October, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Texas Congressman Files Bill to Delay HISA Implementation to Jan. 1, 2024

Representative Lance Gooden (R-TX-05) introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives Tuesday that would delay the implementation date of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) from July 1, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2024.

“I speak for all our membership, whose livelihood is determined by horse racing, when I say introduction of this legislation is a welcomed bit of common sense,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA). “HISA's implementation so far has been inconsistent, contradictory, confusing, burdensome, and plagued by a failure to understand real world conditions. A reasonable pause giving horsemen in Texas and across the country time to work with HISA to fix these problems before any further harm is done serves everyone's interest. We thank Representative Gooden for taking this first step.”

“The Authority has created uncertainty and harmed the horseracing industry,” said Rep. Gooden. “State governments are best equipped to regulate their respective horse racing industries and I will not stand idly by while the federal government once again pushes a one-size-fits-all approach.”

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Dr. Michael Hardy Named Executive Director Of Racing Medication & Testing Consortium

Dr. Michael Hardy has been hired as the next Executive Director of the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium.

In his new role, Dr. Hardy will be responsible for the management of the RMTC's Laboratory Accreditation and External Quality Assurance Program in conjunction with the new Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit. He will also be charged with the administration of the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee process, the monitoring of emerging threats to the integrity of racing and the health and welfare of racehorses, administrative oversight of RMTC-funded research projects, and coordinating RegVet CE programs.

Dr. Hardy will lead the efforts of the RMTC to educate Thoroughbred racing participants concerning the significant changes in the regulation of anti-doping and medication control to begin Jan. 1, 2023 with the implementation of the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority ADMC program.

The RMTC selected Dr. Hardy based on his experience in developing regulatory safety initiative(s) for racehorses, management of pre- and post-race drug testing, research into emerging threats to the integrity of horse racing, and the regulation of horse racing in general.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Hardy on board,” said RMTC Chair Alex Waldrop. “He has been working with the RMTC for years now, and that will enable him to hit the ground running in this new capacity, at a pivotal time for the RMTC and the entire horse racing industry.”

Hardy also continues in his position as Chief Association Veterinarian, and newly appointed Safety Director for Horseshoe Indianapolis, and as a member of the Breeders' Cup Veterinary Panel.

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Moira Confirmed for E.P. Taylor

Moira (Ghostzapper), the dominant winner of this year's Queen's Plate over males, will start Saturday at Woodbine in the GI E.P. Taylor S. It will be her first try against older horses and her first on the turf. Trainer Kevin Attard had also been considering the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., a turf race at Keeneland restricted to 3-year-old fillies.

“The race is at home and at a distance of a mile and a quarter,” Attard said. “She had a work over the turf course [five furlongs in 1:01.20] on Saturday and seemed to get over it very well and looked comfortable doing it. Those were the factors that played into it. The Keeneland race was very appealing, but we would have had to ship and put her on a van. She does have some quirks, so we weren't too sure about that because no one knows how she would handle shipping or if there would be any negative impact from that. We thought it be a safer bet to stay at home.”

Moira, who is 4-for-5 lifetime, was an easy winner of the Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, beating her fellow Ontario-breds by seven lengths. Attard and the owners, X-Men Racing, Madaket Stablkes LLC and SF Racing LLC, decided afterward to pass on the remaining two legs of the series in order to give their filly a chance of winning a Grade I race. In her lone try in graded company, Moira was second in last year's GIII Mazarine S.

Attard acknowledged that the E.P. Taylor will be a tough spot for his filly.

“She's obviously taking a big step up in class and is facing older horses for the first time,” he said. “There is a bit of a weight advantage.

Being a 3-year-old facing older fillies she will get four pounds. But it's always nice to stick to your own age group if you can. At the end of the day there is no such thing as an easy Grade I.”

All five of the filly's starts have come on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Woodbine. Attard is confident the switch to the grass will not be a problem.

“I think she will handle it,” he said. “Her dam is Devine Aida (Unbridled's Song) and she was a stakes winner on the turf. She has a sibling that was a minor stakes winner on the turf. She's bred to handle the turf and she looked good working over it. The forecast looks good for this week, so it looks like we will get a firm turf course. That's something else we factored into it.”

Depending on how she fares Saturday, Moira could return in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“That is a possibility,” Attard said. “With the E.P. Taylor being four weeks from the Breeders' Cup versus three weeks for the Queen Elizabeth, that played into our decision as well.”

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Dr. Mary Scollay Appointed Chief Of Science For Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), which was established by Drug Free Sport International to administer the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, announced Tuesday that it has named Dr. Mary Scollay as its chief of science.

In this role, which she commences October 10, Scollay will oversee HIWU's Science Department, including the HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory accreditation program, and education efforts ahead of the ADMC Program launch in January 2023. She will also prioritize research development into Prohibited Substances while engaging with veterinary scientists, pharmacologists, and other experts in the Thoroughbred industry. Additionally, Scollay and her team will manage a Prohibited Substances database that will be available for industry stakeholders to use as a reference tool.

Scollay joins HIWU after serving as the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium's (RMTC) executive director and chief operating officer for three years. While with the RMTC, she directed the advancement of world-class laboratory drug testing standards, promotion of RMTC-recommended rules and penalties for prohibited substances and therapeutic medications, monitoring of emerging threats to the integrity of racing and the health and welfare of racehorses, and administrative oversight of RMTC-funded research projects and educational programs.

Before leading the RMTC, Scollay spent more than 30 years as a racing regulatory veterinarian, including 11 years as the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's equine medical director.

“Dr. Scollay's extensive experience in the areas of anti-doping rules, testing standards, and veterinary regulation in the Thoroughbred industry will make her a key asset to HIWU,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “We are fortunate to retain her knowledge and skillset as we prepare for the implementation of the ADMC Program on January 1, 2023.”

Named to HISA's ADMC Standing Committee in May 2021, Scollay has resigned from that responsibility to take on her position with HIWU.

“HISA represents the way forward for Thoroughbred racing, the only way forward,” said Scollay. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the sport during this transition, and I am committed to working with HIWU to deliver a best-in-class equine anti-doping program to the industry.”

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The ADMC Program, which will be effective as of January 1, 2023, will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across all American Thoroughbred horse racing jurisdictions that HISA governs.

HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential violations, and prosecute any such violations.

HISA was established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020 by President Trump and is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety rules and anti-doping and medication control rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission, HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility.

HISA is composed of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect on July 1, 2022; and the ADMC Program, which goes into effect January 1, 2023.

Drug Free Sport International is a worldwide leader in the sport drug testing industry. Drug Free Sport International administers comprehensive drug testing programs, manages national and international collections, develops drug testing policies, and provides educational services to a wide range of professional and amateur athletics organizations around the world. Its highly educated, experienced, and diverse staff is committed to quality, technical innovation, and maintaining the most extensive network of highly trained and certified sport drug testing collectors in the industry.

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