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Revolutionary Racing Kentucky Breaks Ground On New Quarter Horse Track

Joined by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, dozens of state and local officials and hundreds of supporters, Revolutionary Racing Kentucky broke ground Friday on what will be a world-class Quarter Horse track, equestrian center and entertainment complex.

The $55-million investment in eastern Kentucky is expected to create hundreds of union construction jobs over the next year and, when complete, more than 200 good-paying, full-time positions. The track is expected to open for the 2024 racing season.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to take this step and we are excited about what this means to the people of eastern Kentucky,” said Larry Lucas, chairman of Revolutionary Racing Kentucky. “This investment will create jobs, bring in new tax revenues and make Boyd County a destination for horse owners and racing fans from around the country.”

State Sen. Robin Webb, as well as State Reps. Danny Bentley, Scott Sharp, Adam Koenig, Patrick Flannery and Bobby McCool, were among those joining Gov. Beshear at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“Congratulations to Larry Lucas and the entire Revolutionary Racing team on this game-changing milestone,” Gov. Beshear said. “This $55-million investment will help build the future of horse racing in Kentucky, and it will create great jobs for our people in Ashland, adding even more economic momentum to what the commonwealth is seeing as a whole. Companies are betting their futures on Kentucky because of our world-class workforce.”

Also taking part in Friday's ceremony were Revolutionary Racing Kentucky's strategic partners Keeneland Association and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is grateful for the opportunity to be a strategic partner with the great state of Kentucky and the good people of Ashland to bring employment opportunities and economic development to the region,” said Richard Sneed, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

In July, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission awarded Revolutionary Racing Kentucky the Commonwealth's ninth and final horse racing license. Set to be built on nearly 200 acres in Boyd County, near Ashland, it will serve as Kentucky's only track dedicated to Quarter Horses. It will feature a 660-yard sprint track and daily purses of $500,000, placing it among the premier quarter horse racing tracks in the nation.

And while racing will serve as its centerpiece, plans call for year-round use for Quarter Horse shows and competitions, as well as an adjacent entertainment complex. Those investments will help generate nearly $1 million in new local tax revenues each year.

“We welcome this substantial investment in horse racing because of what it will mean to so many Kentucky families and small businesses,” said David Osborne, Kentucky Speaker of the House and a respected leader in the horse racing industry. “This investment is the direct result of the legislature's work to cement Kentucky's place as the horse capital of the world. Without a doubt it will translate into jobs and local economic growth, while providing Kentucky's quarter horse enthusiasts with a world-class facility to race and show. Today we break ground, but this track will benefit the region for generations.”

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Global Symposium On Racing Will Host Leaders Of HISA, HIWU

Representatives from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) will be on hand to engage with leaders in the horse racing industry when the 48^th Annual Global Symposium on Racing convenes December 5-7, 2022, in Tucson, Arizona.

Held at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, the Symposium agenda features a presentation on HISA's 2023 outlook from HISA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Lazarus on Tuesday, December 6, as well as a panel discussion with members of HISA's and HIWU's teams on Wednesday, December 7, to discuss HISA's Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. In May, HISA announced that it had contracted Drug Free Sport International to establish an independent enforcement agency for the ADMC Program, which resulted in the development of HIWU.

During Wednesday's session, HISA's panelists will describe successes and challenges thus far in the implementation of the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect July 1, while HIWU's panelists will provide an update on their preparations for the AMDC Program and share what industry stakeholders need to know ahead of the rollout on January 1, 2023.

The panel will be composed of Ann McGovern, director of racetrack safety, HISA; Kate Mittelstadt, chief of operations, HIWU; Ben Mosier, executive director, HIWU; Dr. Mary Scollay, chief of science, HIWU; and Dr. Susan Stover, chair, Racetrack Safety Standing Committee, HISA.

In addition to securing two places in the formal schedule, the HISA and HIWU teams will be available for the duration of the Symposium to answer questions from attendees. Their presence in Tucson supplements the virtual and in-person meetings that both groups have been conducting with industry stakeholders across the country.

