“It's an honor to be elected president of such an esteemed collective,” said Bond, who is the first woman ever to helm the organization. “THA is at the forefront of collaborative decision-making and policy implementation on issues such as racehorse aftercare, equine safety and welfare, and protecting the integrity of our sport. I look forward to leading the organization as it addresses the challenges that horsemen and women face on local, regional, and national levels.”

In other THA officer elections, Chris Block and David Richardson were named vice presidents; Michael Musto was named treasurer; and Bessie Gruwell will serve as secretary.

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Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said racing is facing an “existential moment” at a time when industry stakeholders increasingly must make the case for the sport's so-called social license to exist in the face of intense pressure from anti-racing activists and a younger generation of Americans who hold the belief that animal-based entertainment is more cruel than cool.

“It's not about foal crop. It's not about field size. It's not about whether we have a core product,” Foreman said, ticking down the list of the common concerns that industry insiders often debate.

“The single biggest issue right now [is] should the federal government, and should our state legislatures, continue to support our business?” Foreman said.

Foreman then rephrased his rhetorical question more bluntly so there would be no misunderstanding: “Is it time to end horse racing in this country?”

Foreman certainly doesn't think so, and neither did the panelists who joined him at the podium.

But the group did try to offer pearls of wisdom as to how industry stakeholders might fight back when confronted with that question.

Julie Broadway | Horsephotos

Their answers largely centered on the sharing of strategies for getting across the industry's far-reaching scale and the potential ramifications of ceasing racing, and several speakers even articulated how some entities in the sport have effectively lobbied their respective states to secure financial incentives, bolster racing programs, and modernize facilities, like the currently underway rebuild of Belmont Park and the planned re-imagining of Pimlico Race Course.

Foreman pointed out that even though there is now federal oversight in the form of the Horseracing and Safety Act (HISA) Authority, racing in the United States remains primarily a state-sanctioned business, and how much of the industry operates under laws that were enacted for vastly different economic reasons decades ago than what we face now.

Every year at about this time when applying for next season's racing dates, Foreman said, track operators increasingly have to defend why their states should support our sport's way of doing business.

“The point is, what the state giveth, the state can taketh,” Foreman summed up.

And demonstrating that we are upholding that “social license” must take the form of deeds and not just words, Foreman said. He and the other panelists also concurred that the sport's narrative also must be backed up by accurate economic data, which helps to drive home points to legislators and regulators.

What we need to successfully convey, Foreman said, is “if you talk about the economics of this business; the value of horse racing to the economies, of our local communities, of our states, of our country…I think that we can overcome this very challenging environment that we are in.”

Julie Broadway is the president of the American Horse Council (AHC), a national organization whose work and data helps not only racing stakeholders, but everything equine-centric in the country, under a scope that ranges from broad national issues to smaller initiatives at the local government level.

“You cannot sit still and sit back and wait for people in [government] to figure out what goes on in our industry and what it's all about,” was Broadway's assessment of how to approach dealing with politicians who can help usher through changes via legislation.

Regardless of the level of government, Broadway said the approach is largely the same. Getting your message across means 1) educating decision-makers; 2) setting context and dispelling misinformation and inaccuracies about your position; 3) stating the positive and pointing out unintended and/or negative consequences, and 4) making the overall narrative relatable and personal.

Those points are all underpinned by being armed with the proper data, Broadway said.

Najja Thompson | Fasig-Tipton

Najja Thompson, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, said that a lot of times when racing people go in to make their cases to legislators, they have to be aware that they'll be dealing with a lower-level staffer at first. “And they're not listening to me unless I have the data to implore them to get their representative to speak to me directly on why racing is important in New York,” he said.

But, Broadway added, racing industry stakeholders can't benefit from that data if they don't join in to help compile it.

Broadway gave the example of a recently undertaken AHC economic impact study that sought to include feedback from the racing industry. The data will eventually be used to underscore the importance of horse racing within America's larger equine population, and it will be available for anyone who wants to cite it in making their case for support from legislators.

Yet only four Thoroughbred tracks responded.

“This survey was out for more than six months,” Broadway explained. “I'm sad to say that the Thoroughbred racing industry had a really low response rate. I mean, we really had to beg for data.”

Broadway contrasted that with participation from the harness racing industry, “because they really stepped up. They are getting their own breakout report just on Standardbred racing [that will] cut across all states where Standardbred racing occurs.”

Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Association, said he was stunned to hear that support from Thoroughbred tracks was so low.

“That's amazing. That's tough. How are we going to tell our story if nobody's even trying?” Powell said.

“I'm always a track guy,” Powell continued, alluding to his years in track management prior to a career turn toward executive jobs with industry entities. “And I just don't get it. I don't get why you wouldn't want to tell the story.”

Tom Rooney, the president and chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, pointed out that being a reliable broker of data is important, but that you need to also skillfully be able to tell the story of those numbers in a narrative form to get your point across to non-racing listeners.

“Clearly, the data is about jobs. It's about farms. It's about these things that we're used to going away, and maybe having to change the way that we work,” Rooney said. “If you work in the horse racing industry, you're kind of the subculture of skills that's probably applicable [in] very few other places. So we live in our own world, and we wouldn't be here if we didn't think that world was a good and beautiful endeavor to belong to.”

Added Powell: “You've got to be able to tell somebody what the consequences are if your industry goes away.”

Lonny Powell | Serita Hult

Powell also pointed out that reams of data are great, but that time in front of legislators is limited, so racing stakeholders need to distill it into manageable, relatable chunks.

“You've got to know it. You've got to believe it. You've got to have confidence in it. And you really have to care about the industry you're talking about. Otherwise, it's just a study,” Powell said. “Make your story relatable to those that aren't in our industry.”

Several panel participants underscored that people in racing have to take the time to forge personal bonds with legislators so the sport's stakeholders can be viewed as trusted sources.

In other words, don't go seeking help from politicians for the first time only when “your back's against the wall,” Powell cautioned.

“Are you kidding me? You've got to develop relationships. That takes years,” Powell said.

Foreman stressed that the racing industry needs to hone (and often repeat) the message that the sport is an economic engine, and that the money it generates often gets reinvested back into the community in ways that aren't apparent to legislators.

“Here's something that very rarely gets talked about, but legislators love to hear this,” Foreman said. “Racing is a community. We take care of our people,” he continued, giving examples of how in his home state of Maryland, the horsemen's health system provides full health care for the people who work in racing.

“That is something that doesn't fall back on the local economy, that doesn't fall back on social services. It doesn't fall back on the state,” Foreman said. “It's the racing industry that supports that. We take care of the people who work with us, [and] that resonates with legislators. And that's why they're willing to support the industry, because they understand the local impact that it has.”

To get that story across to political decision-makers, Foreman said, “we combined the economic impact with the social license aspects of it, and that's the takeaway.”

Powell, however, had a different message to impart, speaking directly to RTIP students. He prefaced his comments by letting the RTIP majors know that he is a graduate of that program who was attending his 41st edition of the annual symposium, and that he understood how some of the presentations over the past two days that focused primarily on industry problems might be giving students second thoughts about pursuing a career in the sport.

“Don't change your major,” Powell implored them, his voice at times cracking with emotion. “That's exactly why you're needed in leadership. That's exactly why you're needed in this business. Because we need people that believe you can make progress versus 'ride it all out.'”

“It's difficult. It's changing,” Powell said of horse racing. “But you can't give up.”

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The precipitating event, of course, was the spate of equine fatalities that had covered Santa Anita, and the racing industry in general, under a pall of public condemnation–the exact same kind of scrutiny Churchill Downs has faced these past few weeks, culminating with the announced switch of racing venue to Ellis Park.

As events have unfolded at Churchill Downs, representatives from the Horse Racing Integrity Act (HISA) have made it clear that they could stop the track from exporting their simulcasting signal out of state, if they deemed it necessary.

Here, however, it should also be noted that throughout this period, HISA officials have repeatedly stressed how the agency's actions have been in unison with both Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC).

But the ability to block the export of a simulcasting signal is not enough, say several non-HBPA affiliated horsemen's groups, including the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association, and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

Since the earliest days of the HISA rulemaking process, they have argued for a clear set of rules giving HISA the discretion to completely suspend racing at a facility by removing its accreditation in the event of a safety-related crisis.

“Some of these owner-trainer groups feel so strongly about this issue,” said Chauncey Morris, executive director of the KTA, who stressed that he believes Churchill Downs, the KHRC and HISA have taken the correct steps throughout the past few weeks.

In answer to a series of questions, HISA spokesperson, Mandy Minger, wrote that the federal agency is indeed considering such a rule change.

