horseracing integrity and safety act | Horse Racing Free Tips

TIF: Federal Bill Funding Cannot Come From Horseplayers

by Thoroughbred Idea Foundation

Editor’s note: The following open letter to the industry was submitted by the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, a think tank and advocacy group which aims to improve the sport of Thoroughbred racing for all stakeholders.

The passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) would signal a prominent turning point for Thoroughbred racing in America.

Regardless of where one has stood on the merits of the legislation over the years, its passage will bring to an end a generation of discord between industry participants, enabling our greater industry the opportunity to focus on long-ignored advancements to better secure the sustainability of horse racing.

At its heart, racing exists because of horse owners and breeders investing in Thoroughbreds and horseplayers wagering on them. Policies which hinder participation, of horseplayers or through ownership, stunt industry growth, and are in opposition to the mission of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, which seeks to grow participation through these two key groups. We want racing’s overall “pie” to grow, but without horse owners and horseplayers voluntarily choosing to participate in the sport, racing would be would be a shell of itself.

The HISA will yield a federally recognized organization to facilitate doping control within the sport while bringing more constituencies under the regulatory fold. Upon its passage, substantial planning and execution will still be required, including identifying the funding mechanism for individual states’ participation in HISA-created programs. The path forward to paying for these programs remains unclear.

In some states, wagering is a main source of funding for racing commissions to regulate the sport. Should HISA programs increase costs to states–a reasonable expectation–it is possible they, in concert with other stakeholder groups, could turn to wagering channels to increase revenues.

This would be a gross miscalculation.

While HISA has earned support because of the undoubted need for racing to be proactive in maintaining its social license to operate, the programs associated with the bill should not be built on the backs of horseplayers.

The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation advocates for sound policies which encourage wagering, racing’s most sustainable source of funding. These policies include reducing bet pricing, modernizing wagering technology and integrity measures, increased transparency and reporting standards as well as introducing fixed-odds betting to complement pari-mutuel wagering.

Increasing costs to horseplayers is a counterproductive measure for the industry, and thus, any increases in bet pricing to pay for the programs associated with the HISA should be a non-starter.

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Thoroughbred Idea Foundation: Federal Bill Funding Cannot Come From Horseplayers

The passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) would signal a prominent turning point for Thoroughbred racing in America.

At its heart, racing exists because of horse owners and breeders investing in Thoroughbreds and horseplayers wagering on them. Policies which hinder participation, of horseplayers or through ownership, stunt industry growth, and are in opposition to the mission of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, which seeks to grow participation through these two key groups. We want racing's overall “pie” to grow, but without horse owners and horseplayers voluntarily choosing to participate in the sport, racing would be would be a shell of itself.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act will yield a federally-recognized organization to facilitate doping control within the sport while bringing more constituencies under the regulatory fold. Upon its passage, substantial planning and execution will still be required, including identifying the funding mechanism for individual states' participation in HISA-created programs. The path forward to paying for these programs remains unclear.

In some states, wagering is a main source of funding for racing commissions to regulate the sport. Should HISA programs increase costs to states – a reasonable expectation – it is possible they, in concert with other stakeholder groups, could turn to wagering channels to increase revenues.

This would be a gross miscalculation.

The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation advocates for sound policies which encourage wagering, racing's most sustainable source of funding. These policies include reducing bet pricing, modernizing wagering technology and integrity measures, increased transparency and reporting standards as well as introducing fixed odds betting to complement pari-mutuel wagering.

Increasing costs to horseplayers is a counterproductive measure for the industry, and thus, any increases in bet pricing to pay for the programs associated with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act should be a non-starter.

Below, please see more from the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation's Wagering & Integrity Issues Steering Committee, presented by committee member Jonathon Kinchen.

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Casse: Kentucky, Louisiana Need To ‘Get On Board’ With Clenbuterol Restrictions

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse shared his thoughts on this year's new clenbuterol restrictions with the Thoroughbred Daily News on Tuesday. First, he said he was pleased with the new policies implemented at Woodbine this year, and lauded the Mid-Atlantic region, Oaklawn, and Gulfstream Park for adding restrictions for 2021.

