Racetrack Safety Program

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's 2023 annual metrics report shows advances in the implementation of national uniform practices, the building up of the HISA Portal, which contains a broad spectrum of equine treatment and other health records, and driving collaboration and cooperation across the industry, the organization said in a release Wednesday. "Our inaugural annual report reflects our journey toward a safer, fairer and more resilient future for horse racing," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The success of HISA's programs relies on steady partnership among the tracks, trainers, riders,...

Edited Press Release The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has submitted proposed rule changes to its Racetrack Safety Program to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for review. A red-lined document noting these proposed changes is available here. The FTC will subsequently post the proposed rules to the public register for public comment. Until changes to the rules are approved by the FTC, the previously approved version of HISA's Racetrack Safety rules, which took effect July 1, 2022, will remain in place. Those rules are available in full on HISA's...

The Maryland Jockey Club outlined a change in the training schedule at Laurel to accommodate a maintenance project on the main track. Expected to take a week, depending on weather. the project is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Aug. 23. According to MJC Track Superintendent Chris Bosley, the work involves a section of the homestretch that was repaired in the fall of 2021. An inspection that was part of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Racetrack Safety Program, which began July 1, determined that the area requires further review. Racing at...

In the aftermath of a federal judge's ruling earlier this week that will keep the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules from going into effect in Louisiana and West Virginia while a lawsuit challenging those regulations is pending, the HISA Authority responded Friday with a series of legal actions that attempt to both reverse and clarify that injunction order. The most significant of the July 29 filings from the HISA Authority defendants was a notice that they are appealing Judge Terry Doughty's July 26 decision to grant a preliminary...

Dear Thoroughbred racing community stakeholder, We appreciate your assistance in spreading the word on the need to register with HISA before the Racetrack Safety Program takes effect on July 1, 2022. It has come to our attention that some users have recently experienced technical difficulties with the HISA registration platform. The primary issue has been with the two-factor authentication system that relied on text messaging, a standard measure to ensure an additional layer of protection. Our technology team has learned that, despite the success of earlier tests, HISA's text message...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved the proposed Enforcement and Methodology Assessment Rules in addition to the distribution of the 2022 cost assessments to state racing commissions, according to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Friday. The effective date for the start of the Racetrack Safety Program is July 1. "These developments bring us closer to fulfilling our mandate to protect the wellbeing of both horse and rider through uniform rules and accreditation standards," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The Racetrack Safety Program will expand veterinary oversight, impose...