“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, owners, veterinarians and state regulators who comprise the sport. Only by working together can we make Thoroughbred racing safer for its equine and human athletes.”

The Annual Metrics Report provides stakeholders with key data collected in 2023 at 50 racetracks in 20 states as part of HISA's Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect July 1, 2022.

Highlights of the report include: accreditation visits to 21 tracks last year; creation of a centralized online database of horses and people involved in the sport, enabling treatment records and other information to be accessed by racetracks and officials across the country; a racing participant registration, which as of Dec. 31, 2023, had registered approximately 33,000 Covered Persons, 55,000 Covered Horses and 1,000 veterinarians actively involved in the daily and specialized care of equine athletes.

Other highlights from the report:

Racetracks operating under HISA's rules reported 1.23 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2023. That rate is down from the rate reported by The Jockey Club in its Equine Injury Database (EID) in 2022 (1.25 per 1,000 starts) and is lower than the national rate reported in The Jockey Club's 2023 EID (1.32 per 1,000 starts).

The Jockey Club's 2023 EID also shows that non-HISA tracks reported a rate of 1.63 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts.

In 2023, HISA reported 4.40 crop rule violations per 1,000 starts, which is down from 5.09 violations per 1,000 starts in 2022.

To read the complete report, click here.

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) is expected to release a separate annual report detailing metrics from the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program soon.

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At the time of the original Program launch Mar. 27, 2023, the platforms were only accepting tips related to ADMC Program violations.

Contacts to submit a tip:

• Phone Line: (888) 714-HIWU (4498)
• Text Line: (855) 901-TIPS (8477)
• Email: hiwutips@hiwu.realresponse.com

“Opening up HIWU's anonymous whistleblower platforms to those seeking to report potential Racetrack Safety Program violations in addition to ADMC violations strengthens HISA's uniform and efficient approach to safety and integrity in racing. It also simplifies the process for horsemen and industry participants seeking to ensure a safe and clean sport, which benefits everyone,” said Ann McGovern, HISA's director of Racetrack Safety.

The text and email platforms are supported through RealResponse, which provides safe and secure reporting platforms for athletes, teams, and organizations worldwide. The telephone platform is supported by Ansafone. Submissions are accepted 24/7, and whistleblowers have the option to volunteer their contact information if they are open to potential follow up from HIWU's investigators.

Examples of violations of the ADMC and Racetrack Safety Programs that can be reported include, but are not limited to:

• Use/attempted use, administration/attempted administration, trafficking/attempted trafficking, or possession of a Banned Substance/Method.
• Use of a Controlled Medication Substance/Method in a manner contrary to horse welfare.
• Evasion of sample collection.
• Tampering/attempted tampering with the ADMC Program.
• Falsified or improper veterinary records.
• Paper training.
• Use of buzzers.
• Improper use of shockwave therapy.

Tips that are specific to HISA's Racetrack Safety Program will be investigated by HIWU's Investigations Unit, which will submit reports to HISA to be handled by HISA staff, as appropriate. ADMC Program violations will be investigated and prosecuted by HIWU.

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The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), the independent enforcement agency of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, has reached arrangements with all state racing commissions and/or racetracks that will be conducting live racing on or soon after the implementation of the ADMC Program, which is anticipated to be Monday, Mar. 27, 2023. The laboratories that will be conducting testing under the Program have also been confirmed.

“HIWU appreciates the opportunity to engage with state racing commissions, racetracks, and laboratories in the implementation of a national, uniform ADMC program,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “We are confident that all our arrangements will facilitate uniform compliance with the ADMC Program to ensure its consistency and effectiveness.”

Once the ADMC Program takes effect, the following states and/or racetracks will continue to provide sample collection personnel services by utilizing their current staff, who will have been trained and certified by HIWU. Voluntary agreements have either been signed or will be signed before the first day of racing under the new ADMC Rules with the following entities:

Arkansas Racing Commission
California Horse Racing Board
Florida Gaming Control Commission, in cooperation with Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs
Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
Maryland Racing Commission
New York Racing Association (except Post-Race testing)
Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission
Will Rogers Downs

For the following states and/or racetracks, HIWU has either contracted directly with existing personnel or has hired its own sample collection personnel to implement the ADMC Program. There is therefore no signed voluntary agreement with the following entities:

Arizona Department of Gaming (Division of Racing)
Finger Lakes
Illinois Racing Board
New York Gaming Commission (Post-Race testing only)
Ohio State Racing Commission

HIWU is also engaging with state racing commissions and racetracks that are racing after mid-April and will announce those relationships prior to such time.