“The University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) is proud of the Symposium's long record of educating our audience on the latest developments in racing, pari-mutuel wagering, and regulation, and HISA represents a critical milestone in the industry,” said Robert Hartman, chair of the RTIP. “Our program this year enables Symposium attendees to directly engage with those who have been tasked with enforcing uniform racetrack safety and ADMC protocols in Thoroughbred racing across the country.”

Registration information for Symposium, as well as the full agenda, can be found at racingsymposium.com. A discounted room rate at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is available for Symposium attendees by visiting the Symposium website or calling (877) 879-9979 and asking for the Global Symposium on Racing rate.

About the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit

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 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.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

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.

About the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program and Global Symposium on Racing

The Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) has gained worldwide recognition for its annual Global Symposium on Racing held in Tucson, Arizona, each December since 1974. The Symposium attracts attendees representing Thoroughbred, Standardbred, American Quarter Horse, and racino interests from across the United States and internationally. Topics presented during the Symposium include cutting-edge issues and trends of importance to the pari-mutuel industry including simulcasting, account wagering, marketing, track surfaces, casino gaming, human and health issues, track operations, new technologies, and regulation.

Symposium speakers and panel sessions represent the “who's who” of the racing and gaming industries as well as specialists from outside the field. The broad cross-section of North American and international participants, representing all pari-mutuel racing breeds, makes the Global Symposium on Racing the largest industry-wide conference in the world. RTIP students play an important role at each year's Symposium and are afforded a unique opportunity to meet and interact with many of the industry's best known and respected leaders. Few other educational programs provide this kind of access and networking with the industry that employs its students. Keep up to date on the latest event news via Facebook and Twitter using #RacingSymposium or visit our website for more details.

About Drug Free Sport International

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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HISA Submits Prohibited Substances List To Federal Trade Commission

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) a technical document listing and categorizing 1,365 Prohibited Substances covered by HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) rules and further dividing them into subcategories of Banned Substances and Controlled Medications. The document is now subject to final approval by the FTC ahead of the ADMC Program's Jan. 1, 2023 implementation date.

This technical document was developed by HISA's ADMC Standing Committee and approved by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), which will administer the program. In a memorandum to racing participants (included below), HISA ADMC Committee Chair Adolpho Birch summarized the contents of the document submitted, which underwent several modifications based on substantive feedback from racing participants and experts during a public comment period before submission to the FTC.

“The Prohibited Substances List is the result of extensive consultation with industry and subject matter experts and is informed by established research. Once approved by the FTC, it will serve as the backbone of HISA's ADMC Program set to take effect in the New Year,” said Birch. “Through our collective efforts led by the ADMC Committee, we are proud to introduce U.S. Thoroughbred racing's first-ever uniform Prohibited Substances list that will be applied on a national basis to advance integrity, transparency and accountability in the sport.”

“Effective anti-doping programs require clear guidance on prohibited substances, and we are pleased with the document that was submitted to the FTC,” said Ben Mosier, executive director of HIWU. “This list will play a key role in HIWU's assignment to enforce HISA's ADMC Program, and we are prepared to take on this critical responsibility on behalf of the Thoroughbred industry.”

In addition to listing and categorizing all prohibited substances covered by the ADMC Program, the document details detection times, screening limits and thresholds. The modified document submitted to the FTC is available on the HISA website.

Memorandum to Racing Participants, from Adolpho Birch, Chair of Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority AntiDoping and Medication Control Committee:

On October 13, 2022, following a public consultation period where substantive feedback was provided to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), the HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Committee submitted the “Technical Document – Prohibited Substances” (“Technical Document”) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for approval. The Technical Document lists all Prohibited Substances covered by the ADMC rules and categorizes them into Banned Substances and Controlled Medications, as well as Specified Substances, which are those that pose a higher risk of being caused by contamination and are therefore subject to more flexible sanctions.

Additionally, the Technical Document sets forth detection times, screening limits, and thresholds for Prohibited Substances. If approved by the FTC, the Technical Document will be a fundamental component of the ADMC Program launching on January 1, 2023 that will be administered by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (“HIWU”). HIWU will soon begin its educational initiative to explain this Technical Document and how the Program will operate to racing participants. Should you have any questions before then, please direct them to info@hiwu.org.