In background conversations with track officials, however, they've stressed the disruptive nature of such actions, which can have profound economic impacts on a wide swath of stakeholders. Others warn that such powers need clear definition.

Scott Chaney, CHRB executive director, agrees that the threat alone of pulling a track's simulcasting signal “is not a complete solution,” but the key question for him is this: What criteria would HISA use to justify the ability to suspend racing completely at a facility?

“Is it purely fatality based?” he said. “Or is it more response based–like, is the response of the track satisfactory?”

The Proposal

HISA cited Turf Paradise back in January for several safety-related problems like faulty track rails and a subpar racetrack surface maintenance program. Track management ultimately complied, but only after the HISA Authority applied the thumbscrews of a possible simulcasting export block.

In the Turf Paradise situation, therefore, there were clear racetrack safety violations that HISA used as enforcement leverage.

But what happens in a situation where a track experiences a rash of fatalities and there is no clear actionable violation? What if management at that track is not as cooperative with HISA's overtures as Churchill Downs has been? Then add to the mix the growing wingbeat of a national media calling for the sport's swansong.

This is the central conundrum prompting certain horsemen's groups to advocate for HISA to wield such discretionary powers–something the groups did during the first round of the rule-making process, submitting comments calling for the HISA Authority to be given “residual power to suspend accreditation and suspend racing in case of an unusual cluster of fatalities or other safety emergency.”

They added back then that “unambiguous language is necessary to provide that the Authority and its Safety Committee can actively monitor accreditation requirements during live racing, suspend accreditation immediately in order to ensure the safety of horse and rider, and suspend racing until corrective measures are undertaken.”

Those initial proposals were submitted at the start of 2022. According to Morris, the same groups are in the process of resubmitting similar commentary in the latest window to tweak HISA's rule. And HISA, it appears, is listening.

According to Minger, HISA's current rules bar them from prohibiting “Covered Horseraces at a Racetrack” without an accreditation suspension or a finding of a racetrack safety violation.

However, “for circumstances where that is not the case, HISA is closely examining and considering a new safety rule traditionally utilized by State Racing Commissions to summarily suspend Covered Horseraces at a Racetrack when circumstances present an immediate danger to the health, safety, or welfare of Covered Persons, Covered Horses, and Riders, or are not in the best interests of racing,” wrote Minger.

A formal process to remove a track's accreditation, however, still appears to leave a window open for live racing to continue–as in Texas, where the tracks there are not HISA accredited but continue to operate without the ability to export their simulcasting signal out of state.

Uniquely for Texas, the lack of an exported simulcasting signal has not dramatically affected the state's purse fund, buttressed as it is with monies from a sales tax on equine products. Purses in many other states, however, are funded heavily through wagering.

Without the ability to export a signal, the hypothetical question becomes: How long could a track operate without these monies coming in?

Specific Criteria

The CHRB rule giving it emergency discretion to suspend a track's license is prescriptive about the necessary steps the commission must take to execute that power.

The board must give track management at least 24 hours' notice of the hearing on the petition to suspend the license, which can be filed by the executive director or by the equine medical director, for example. The board also has five days following the petition's filing to make a decision on the suspension or license restriction order, among other requirements.

What's missing, however, is a clear set of detailed criteria delineating what set of circumstances warrant the CHRB's petition to be filed in the first place, and that's a big problem, said Chaney.

“From a regulatory standpoint, pressure and notoriety alone should not be the criteria,” warned Chaney.

Which leads to perhaps the thorniest aspect of the proposed rule change–what are the agreed-upon parameters so this regulatory trip wire isn't used capriciously?

The term multifactorial is routinely bandied around to explain fatal musculoskeletal injuries.

In a cluster of deaths, is there commonality in the way the horses were conditioned and medicated, for example? Are there glaring holes in the pre-race veterinary checks? Is the out-of-competition testing program rigorous enough? Has the racing office unduly pressured trainers to enter? Is the track surface at fault? What about their breeding, and the way they were raised?

This Iliad-like search for answers makes transparency of a baseline set of information vital in the quest to identify preventable fatalities, said Chaney.

“But since all reporting is not equal, it's hard to have an open and honest conversation about that,” he added.

Indeed, in recent weeks Churchill Downs has faced criticism over its decision not to publicly share equine fatality data through the Equine Injury Database. And it's unclear when HISA–which is mandated to publicly share this data uniformly–will step up to the task.