Laboratories must be accredited by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium to be eligible to conduct testing as part of HISA's ADMC Program, and must meet additional criteria determined by HIWU. HIWU has entered into contracts with the following laboratories to analyze samples collected under the ADMC Program:

Analytical Toxicology Laboratory (Ohio Department of Agriculture)
Animal Forensic Toxicology Laboratory (University of Illinois-Chicago)
Industrial Laboratories
Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (University of California, Davis)
Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory
University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory

“For the first time, racing's labs will be harmonized and held to the same performance standards nationwide,” said Mosier. “Thoroughbred racehorses will be tested for the same substances at the same levels, regardless of where they are located or compete.”

Lab accreditation will eventually transition to the HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory standards, which will not take effect before 2024.

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The anticipated implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) on Mar. 27 will strengthen equine welfare and enhance confidence in the fairness of the sport. Here are the top 10 ways HISA's ADMC Program will change racing for the better:

1. For the first time, rules will be uniform and standardized across all states.

The ADMC Program will bring all testing and results management under one central authority, ensuring greater transparency, accountability and consistent application across the country.

2. A paperless chain of custody and collection system will be deployed nationwide.

Sample collection personnel, who will all be trained and certified by HIWU on ADMC Program-compliant protocols, will utilize a paperless system via HIWU's new app, greatly reducing the current inefficient and time-consuming paperwork requirements. The app electronically records the entire sample collection process, and horsemen can receive an electronic receipt of their horses' test sessions via email.

3. Laboratories will be accredited, and their processes harmonized, enabling test results to come back faster in many jurisdictions.

All laboratories that will conduct testing under the ADMC Program must be accredited by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) and meet the performance specifications to enter into a contract with HIWU. This ensures all labs will be held to the same performance standards regardless of the state they operate in. The harmonization of laboratory processes will ensure consistency in every aspect – from the list of substances tested to the levels at which they are tested. As a result, horsemen can have greater confidence in testing results and assurance that any local, lab-specific factors are not affecting testing outcomes.

Laboratory result turnaround times will enable test results to be delivered promptly so that any procedural issues can be dealt with swiftly. The standard turnaround time will be no more than 10 business days after receipt of the samples for Post-Race test results and no more than five business days for Vets' List clearance test results – a significant improvement for many jurisdictions.

4. ADMC violations will be clearly divided into two categories with differing degrees of penalties.

HISA's ADMC Program explicitly divides substances on its Prohibited List into two categories: (1) Controlled Medications (therapeutic substances that are permitted outside of race day and other specific periods); and (2) Banned Substances (substances that should never be present in a horse).

The substances are categorized differently because HISA recognizes that they can have different effects on a horse and should result in different consequences. Violations involving Controlled Medications and Methods are categorized as Controlled Medication Rule Violations (CMRV), while violations involving Banned Substances and Methods are categorized as Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). Harsher penalties will be associated with ADRVs because Banned Substances are detrimental to equine welfare, often enhance performance and should never be present in a horse's body.

5. The national results management system will be managed by one central authority rather than a patchwork of local entities.

The results management and adjudication processes under the ADMC Program are organized specifically to avoid potential local biases and ensure swift and consistent outcomes for all racing participants. Under this system, all laboratory test results will be sent directly to HIWU, which will notify individuals of Adverse Analytical Findings (positive tests) and be responsible for the investigation and prosecution process.

Adjudication decisions will be made by the Internal Adjudication Panel (IAP) for CMRVs and the independent Arbitral Body for ADRVs – replacing the previous inconsistent adjudication processes run by state courts, state racing commissions, and stewards. Final decisions by the IAP and Arbitral Body can be appealed to a federal Administrative Law Judge.

6. Anti-Doping Rule Violations involving the presence, use, administration, or attempted administration of a Banned Substances will automatically trigger a Provisional Suspension of the relevant Covered Person, pending full adjudication.

