Mott: HISA ‘Making A Federal Crime’ Of Working Art Collector Too Early

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has expressed his frustration over what he calls a “mistake” with the schedule of Grade 1 winner Art Collector, reports bloodhorse.com.

According to records released by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), the enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), the 6-year-old Art Collector received an intra-articular injection on June 21. HISA regulations restrict both workouts and races for horses which have received intra-articular injections; they must be 7 days out from a work, and 14 days from a race.

Mott worked Art Collector on June 26 at Saratoga, landing the Grade 1 winner on a list of provisionally suspended horses which would be ineligible to race or breeze for 30 days from the date of injections.

“I worked the horse one day early; I didn't even give it a second thought,” Mott told bloodhorse.com. “I was not supposed to work him for one more day and now they are making a federal crime out of it? It's an easy mistake to make. I breezed the horse one day early. … I am looking at the horse. I'm trying to be a horse trainer.”

(Per an advisory issued Thursday morning by the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Mott actually worked Art Collector two days early. The horse was injected on a Wednesday, and was not eligible to work until the following Wednesday, but Mott breezed him on Monday.)

Art Collector has not worked since June 26 at Saratoga, but had been expected to run in the $400,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park July 22, one day after the end of his provisional suspension. Mott told bloodhorse.com that the horse had come up with a hoof abscess “three or four days ago” and thus had not been entered.

Now, the plans calls for Art Collector to defend his two-year reign over the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) on Aug. 25.

“I am all for uniform rules and regulations, but uniform rules and regulations that make sense,” Mott told bloodhorse.com. “All of a sudden, they throw out all this stuff that doesn't make any sense at all.”

There has been significant confusion over the intra-articular injection rule, HISA admitted earlier this month. Rather than sanction the group of confused trainers with the initial punishment listed in the regulations, a 60-day suspension, HISA opted to suspend the horses from racing or breezing for 30 days.

However, beginning on July 16, HISA will begin utilizing new enforcement protocols announced earlier this week.

“Effective July 16, HIWU will sanction the responsible person of any covered horse that violates the prohibition on intra-articular injections within seven days prior to a timed and reported workout as follows (within a 365-day rolling period):

1st violation: $3,000 fine.
2nd violation: $6,000 fine, 10-day suspension.
3rd violation: $10,000 fine, 30-day suspension.
4th violation: $20,000 fine, 60-day suspension.
5th violation: $25,000 fine, 120-day suspension.”