“HISA's accreditation team has been working with tracks to help them meet their internal review and reporting obligations. We're also in the process of developing internal systems so that reliable catastrophic injury data can be aggregated and made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Until such time as reporting and tracking systems are in place nationwide, The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database continues to be the most reliable source for the type of information you requested,” wrote Minger.

But this particular data-set is only one part of the industry's current black-hole riddled nebula of unreported and hidden information. The sooner the industry at large begins sharing relevant data in a timely manner–everything from detailed vet's list info to stewards' reports–the better, said Chaney.

“Regression to the mean is just not good enough,” he said. “When it comes to safety, every track, every regulatory authority, has to do everything they can.”

Cautionary Tales

Attorney Drew Cuoto has long been critical of tracks unilaterally suspending individuals from their facilities, describing instances where he believes the horsemen have not been afforded the necessary due process rights of hearing and appeal.

Couto, it should be noted, has represented Jerry Hollendorfer in ongoing litigation stemming from The Stronach Group's 2019 decision to bar the trainer from the company's facilities.

And so perhaps surprisingly, Couto, one of the founding members of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, agrees with the fundamental premise that HISA is given these additional discretionary powers.

But before actually wielding that cudgel, the Authority should ensure that it has taken reasonable measures to get to the bottom of the problem, he said, mirroring Chaney's comments.

“Every situation is unique,” Couto said. “But in my many years of experience, in the event of these unusual clusters, typically there are issues related with the track itself.”

As such, Couto believes that such a scenario should immediately prompt HISA to bring in outside experts to evaluate the available information, like failure analysts and composite material science experts to evaluate track surface measurements.

Here it should be noted that one of the things HISA has done at Churchill Downs is bring in an equine forensics specialist to conduct an independent review of the necropsies.

This is especially needed at those facilities where track operators might not have the necessary training and experience to understand the complex set of factors behind fatality clusters, said Couto. He points out how–unlike many positions in racing like trainers and veterinarians–individuals filling certain racetrack operational roles aren't tested for proficiency through a formal licensing process.

Right now, “suspensions largely serve PR objectives over reasoned analysis,” he said. “And so, what I hope HISA can do is not take the current scientific consensus as gospel, but to see it as a starting point in the scientific process.”

As Morris sees it, however, HISA is uniquely placed to cut through the red-tape of competing interests to police the “triad” of American racing–the racetracks, the horseman and racing commissions–equally.

“In past situations, it can turn into a blame game between the racetrack, the horsemen and a state racing commission that feels it may or may not have the power or jurisdiction to step in,” said Morris.

“But HISA is an independent regulator,” he added. “That is something that was very, very appealing to our collective group.”

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Last Saturday's cancelled Apr. 22 card of 98 entries included a pair of $100,000 races in the Native Dancer S. and the Primonetta S., scheduled for the main track. This time around, the racing office has taken 116 entries over 11 races with the same slate of five stakes.

The decision to cancel last Friday into the weekend came one day after a horse had to be euthanized, while the another was vanned off and reportedly euthanized. Both ran over the dirt surface Thursday, Apr. 20 in the fourth and fifth races–making five fatalities within the month.

With numerous talks between the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the Stronach Group last weekend and into Monday, the two sides agreed, with the approval of the Maryland Racing Commission, to allow Laurel and Pimlico's former track superintendent John Passero to conduct his own third-party assessment of the track's suitability for racing.

“Mr. Passero made recommendations and adjustments based on his expertise and understanding of Laurel, and the horsemen respect those decisions,” Foreman said. “Training is open Thursday and Friday, and it is my understanding that he will be present to ensure that all goes well during that time.”

The Friday forecast calls for heavy rains that could derail the running of Saturday's card, but Foreman confirmed that Passero would be present into the weekend.

“If rain moves in, then we could have to postpone,” Foreman said. “There will not be training Saturday morning, and that will give him [Passero] time to issue further findings. There is an air of palpable confidence and we know this will lead to a positive situation for everyone. I only regret that we did not come to a decision sooner.”

Within the ranks of Maryland's horsemen others have expressed ongoing concern. Trainer Lacey Gaudet said, “I won't be participating in breezing or racing this weekend. The weather is also a factor in that, but everything is still awfully raw, and I just want to be confident before my stable moves forward. I can't thank all of my owners and clients enough for supporting that decision as a horseman.”

Laurel's 11-race card on Saturday also includes three turf stakes and an allowance one, which could be rained-off and moved to the main track, if racing is deemed safe to proceed.

