Lisa Lazarus

When two members of Gulfstream Park's security team and a veterinarian descended on his barn on the morning of June 2, the 62-year-old trainer Jeff Poole didn't think he had anything to worry about. According to the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Regulatory Rulings website, Poole, who has been training since 1989, had never had a violation of any kind. And his recent record--he had won 11 races combined since 2021--hardly suggested that he was a trainer who was taking an edge. Even when investigators found in his office a tube of...

HISA is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to apply data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence with the goal of enhancing equine safety by analyzing the factors contributing to injuries, the organization said in a release Wednesday morning. Representatives of HISA and AWS--along with a group of Thoroughbred trainers, veterinarians and industry technologists--met at AWS offices in Nashville last month for an Equine Health Innovation Workshop. The meeting focused on using data and technology to determine which interventions, such as specific changes to HISA's rules or the introduction of...

For the last several days, I have been thinking about the best way to respond to Friday's article by T.D. Thornton about Mr. and Mrs. Pimental. The story was disturbing to read, both because of the human story and the picture it paints of the organization I manage. First, it is impossible to not feel tremendous empathy for what the Pimentals are experiencing. Second, the article implied that HISA and HIWU are devoid of concern for regular horsemen, are looking to wipe out smaller training operations, and are ignorant to...

Dear Thoroughbred racing participants, I want to thank everyone in racing who continues to do their part to promote HISA rule compliance to help advance our sport. HISA is proud of and encouraged by the progress we have made in the first five months of our Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, as well as the safety improvements we've seen across the country under U.S. Thoroughbred racing's first-ever uniform regulations. We continue to make the sport safer for our athletes while also making the rules clearer and more efficient for...

Officials at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council have been appointed. An inaugural meeting of the new groups will take place Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Columbia University in New York City. The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with a collective goal of driving research, programming, and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. The steering committee members are as follows: Ambassador Earle Mack; Denali Stud's Craig...

A bill that would repeal the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and replace it with a voluntary interstate compact to govern the nation's Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing is about to be introduced in Congress. The Republican Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins on Tuesday announced his intention to file the Racehorse Health and Safety Act (RHSA). The bill would establish a governing body known as the Racehorse Health and Safety Organization (RHSO), which would oversee breed-specific Scientific Medication Control Committees tasked with drafting and recommending drug rules for each...

Dear Thoroughbred racing participants, HISA's most important mission is to protect the health and wellbeing of the horses participating in Thoroughbred racing. Over the past few months, the challenges of that mission--and the critical importance of it--have never been more apparent. The events at Churchill Downs, Laurel Park and Saratoga Race Course this spring and summer were a sobering reminder that we must further prioritize creating a culture of safety and an ecosystem of care that takes into account all factors contributing to equine fatalities. And it is the responsibility...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has named Anjali Salooja Director of Operations and Compliance, the organization said in a release Thursday. Salooja will oversee all compliance systems and procedures for the organization, ensuring HISA remains compliant with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act at all times. She will also provide daily operational and long-term planning support for new initiatives designed to promote equine and jockey health and safety. "We couldn't be more pleased to welcome someone of Anjali's talent and experience to HISA," said CEO Lisa Lazarus. "Her...

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...

Edited Press Release A new Track Surface Advisory Group, comprised of members who will be deployed by HISA to analyze dirt, turf and synthetic surface consistency at Thoroughbred racetracks across the U.S., was formed Thursday. "This Group is crucial to ensuring that HISA can support local experts working to make the surfaces on which Thoroughbreds compete as safe as possible," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "HISA is committed to using all resources at its disposal to help tracks under our jurisdiction meet our Racetrack Safety standards. This group of track...

The second annual Horse Racing Women's Summit, to be held Sept. 27-29 at Santa Anita, will include three panel discussions, morning and luncheon keynotes and a Friday morning workshop. Zoe Cadman, XBTV and 1/ST RACING Host and Analyst, will serve as the emcee for the event, which will kick off with a keynote from Reagan Cannon, an international leadership speaker and coach. Following the morning keynote, leaders at the front line of industry change will gather for a discussion on the State of the Industry, moderated by Millie Ball, XBTV...

Editor's note: This is the latest in a series in the TDN to help industry members better understand the procedures under the new HISA and HIWU regulations. TDN: Please explain the rules on what happens during a Provisional Suspension. Are my employees still allowed to care for my horses? Can my assistant trainer be in charge? Or do I have to have them moved to an entirely new barn with new help? HISA:It is true that there have been some changes in the procedures surrounding a Provisional Suspension, along with...