Horseracing Integrity Act

Several hours after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) got introduced in the United States Senate on Wednesday, the co-sponsor of the existing Horseracing Integrity Act (HRIA) proposed striking all of the language of his existing bill and replacing it with the exact wording from the new Senate bill to create companion legislation that now reads the same in both branches of Congress. In a video conference mark-up session of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this newly amended version of the federal bill was then reported to...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is scheduled for a markup hearing by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 11:00 a.m. EST. U.S. Reps Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Andy Barr, R-Ky, will lead the markup hearing. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, announced last week he will introduce compromise legislation that will replicate several key provisions within H.R. 1754, also known as the Horseracing Integrity Act. It is expected the Committee will amend and approve H.R. 1754, allowing it to be taken...

Mark E. Casse, one of the newest members of the racing Hall of Fame, has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA). Successful in both the United States and Canada, Casse has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in Canada a record 12 times and was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame in 2016. In a statement, Casse said, "After much thought, I have decided to join the WHOA. I continue to be frustrated by the lack of uniformity in our industry, and I know that WHOA...

Dennis Drazin is a good man who has done much to keep racing alive in New Jersey, but his press statement released last Monday staggers the senses. The last paragraph of his statement reads, "I should also add that this indictment is particularly sad in that Jason Servis was my trainer. During my 45 years as an attorney, chairman of the NJRC, and racetrack operator, I have always advocated that cheating cannot be tolerated and I would never tolerate illegal conduct. My horses are being moved to Pat McBurney." This...

The Jockeys' Guild announced its support for the Horseracing Integrity Act (HIA). This federal legislation is moving through Congress and would create a national agency run by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the group that runs medication control programs for America's Olympic teams and others. "The Horseracing Integrity Act will give the industry the first uniform set of rules, including penalties and investigation standards," said Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild. "This bill creates uniformity and is the solution to create a level playing field, eliminating illegal drug...

On a day when the Washington Post's editorial board came out in support of the end of horse racing, Bob Baffert has written his own op/ed in the Post in support of the Horseracing Integrity Act (HIA). "Horse racing is experiencing the most profound crisis in the long history of the sport. To emerge stronger, we must act decisively to protect the horses who are the stars of the show; nothing else will restore the confidence of fans, gamblers and the general public. And that means federal action." The piece...

Three versions of proposed federal legislation known as the Horseracing Integrity Act have been introduced in the United States Congress over the past five years, and only twice has the bill advanced as far as the subcommittee hearing level, like it did last Tuesday. Whether you're for or against HB 1754, which would mandate an independent anti-doping and medication control program in our sport, if you're called as a witness, it's crucial to tailor your arguments as concisely as possible. That's because legislators hearing testimony in the Subcommittee on Consumer...

Witnesses from the Thoroughbred industry who testified Tuesday in Washington, D.C., at a legislative hearing on the Horseracing Integrity Act agreed that the sport is facing an unprecedented equine health crisis. But they were sharply split as to whether the current version of a federal bill mandating an independent anti-doping and medication control program was the best way to keep the industry from slipping into deeper peril. The most cogent argument repeatedly put forth by pro-legislation speakers was that racehorses, unlike human athletes, don't have a say in being administered...

The Consumer Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a major hearing today on the Horseracing Integrity Act (HIA) that brought together horse racing industry heavy weights and representatives from two major animal welfare groups to advocate for passage. Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) spoke at a hearing Tuesday in support of H.R. 1754: the Horseracing Integrity Act, legislation that would establish a non-governmental anti-doping authority responsible for implementing a national, uniform medication program throughout the sport. Tonko introduced the bill last year with fellow Congressional Horse Caucus...

The Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R. 1754), introduced last year by Congressional Horse Caucus co-chairs Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY), has officially received formal endorsement by a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives, with 226 Members now cosponsoring the legislation. The bipartisan bill authorizes creation of a non-governmental anti-doping authority governed by representatives of all major constituencies of the industry and responsible for implementing a national, uniform medication program throughout the sport. "After years working side by side with my friend Congressman Andy Barr to move this...

Sixteen prominent Thoroughbred trainers have expressed their support for the Horseracing Integrity Act via an open letter "to the Thoroughbred Community" sent out Friday. The trainers who signed on are: Tom Albertrani, Christophe Clement, Ben Colebrook, Gary Contessa, Arnaud Delacour, Janet Elliott, Mark Hennig, Kiaran McLaughlin, Shug McGaughey, Ken McPeek, Tom Morley, Graham Motion, Todd Pletcher, John Sadler, George Weaver and Nick Zito. The letter reads: "Horse racing is at a pivotal moment in its long history in the United States. The past six months presented a string of events...