Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit

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...

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...

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...

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) has issued a new list of horses that have been provisionally suspended for violating the rules regarding intra-articular injections and it includes Grade I winner Art Collector (Bernardini). The Paulick Report was first with the story. Under new rules put in place by HISA that went into effect in May, horses who have had an intra-articular injection are prohibited from running within 14 days of the injection and cannot have a published workout within seven days of the injection. Art Collector, who is...

by Bill Finley and Dan Ross A day after telling the TDN that it was not obligated to make public the names of horses who were ineligible to race or work because they were found to have had an intra-articular injection within seven days of a timed workout, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) reversed course Friday and published a list on its website of the 19 horses that were provisionally suspended. Horses that violated Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority (HISA) Rules 3313 and 4222, which cover intra-articular injection...

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...

Just a few days after the running of this year's GI Belmont S., the final leg of the Triple Crown was back in the news. With the Belmont grandstand set to be torn down after the 2024 spring meet and with the new stands not expected to be ready until 2026, the 2025 Belmont S. will likely need a home. And after hinting that the race could be run in Saratoga, the New York Racing Association was more specific when the topic was addressed early last week. When asked by...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program, which was expected to go into effect May 1 after twice having its start delayed this year, is reportedly now not going to be implemented for an additional three weeks, until May 22, according to comments made by Tom Chuckas at Tuesday's Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission meeting. TDN is attempting to confirm that news with the HISA Authority after hearing the new ADMC start date discussed at the meeting. Chuckas, the director of Thoroughbred horse racing...

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, which founded and manages the American Graded Stakes Committee, will accept the testing protocols and criteria administered by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit for graded and listed stakes races conducted in jurisdictions governed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. HIWU will assign TCO2 and Post-Race testing for these races at quantities and rates specific to each race. Racetracks will not be at risk of losing graded or listed status for their races if the HIWU testing protocols for these races differ from...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Integrity and Welfare Unit has launched anonymous whistleblower platforms that will allow Thoroughbred industry participants to submit tips about potential violations of its Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. The text and email platforms are supported through a partnership with RealResponse, the leading provider of safe and secure reporting platform for athletes, teams, and organizations, while the telephone platform is supported by Ansafone. "Our anonymous whistleblower platforms will empower concerned individuals to safely and securely alert HIWU to potential violations of the AMDC Program, including...

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...

The Golden State is the first jurisdiction in the country to sign a voluntary agreement with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) to continue performing a host of vital roles when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) drug control program goes into effect Mar. 27, according to a statement Friday by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). In another first among the nation's racing jurisdictions, the CHRB also agrees to pay HISA's 2023 fee assessment. The total figure for the state is more than $6.7 million. However, after...