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Greg was a rare individual. He was not your typical silk-stocking lobbyist. He was different. Unabashedly blunt, with a southern drawl and downhome personality rooted in his small-town Arkansas upbringing, he was equally effective in the offices of some of the most powerful and influential lawmakers in the land or speaking before a small gathering of industry stakeholders worried about the future of Thoroughbred racing.

What distinguished Greg, and made for effective advocacy, was his own lifetime love of horseracing and betting, which began at his spiritual home, Oaklawn Park, long before he arrived in D.C. He was an informed, passionate and convincing advocate as a result of those early experiences. When he explained how the tax code worked against horseplayers, the Hill staff got it because he lived it and loved it. The Board of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA), which I chair, loved his briefings. We learned as much about the current state of American politics as we did the intricacies of legislation or issues that he was promoting or deflecting.

Over the course of his career representing our industry, Greg kept a relatively low profile. Nonetheless, his impact on our business was enormous. Whether you are a breeder, owner, trainer, racetrack operator, bloodstock agent, jockey, sales company representative or horseplayer, Greg helped you by improving the business of racing and breeding Thoroughbreds.

Greg and the Alpine Group were first retained to help the NTRA establish relationships with key lawmakers and committees on Capitol Hill–those who could dramatically impact the entire industry with one vote or the stroke of a pen. Almost overnight, he helped form Horse PAC, which quickly became one of the racing and gaming industry's largest and most influential political action committees. By helping us handicap hundreds of Congressional races over 20 years, Greg's astute choices enabled the industry to build a core roster of Congressional allies, many of whom have supported our legislation over that entire time span.

In 2004, Greg helped us devise a strategy to secure passage of legislation to eliminate a 30% withholding tax on winnings by foreign nationals wagering into U.S. pools–something of vital importance to the Breeders' Cup and others pursuing an international wagering market.

In 2006, with internet wagering under assault by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and various lawmakers, Greg almost singlehandedly saved the industry ADW sites from being criminalized by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by negotiating a carveout for state regulated pari-mutuel wagering. The carveout preserved the status quo under which ADW sites were operating legally at the time.

In 2008, Greg led the charge to secure passage of the Equine Equity Act (EEA), part of the broader Farm Bill, that allowed for accelerated depreciation of racehorses from seven years (in most cases) to three years–an important change especially to many smaller owners and breeders. Greg and his partners at the Alpine Group helped us renew that three-year depreciation provision, which almost sunset in 2013, for many more years.

Over the years, Greg helped us pursue numerous industry objectives on Capitol Hill–sometimes on offense to pass legislation and often on defense to keep Congress from passing legislation that would hurt our industry. But nothing Greg helped us accomplish was more important than the win we achieved in 2017. After many years of unsuccessful attempts, Greg and his team devised a strategy to leverage the strength of thousands of horseplayers to convince the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS to modernize antiquated withholding and reporting requirements relative to winning pari-mutuel proceeds, thus making our wagering product fairer and more attractive. The changes virtually eliminated what were referred to by horseplayers as “signers” and since 2017 have kept hundreds of millions of dollars in the pockets of horseplayers and within the pari-mutuel system.

Later in 2017, Greg and his team at Alpine made sure Thoroughbred racing and breeding where not left out of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump. That Act contained a number of tax provisions favorable to the Thoroughbred industry, including 100% bonus depreciation.

As the pandemic raged in 2020 and several COVID-19 relief bills were hurriedly passed by Congress, Greg and his team helped make sure that members of the horse racing and breeding industry would benefit from those critical economic assistance packages.

As recently as this past December, Greg's work was on full display. Through contacts at the Alpine Group, the NTRA played a key role in identifying and resolving the “shared wallet” challenge, opening the door for sports betting and ADW companies to offer sports betting and horse race wagering on the same platform using a common platform and wallet. The launch of horse racing wagering on the FanDuel app was another quiet, yet important, victory for Greg and for the NTRA in Washington.

Seeing all the important successes achieved on Capitol Hill over the past two decades with Greg's leadership and strategic acumen, it is no wonder that the NTRA has doubled down on its presence in our nation's capital by opening a D.C. office and hiring former Congressman Tom Rooney as its President and CEO. A lengthy and proven track record in Washington–made possible with Greg's able assistance–made these decisions easy for the NTRA.

