Association of Racing Commissioners International

Edited Press Release The Maryland Racing Commission, upon the recommendation of its Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, has approved a motion to modify a regulation on five corticosteroids to eliminate testing threshold levels and employ level of detection for the substances. The MRC took the action at its Sept. 23 meeting at Laurel Park. The change will be filed with emergency status and there will be public comment period. Given the regulatory process involved in rule-making, it is anticipated the update regulation will be implemented Nov. 1. The...

After a failed attempt last year to adopt a group of drug-related model rules that every other racing jurisdiction in the mid-Atlantic region has already implemented, the West Virginia Racing Commission (WVRC) on Monday voted 2-0 to advance to the state legislature new regulations concerning medication abuse and stepped-up penalty scales. The July 12 passage of new rules concerning clenbuterol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, intra-articular injections and the adoption of the most current Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list did not come without drama and several detours. In fact, much...

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) uninimoulsy voted to adopt two Thoroughbred-related medication rule changes at its May 17 meeting, although the exact timetable for implementation was not discussed. Pending official adoption of the new rule, clenbuterol use in Thoroughbred racing will be regulated so it follows the model rule proposal of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC). "Clenbuterol, a drug that is ordinarily used in horses as a bronchodilator to treat horses with lower airway disease, also causes a horse's body to build more muscle and reduce...

Association of Racing Commissioners International Chair Robert Lopez said today that the U.S. members of ARCI are focused on a smooth and expeditious implementation of the newly enacted Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. "We view this as an opportunity to achieve improvements we support and believe necessary," Lopez said. "Uniform rules, uniform testing, expanded jurisdiction over horses, and the creation of a multi-jurisdictional investigative entity are all tremendous improvements that will result from this law," added Ed Martin, ARCI's President. ARCI had, in the past, advocated a different path to...

The Cannabidiol (CBD) market is growing faster than a garden weed, and as the vast roots of this multi-billion dollar industry reach further into everyday life, it's hardly surprising that the racing industry has had to take accommodating actions. This can be evinced in a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) notification sent to trainers Friday, warning that use of these CBD products can lead to a positive "for CBD and/or CBD metabolites in blood and urine," and that, because CBD is currently unclassified in California, a positive would by default...

The Association of Racing Commissioners International has approved amendments to its Model Rules of Racing. Among the amendments are further restrictions on the use of clenbuterol in Thoroughbred contests and additional guidance for regulatory policy affecting ADW wagering on historic racing. The ARCI also amended its Totalizator Standards at the request of AMTOTE to provide some redundancy in the stop betting function utilized by racing officials to close betting upon the start of a race. The full updated version of the Model Rules document containing these revisions, as well as...

Jockeys will be prohibited from using the riding crop more than two consecutive times before being required to wait three full strides in order to give the horse a chance to respond under an expanded Model crop Rule adopted by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) last week. The modified rule tightens restrictions already in place but clearly says that any use of the crop to "urge" the horse must be limited. The new RCI Model Rule continues to rely upon the judgement of the Stewards as to when...

Citing lack of financial information outlined in its framework, the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) unanimously voted Oct. 14 to oppose U.S. Senate Bill 4547, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version (HR 1754) Sept. 29 by a voice vote. The Delaware Harness Racing Commission (DHRC) has also come out in opposition of the pending legislation, claiming the bill is an "unnecessary burden that could be potentially harmful to the entire horseracing industry." According to a release, the DTHC claims that unknown costs...

The University of Louisville (UofL) Equine Industry program launched the first-ever Racing Investigator Certificate Program Monday. The two-day program, an initiative of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), was conducted online, but the ARCI is working with UofL and the University of Arizona's Racetrack Industry Program to hold future programs in person. "The job of a racing investigator is a specialty involving knowledge not only of police procedures concerning interrogation and evidence gathering, but also of horse racing, the backstretch, and the horses themselves," said ARCI Chair Tom Sage....

Tony Chamblin, a longtime horse racing industry executive and ambassador for the industry, passed away peacefully Sunday at his home in Lexington, Ky. He was 81. Chamblin played an instrumental role in the passage of the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 and the Pari-Mutual Licensing Simplification Act of 1988, and later became an early supporter of federal legislation intended to align U.S. equine medication policies with International standards. He served in a number of executive capacities during his nearly 50-year career in the horse racing industry As chief executive...

The University of Louisville Equine Industry Program will formally launch the Association of Racing Commissioners International's Racing Investigator Certificate Program online Oct. 5 and 6.  Registration is now open at https://louisville.edu/business/payments/equine. There is an $80 fee to defray university costs associated with offering the program. "The job of a racing investigator is a specialty involving knowledge not only of police procedures concerning interrogation and evidence gathering, but also of horseracing, the backstretch, and the horses themselves," said RCI Chair Tom Sageof Nebraska, a former longtime law enforcement officer and racing...