Set forth below is a summary of the key modifications to the Technical Document from the original version posted for public comment, which were implemented following review and consideration of the feedback submitted to HISA by the ADMC Committee.

1. Anti-Ulcer medications (Cimetidine, Omeprazole, Ranitidine)

The Technical Document reduces the originally proposed 48-hour Restricted Administration Period for anti-ulcer medications to 24-hours. The rationale is that published research demonstrates that withdrawal intervals of greater than 24 hours can pose a health risk to the horse. It is anticipated that the international community will adopt a withdrawal interval strategy similar to the one proposed by HISA in the coming year.

2. NSAIDs (Flunixin, Ketoprofen, Phenylbutazone)

The Technical Document establishes Screening Limits corresponding to a 48-hour Detection Time for three (3) commercially available NSAIDs having FDA-approval for use in the horse. The ADMC Program allows the veterinarian to select one NSAID that can be administered using a withdrawal interval based on the 48-hour Detection Time. All other NSAIDs are then controlled applying the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' (IFHA) Detection Times and Screening Limits, and the detection of more than one NSAID in a horse's sample shall be a violation.

The rationale for this change is twofold: (1) it is consistent in our view with the IFHA's philosophical approach to NSAIDs; and (2) the overwhelming evidence received from horsemen and other stakeholder groups that enforcing a more restrictive rule would be contrary to the welfare of the horse without achieving any meaningful benefit to integrity.

3. Methocarbamol / Glycopyrrolate

The newly proposed Screening Limits and Detection Times for methocarbamol and glycopyrrolate were determined after reviewing the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's administration study involving pharmacokinetic data. The elected Screening Limits and corresponding Detection Times ensure withdrawal intervals of sufficient length to prevent the substances from having potential to impact a horse's racing performance. These were developed so that better guidance can be provided instead of relying on the laboratory's limit of detection.

4. Procaine penicillin

HISA has elected to adopt the current Association of Racing Commissioners International controls, which allow for the use of this safe and effective antibiotic up to 48 hours prior to a race, while still effectively controlling against the illicit use of procaine as a local anesthetic.

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Indiana Stewards Suspend Marvin, Christy Johnson For One Year, Refer Case To Commission For Additional Sanctions

According to an Oct. 22 ruling from the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, owner/trainer Marvin Johnson and his wife/assistant trainer Christy Johnson have been suspended for a year and fined $5,000. The news was first reported by bloodhorse.com.

The ruling comes after a summary suspension the IHRC issued against Marvin Johnson and veterinarian Dr. Cynthia Loomis on July 4 of this year, “for actions not in the best interests of racing and which compromise the integrity of operations at a racetrack.”

After the summary suspension was issued, Johnson told Thoroughbred Daily News that Loomis, his regular veterinarian throughout the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet, was “observed treating a horse that was in that day, which is obviously against the rules.” Johnson said recent surgery on his pelvis limited his involvement at the stable.

“All I do is hire my vet to be responsible for me. I trusted her fully with the horses and the times that my horses get treated,” he told Thoroughbred Daily News, adding that “this is not a cheating matter” and that he was cooperating fully with the commission.

Christy Johnson was summarily suspended three months later, on Oct. 4, for matters “related to” the suspension of her husband.

In the Oct. 22 ruling, the IHRC alleges that the Johnsons allowed Loomis to administer adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to two of their horses entered later that day: Justa Doll and Overthetopjustice.

Loomis has denied that she treated any of Johnson's horses on race day.

Beyond the suspensions and fine, stewards have referred the case to the full IHRC commission for “review and consideration of additional penalties that may exceed the statutory limitations of the Stewards' authority.”

Marvin Johnson has been training horses since 1974 and was the top trainer at Horseshoe Indianapolis at the time of his suspension.

Last week, the Paulick Report received documents that show the summary suspension of Loomis expired after the Indiana commission failed to take any additional action against her between the summary suspension start on July 3 and the slated end date of the summary suspension on Oct. 3. The commission had indicated to an administrative law judge in October that its investigation was ongoing.

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