The HISA Newsletter

October 17, 2023

Dear Thoroughbred racing participants,

I want to thank everyone in racing who continues to do their part to promote HISA rule compliance to help advance our sport. HISA is proud of and encouraged by the progress we have made in the first five months of our Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, as well as the safety improvements we’ve seen across the country under U.S. Thoroughbred racing’s first-ever uniform regulations.

We continue to make the sport safer for our athletes while also making the rules clearer and more efficient for participants. For example, under the ADMC Program to date, more than 33,000 horses have been tested and we’re proud to note that ADMC cases are currently being fully resolved in an average of 59 days from the date of violation. This new system avoids unnecessarily drawn-out litigation while protecting the rights of all involved.

HISA is also particularly grateful to those of you who have submitted constructive feedback and recommendations regarding our safety rules. The HISA team thoroughly reviewed every comment as we developed a series of recently proposed changes to the Racetrack Safety and Enforcement and Registration rules, which were submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for approval last month. Revisions to the Anti-Doping and Medication Control rules will be submitted to the FTC later this month after comments from racing participants on those proposed changes have been fully reviewed and taken into account.

Our goal in submitting these changes is to continue to evolve and improve our effectiveness and efficiency.

As I have said before, the development and nationwide implementation of our rules was and continues to be a massive undertaking, and we acknowledge that there have been some associated growing pains, which HISA’s dedicated leadership team and passionate staff have worked hard to minimize. HISA remains focused on doing all we can to improve safety for racing’s equine and human athletes, as you’ll see detailed throughout this month’s newsletter.

Yours in racing,

Lisa

HISA and Jockeys' Guild Announce Members of Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council

HISA and the Jockeys’ Guild earlier this month announced the members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council, the inaugural meeting of which was held on October 3 at Columbia University in New York City.

The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with the goal of driving research, programming and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. Mack is the founder of the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which provides support to individuals suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder through experiences with horses. The Steering Committee will be instrumental, alongside industry stakeholders, in developing resources to make available to jockeys to support their mental wellness and health.

The Advisory Council, under direction of HISA National Medical Director Dr. Peter Hester, will hold weekly brainstorming sessions with experts from inside and outside of racing and will share best practices and initiatives with the Steering Committee for next steps and potential full adoption. Dr. Hester also recently spoke with NBC Sports about HISA’s strong commitment to jockeys’ mental wellness.

HISA Participates in Horse Racing Women's Summit 

On September 28, HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus participated in the 2023 Horse Racing Women’s Summit held at Santa Anita Park to discuss HISA’s work and its goals of strengthening safety and integrity in the sport. Speaking candidly on the challenges the sport faces after a year of high-profile equine injuries, Lazarus said she has been encouraged by signs that key racing stakeholder groups are ready to work together to tackle these challenges and do what’s best for horses. Lazarus also highlighted HISA’s focus on promoting fairness of competition as well as testing under the ADMC Program, touting the strength of HIWU as well as its recently rolled out mobile app (available on Apple and Android).

HISA Prepares for First Breeders' Cup World Championships Under ADMC Rules 

HISA Prepares for First Breeders’ Cup World Championships Under ADMC Rules

HISA and HIWU leadership will be at Santa Anita next month for the first running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships under HISA’s ADMC Program. HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus, HISA National Medical Director Dr. Peter Hester and HIWU Executive Director Ben Mosier will participate in the event’s annual safety briefing on November 1, which will focus on the safety and integrity measures in place at Santa Anita, including those mandated under HISA’s rules.

Dr. Hester has been helping lead jockey safety preparations ahead of the World Championships by coordinating with regional hospitals to ensure swift, world-class care is available to anyone who may require it. HISA Director of Equine Safety and Welfare Dr. Jennifer Durenberger will also be on site at the World Championships to provide additional veterinary support to the Breeders’ Cup team.

NBC Sports recently highlighted the importance of HISA’s rules in bringing U.S. Thoroughbred racing in line with international standards during its coverage of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.

HISA's Participation in Upcoming Events

HISA looks forward to participating in the 2023 Global Symposium on Racing from December 4-6 at the University of Arizona to discuss HISA’s progress and its approach to partnering with racing participants to continue to evolve and improve. HISA and HIWU leaders will be featured in four separate sessions throughout the program, including a keynote address by Lisa Lazarus as well as discussions on track surface requirements, the roles and responsibilities of state regulators and stewards and the ADMC Program.

HISA will also have a booth at the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Annual Convention & Trade Show from November 29-December 3 in San Diego. Convention attendees are welcome to stop by to learn more about the HISA Portal, the HIWU app and other software and digital innovations to help make veterinarians’ reporting requirements easier and more efficient.

HIWU Update

From the desk of Ben Mosier, Executive Director, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit:

With the first Breeders’ Cup under the ADMC Program set for less than a month from now, the HIWU team continues to work with the Breeders’ Cup, the California Horse Racing Board, and 1/ST Racing to coordinate on-site logistics and Out-of-Competition testing. We are excited to partner with their teams to help execute a safe event held to the highest standards of integrity.

In advance of the Breeders’ Cup, the Thoroughbred industry can expect a letter from me that will summarize HIWU’s progress in the first five months of the ADMC Program, including data related to testing statistics, adjudication timelines and educational efforts. We are proud of our implementation of the ADMC Program thus far and the positive impact it is having on the sport.

Thank you all again for all you do to ensure that we're moving forward together. 

Lisa Lazarus
CEO
HISA