Anti-doping and Medication Control

Proposed HISA Drug Control Program Rule Changes Sent For Public Comment

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) has sent a set of proposed changes to its drug control program to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for public comment. The proposed changes to HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program will be posted on the federal register. Historically, public comment has been for 14 days. It is currently unclear, however, exactly when the proposed changes will be posted to the federal register. After the public comment period, the FTC will then decide which proposed changes to approve or deny. Until then,...

[ Read More ]
Pimentals, Overwhelmed by Support, Get Help to Proceed to HIWU Hearing

The ruled-off trainer John Pimental said Wednesday that he and his wife, Diana, have been "blown away" by the support and offers of assistance they have received in the five days since a TDN story highlighted the life-altering ramifications of John's signing an "admission of rule violations" and "acceptance of consequences" document to settle Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) allegations stemming from a methamphetamine positive in one of his Monmouth Park trainees. While being served notice on July 28 of the meth positive, HIWU agents conducted a Monmouth barn...

[ Read More ]
HISA: No Specific Cause for Churchill Deaths; 'All Hands on Deck' Protocols in Pipeline

A months-long investigation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has determined that there was no specific cause for the 12 equine fatalities that occurred at Churchill Downs this past spring. The detailed study released Sept. 12, however, has yielded a newly created "strategic response plan" that HISA believes "will either contribute meaningfully to the reduction of equine fatalities or allow further study and analysis for future implementation if confirmed by the data." Speaking at a press conference that followed the release of the investigation's findings, Lisa Lazarus, HISA's...

[ Read More ]
Owner Rights Under HISA's ADMC Rules

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...

[ Read More ]
PARX-Based Trainer Joe Taylor Latest to Be Provisionally Suspended by HIWU

According to a posting on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) website, Parx-based trainer Joe Taylor has been provisionally suspended after two horses he trained allegedly tested positive for banned substances. On June 18, the Taylor-trained Cajun Cousin (Cajun Breeze) allegedly tested positive for Methylphenidate and Clenbuterol, both of which are banned substances. Two days later, Taylor sent out Classy American (Uncle Lino), who tested positive for the same two substances. Classy American finished second in a starter allowance while Cajun Cousin finished second in a $10,000 claimer. Cajun...

[ Read More ]
One Month In, HIWU Issues an Update

From the desk of Ben Mosier, Executive Director, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU): The last four weeks have represented the culmination of more than a year of planning and countless hours of preparation by the HIWU team to put forth the best national Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program possible for Thoroughbred racing. It has been incredibly rewarding to see HISA's ADMC Program get off the ground successfully. Through Sunday, June 18, HIWU-trained and certified sample collection personnel have collected samples from over 6,500 horses from more than 20...

[ Read More ]
HISA's Lasix Advisory Committee Set

Edited Press Release The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced the members of an Advisory Committee which has been convened to oversee a three-year study on the use of furosemide (also known as "Lasix") on horses during the 48-hour period before the start of a Covered Horserace, including the effect on equine health and the integrity of competition. The establishment of this Advisory Committee for the study of furosemide administration and the requirements of the study are specifically mandated and set forth in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act....

[ Read More ]
FTC: Latest Anti-HISA Suit Doesn't Come 'Within a Furlong' of Demonstrating Harms

The Arkansas-based lawsuit filed six weeks ago that is the most recent among five separate federal complaints attempting to derail the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) via alleged constitutionality claims was broadly rebuffed Monday in separate legal filings by the defendants in the case, who are executives with the HISA Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The plaintiffs, led by Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA, had asked a judge in United...

[ Read More ]
HISA, FTC Link Grim Headlines to HBPA's Desire for 'Status Quo'

In two separate court filings Thursday, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) both sharply criticized the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA)'s decision to seek an injunction that would delay the May 22 implementation of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program. What stood out was that neither the HISA Authority nor the FTC shied from trying to link the NHBPA's desire to maintain the "status quo" to the grim headlines that have dominated the sport over the past week. "Seven...

[ Read More ]
HISA Chief Lisa Lazarus Joins Writers' Room

On Monday, there will be a seismic shift in horse racing. That's when the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority will launch its Anti-Doping and Medication Control program and, in most states, will take over the responsibilities of drug testing and drug adjudications. With that date right around the corner, the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland brought in HISA's CEO Lisa Lazarus to give an update on what to expect once HISA takes over. Lazarus was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week.

[ Read More ]
Top 10 Ways HISA Will Change Racing

Edited Press Release The anticipated implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) on Mar. 27 will strengthen equine welfare and enhance confidence in the fairness of the sport. Here are the top 10 ways HISA's ADMC Program will change racing for the better: 1. For the first time, rules will be uniform and standardized across all states. The ADMC Program will bring all testing and results management under one central authority, ensuring greater transparency,...

[ Read More ]
HISA Q&A: The ADMC Program

Edited Press Release With the anticipated March 27 implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program approaching, it's increasingly important for all racing participants to understand how the Program will work. The following are HISA's answers to five frequently asked questions about the ADMC Program. How will the new HISA ADMC Program impact the lives and workflow of horsemen? The ADMC Program is designed to create centralized testing and results management processes and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.