) will host a Town Hall webinar Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET to address questions about the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. It will be the first webinar in an anticipated series to connect industry participants with HISA leadership. Both HISA and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) leadership will be on hand during the webinar to provide clarity on the ADMC Program's rules, regulations, processes, and procedures. The webinar is open to anyone in racing. Registration is now open and...

Last month, California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) chairman Greg Ferraro scratched a persistent industry itch. While discussing his thoughts on the rollout of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) drug control program, Ferraro shared his fears that the new federal rules on joint injections were weaker than had previously existed in California. "It's a step backwards," Ferraro said. And this regulatory reshuffle, he added, could lead to an increase in California of irreparable musculoskeletal injuries, especially of the fetlock joint. "California is the point of the spear in terms...

Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Chief Executive Officer Lisa Lazarus and Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) Executive Director Ben Mosier released a statement late Tuesday to address the rights of Thoroughbred owners under HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The statement appears below in its entirety: "In response to recently published misinformation regarding owners' rights under the HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, HISA and HIWU are compelled to again set the facts straight and reiterate our commitment to due process under HISA regulations. "Following an...

by Dr. Sara Langsam After having read Dr. Thomas Little's Open Letter to the Industry regarding HISA, I thought it was important to share a different voice and perspective. For the last 20 years, I have practiced as a private racetrack practitioner with one of the largest racetrack veterinary practices in the country. I agree with Dr. Little that private veterinary practitioners are a critical component of making sure horses are ready and sound for racing. However, I disagree with his views on HISA and its relationships with private practitioners....

by Brent J Malmstrom "Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people."-Thomas Jefferson I was made aware The Jockey Club published an article "HISA is Necessary" which appears to be a direct response to my letter to the Editor Actions Detrimental. I would like to thank all the various industry participants who have reached out in support of what I shared and the concerns which were raised. The Jockey Club is a breed registry. The author perhaps without knowing has acted as an agent for the Authority and or...

After a hearing before an arbitral body, trainer Jeffrey Poole has been hit with a 22-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after it was alleged that Poole possessed the banned substance Levothyroxine. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to make a payment of $8,000 to cover arbitration costs. Poole did not have a horse test positive for the substance. Levothyroxine, commonly known by the trade name Thyro-L, is a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid and works with...