“As a result, we have seen almost none of the nonsensical form reversals that had haunted us in the past at Woodbine in 2020,” Casse told the TDN.

Still, there are several major racing jurisdictions that have yet to change their policies, Casse lamented.

“My question is, what is taking Kentucky and Louisiana so long to get on board?” he said. “I am very disappointed that we ran the recent Breeders' Cup series at Keeneland with the same Clenbuterol rules that have failed us in the past. In life and horse racing, there are not many things I am certain of, but one thing I am positive about is the need for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act to be passed by the Senate. Because only when we have national uniformity of medication rules will inequities of this patchwork quilt that has plagued the sport be solved.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Adds New Reforms To Platform

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition announced on Thursday the addition of eight medical and operational reforms to its platform in its latest move to ensure that equine and human athletes are racing under the safest and most transparent conditions possible. The Steering Committee, which is made up of executives from the Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Association, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Stronach Group, voted unanimously to adopt the reforms with the ultimate goal of uniform implementation across racing jurisdictions.

The Coalition also recently participated in the drafting of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and continues to fully support its passage, which would codify a standard set of rules and protocols to make racing safer and more transparent across state racing jurisdictions. In addition to the national legislation, the Coalition believes the work to advocate for these reforms at the state level must persist.

“As today's announcement and recent progress make clear, the Coalition's important work to ensure the wellbeing of our athletes has continued despite the challenging circumstances our industry and our nation have faced this year. The new reforms will go a long way toward increasing our collective ability to identify at-risk horses before they set foot on a track and protect the integrity of our sport,” said Coalition Strategic Advisor Donna Brothers.

The following reforms have been added to the Coalition's platform:

Strengthen race entry and eligibility requirements;
Work with state racing commissions to apply racing regulations surrounding prohibited substances and restrict selected therapeutic substances in proximity to high-speed works;
Prohibit the administration of external treatments, therapies and musculoskeletal manipulation within at least 24 hours of a race;
Work with state racing commissions to implement a clenbuterol prohibition in racing and training along with reporting/procedural requirements as outlined by the RMTC;
Strengthen requirements for removing horses from the Veterinarians' List;
Adopt a waiver claiming option for horses coming off an extended layoff;
Require implementation of an emergency track warning system; and
Modify racetrack on and off gaps to increase horse and rider safety.

“The industry must be wholly committed to horse safety and welfare in racing and training, and that includes the racing organizations,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at The Stronach Group. “These additional reforms codify the measures many tracks have already undertaken to best protect our horses.”

“The ability to work with my colleagues and counterparts at other Coalition tracks on a regular basis has enabled us to share best practices and build upon one another's experiences and findings related to Thoroughbred safety, which is evident in the reforms we announced today,” said Dr. Stuart Brown, Equine Safety Director at Keeneland. “This level of collaboration ensures that the uniform safety reforms that the Coalition is advocating for are proven and effective solutions.”

“The safety of our athletes must be everyone's top priority, and the adoption of uniform rules and standards reinforces our commitment to the wellbeing of our horses,” said Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director at Churchill Downs Incorporated. “As our respective organizations advocate for or, where applicable, use house rules to implement the Coalition reform platform, the collective culture of safety within our industry continues to grow.”

The Coalition's Advisory Committee members – the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), along with Industry Supporter members Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Stonestreet Farm and the University of Kentucky – supported the development of the reforms and will continue to be instrumental in the Coalition's efforts to advocate for their adoption at the regulatory level.

The Coalition Steering Committee continues to convene on a regular basis to discuss issues and ideas relating to equine safety and the integrity of the sport. These meetings bring together Thoroughbred racing's most prominent tracks and organizations in the U.S. in a manner that is unprecedented – but much needed – in the racing industry. The collaborative framework built by the Coalition has also enabled members to work together, in coordination with other stakeholders, to support the racing and local communities and to bring back live racing safely and responsibly amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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