Year after year, the Thoroughbred industry benefited from Greg's unique relationship-building skills, his ability to open doors and the respect and high regard in which he was held by all on Capitol Hill. We always celebrate and honor the successes and achievements of our equine athletes, owners, trainers, jockeys and breeders. We tend to forget that there are less-celebrated unsung heroes who make our industry better and stronger. All of us in Thoroughbred racing owe a debt of gratitude and many thanks to Greg Means.

Personally, I will miss Greg's intellect and his dedication to our industry. He was a true friend and a trusted colleague. People like Greg are hard to forget and even harder to replace.

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Click here to read the full HISA release, which states, “The concerns are that reduced traction will result in horses either slipping, falling, or otherwise being unable to firmly grip the track surface, with resulting injury to horses and their riders. In response to these concerns, the [Racetrack Safety] Committee invited a representative group of horsepersons including trainers, owners, a veterinarian, and a blacksmith to present their concerns to the Committee.”

The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association was one of the organizations involved and they released a statement that included the following, “HISA is the law and it is in effect. Notwithstanding that there is ongoing litigation, we believe that it is our responsibility on behalf of our constituencies to engage with HISA as necessary to ensure that our horses are protected, our horsemen are treated fairly and responsibly, and that the integrity of racing is preserved.

The fact that horsemen are not represented on any HISA Committee is a missed opportunity that we believe needs to be corrected. In the meantime, we will continue to vigorously advocate for the best interests of the safety and welfare of the horse and the best interests of our horsemen. We continue to engage with HISA as the best way to serve our membership and the industry at large and this decision underscores their willingness to engage with us and make changes as necessary.

We thank the HISA Safety Committee for its willingness to consider and act on thoughtful input from those who can best provide it.”

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The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations, Inc, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Thoroughbred Owners of California, and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association collectively have established a diverse group of experienced horsemen, regulators, and veterinarians to review the extensive documents regarding HISA's proposed rules. Each reviewer provided written comments in an open letter to HISA and they are summarized below.

Racetrack vs Training Facilities–The inclusion of training facilities in the statute was designed to ensure that horsemen could not evade the requirements for racetracks by stabling at training facilities. HISA needs to provide clear guidance on what is permitted and prohibited at training facilities and how such facilities will be regulated.

Lasix Prohibition–The statute affords the opportunity to HISA to study whether such a prohibition should apply based upon solid scientific evidence which currently does not exist.
The Lists of Controlled Substances and Specified Substances-HISA needs to provide the industry with the list of Controlled Medications and guidance regarding their use. The same applies to the Specified Substances, as we know that there are Prohibited Substances that may be introduced into the horse via contamination that need to be identified, as well as Prohibited Substances for which a Therapeutic Use Exemption should be provided.

Arbitration–HISA's rules will have every violator seeking legal advice and incurring costs for mandatory briefs and legal filings that will be cost prohibitive. Although we understand the need for transparency, it cannot be at the expense of owners and trainers, who are entitled to have their reputations protected until due process is afforded.

Drug Testing of Claimed Horses–It is unclear whether HISA will require all claimed horses to be drug tested post-race. If it is HISA's intention to drug test all claimed horses, we think it is a costly mistake and untenable. Further, given that a claimed horse is transferred immediately and a drug test may take several weeks, voiding a claim could result in chaos involving the horse and unnecessary litigation.

Responsibilities of Veterinarians and Other Covered Persons–HISA needs to put more emphasis on the veterinary-owner-trainer relationship and hold veterinarians accountable for their role in doping and medication cases. Similarly, where racetracks can provide support and authority, particularly security, and fail to do so, there appears to be little accountability.

Multi-Owner Entities–The decision as to who is the Designated or Managing Owner of a multi-owner entity should rest with the entity and not HISA. There is no requirement that a Managing Owner has to own at least 50% of the entity. The only requirement should be that such individual must be licensed by a racing commission and registered with HISA.

Official Timed Works–The definition of “official timed works” is not consistent with current practice. Many training centers provide published works but not by an “official clocker,” which has repeatedly been referenced as the differentiating factor for “official timed works.”

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While many in the racing industry lamented the breakdown in negotiations between the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to implement a drug enforcement program, Foreman said he was bullish on HISA's separate safety program, set to take effect July 1.