This measure is critical to ensuring integrity in our sport and is a departure from the processes which previously allowed cheaters to evade accountability by exploiting the rule discrepancies in various jurisdictions, continuing to race as they filed appeals and avoided sanctions – including disqualifications – through lengthy litigation.

7. Testing will be intelligence-based so HIWU is able to effectively catch cheaters while using resources efficiently.

The ADMC Program will introduce an intelligence-driven strategic testing plan to be deployed uniformly across the country. Intelligence-based testing has proven effective in catching bad actors when used in other sports and jurisdictions. HIWU's operations team will take an interdisciplinary approach in its allocation of testing across the country with a focus on ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the doping control process.

The operational strategy will also be informed by collaboration with HIWU's investigations unit to incorporate and act on pertinent information received through its anonymous whistleblower platforms. Intelligence from “boots-on-the-ground” industry participants, including stewards and veterinarians, and continued cooperation with state racing commissions and laboratory/scientific partners will inform the test selection process.

8. A discretionary policy for positives resulting from potential environmental contamination is in place.

The ADMC Program's Atypical Findings Policy requires additional investigation in any instance in which a horse tests positive for a substance that has a higher risk of being present as a result of environmental contamination rather than intentional administration. If HIWU determines that the substance was present due to contamination, the test result may be considered negative, and no penalties will be issued.

9. More Out-of-Competition testing than ever before.

Under HISA's ADMC Program, HIWU will oversee the introduction of the first nationwide Out-of-Competition (OOC) testing program for Banned Substances. This extra layer of testing will weed out those who do not operate with integrity, deter others from doing the same and prioritize equine welfare year-round.

OOC testing will only regulate Banned Substances – not Controlled Medications. If a Covered Horse is located on private property, and the Responsible Person does not want sample collection personnel entering the property, they have the option to bring the Covered Horse to a location that is mutually agreed upon with HIWU e.g., racetrack, as long as the Covered Horse is presented at that location within six hours of notification of testing.

10. Investigations will be led by former law enforcement officers and seasoned racing experts.

HIWU's investigations unit, which will help lead the enforcement of the ADMC Program, is led by former law enforcement officials with considerable experience in the racing industry.

Naushaun “Shaun” Richards, who will serve as Director of Intelligence & Strategy, joined HIWU after a 23-year tenure with the FBI, where he initiated and directed the criminal investigation that resulted in the indictments of more than 30 individuals across the racing industry. Shawn Loehr, who will serve as Director of Investigative Operations, previously spent more than 27 years in California law enforcement, most recently spending nearly four years as the chief of enforcement and licensing for the California Horse Racing Board.

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The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), in consultation with HIWU, is preparing to submit draft regulations for the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for review ahead of implementation of the Program Jan. 1, 2023.

Mosier joined Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), the independent enforcement agency selected by HISA to operate HIWU and administer the ADMC Program, in 2010. He most recently served as Vice President of Business Development at DFSI and has overseen anti-doping programs for the National Basketball Association (NBA), the PGA Tour, Major League Baseball's Minor League Program, and NASCAR. Prior to joining DFSI, Mosier served as National Events Coordinator at the Kansas City Sports Commission.

Mittelstadt most recently served as Director of the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program, which became the first program run by a private, non-federation sports organization that formally adhered to the World Anti-Doping Code. Mittelstadt's career in anti-doping began in 2000, when she became one of the first employees hired by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and where she served for six years as Director of Doping Control. During that time, she was manager of Out-of-Competition Testing at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. She has since served in various capacities with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Association of National Anti-Doping Organizations.

Pujals, who served for over 20 years as a member of the NBA's legal department, most recently as Vice President & Assistant General Counsel. During her tenure, she oversaw the development and administration of anti-drug programs for NBA players, coaches, and trainers, and was a member of the NBA/NBPA Prohibited Substances Committee and the NBA Crisis Management Team. Pujals also oversaw the NBA's general litigation matters, internal arbitrations and investigations, and the development of the NBA Arena Security Standards. Prior to joining HIWU, she was the owner and principal of Tautemo Consulting, LLC, a legal and sports consulting firm.

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