“The HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program relates to medication, while the Safety Program relates to every other aspect of the health, safety and welfare of the horse and rider,” he explained. “I think that's the most important part of the HISA program, because horses breaking down on the track is our worst nightmare, and horses aren't dying because of medication. When horses break down, it's multi-factorial. For example, we just did our review of the breakdowns in the mid-Atlantic region for the past year. Maryland was having its lowest incidence of breakdown in its history until the track went bad and failed at Laurel in October, and we had a cluster of eight breakdowns in a span of three weeks. We got right on it, but it blew the numbers. So there was a racetrack surface issue. Not a medication issue, not a training issue. The value of the HISA safety program is to work with everyone on racing surfaces and identifying horses at risk so they don't get on the track when they shouldn't be. That program and the uniformity that HISA is going to bring is why it got our support.”

The conversation later turned to the legal back-and-forth involving Baffert over the past year, with Foreman saying, “When we talk about HISA and the manner in which our rules are adjudicated, it isn't so much that our underlying rules are problematic, it's the enforcement process and the way justice is meted out and people can game the system. At the end of the day, I think it all went downhill after Bob's press conference. The rumor was that there had been a positive test at the Derby, and there was no confidentiality so he actually got out in front of the story. But when he came out and said he had no idea how it could have happened, and within five days, the story came out as to how it happened, he was boxed into a corner and he wasn't prepared to accept responsibility and take the punishment. So this has played out in a sense where there's no exit strategy, from either side, frankly. Churchill, by taking the action it did and making very clear that it wasn't backing down, started to press the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to move more expeditiously. And here we are now, but it just took way too long, and that's not acceptable to anybody.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, XBTV, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers raved about a tremendous weekend of racing and gave their early impressions on the prospective GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks fields after the final round of prep races. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The post THA Chairman Alan Foreman Joins Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“The FHBPA board members as well as myself are delighted that Andy accepted our offer to serve as Executive Director,” said FHBPA President Stephen Screnci. “With her experience, knowledge, and industry contacts, she's undoubtedly the perfect fit.”

Belfiore's extensive CV also includes serving as Executive Director of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program Inc. and as co-Chair of the Board of the Backstretch Employee Service Team. She has also been part of the communications and marketing departments at New York Racing Association and spent 18 years as the editor-in-chief of TDN. Additionally, she is also a former hotwalker, groom, exercise rider, and assistant trainer.

“I'm looking forward to working with Stephen and the Florida HBPA,” Belfiore said. “Racing in South Florida faces its challenges, but the horsemen have elected a terrific board, and Stephen has proven to be a strong leader. I'm excited to be a part of the team.”

The post Andy Belfiore Named Executive Director of FHBPA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The presentation will feature Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at The Stronach Group Racing and Gaming. Compounded substances are an area of concern for trainers interested in ensuring horse health and avoiding potential regulatory issues. While the use of compounded substances has a place in proper horse care, often they are overused, which increases the risk to horses and trainers alike. This CE will teach trainers the differences between compounded, generic and label medications. Additionally, the potential risks of using compounded medication will be covered.

You must register in advance to participate in this seminar.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Km1xGy9rR6Ktx4BdUVUjdA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at The Stronach Group Racing and Gaming, served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) in Lexington, KY, from 2012-2019. She earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota, and received her Juris Doctor (JD) from the William Mitchell College of Law. She practiced law as a commercial litigator for a number of years prior to enrolling in vet school, and was a Law School faculty member while attending veterinary school.

Horsemen U Website Offers 11 CE Courses Online

If you do not yet have a HorsemenU account, we invite you to go to the website, www.HorsemenU.com, to register. Trainers and assistant trainers can take the required hours of CE and store their Certificates all in one place, in the event they need documentation of compliance with Continuing Education regulations. Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about HorsemenU.

There are currently 11 approved Continuing Education Courses available for trainers and assistant trainers on the Horsemen U website. The topics include:

• Basic Pharmacology for Racehorse Trainers
• Diagnostic Imaging of the Racehorse Fetlock
• Equine Drug Testing, with Dr. Scott Stanley
• The Equine Fetlock with Dr. Susan Stover
• Equine Welfare, Horseracing, and the Social License to Operate
• Equine Injury Database: 2019 Statistics and Data
• Lessons from the California Postmortem Program
• MRIs, with Dr. John Peloso
• PET Scans, with Dr. Mathieu Spriet
• Racetrack Safety, with Dr. Mick Peterson
• Racing Medication and Testing Consortium

Click here for more details of the CE Courses offered by Horsemen U.

The post Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association To Host Compounded Medications Webinar Monday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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