The HISA Newsletter

January 30, 2024

Dear Thoroughbred racing participants,

I want to congratulate 1/ST Racing on a successful and safe running of the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park this past weekend. I had the pleasure of being in attendance for both the Pegasus and the annual Eclipse Awards last Thursday and enjoyed seeing the best of our sport on full display throughout the weekend. It was wonderful to celebrate the incredible accomplishments and moments from the past year of racing, including the extraordinary story of Cody’s Wish.

This year holds great promise for the sport of racing, as we look to build upon the progress made in 2023 under HISA’s Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) rules and our collaboration with horsemen across the country to update our regulations.

To further our commitment to enhance racing, we recently announced the formation of a Next Generation Advisory Group. This group, comprised of rising leaders within and external to the industry, will bring a range of experiences and fresh perspectives to HISA and its standing committees. I look forward to using the input of this group as we continue laying the groundwork for a healthy and prosperous future for racing.

There is much to look forward to this year as we begin planning and preparing for the first-ever Triple Crown to be run entirely under HISA’s ADMC Program. In the next few months, HISA also will be sharing key metrics for calendar year 2023 concerning equine fatalities, registrations, fines assessed, track accreditation and riding crop violations.

We also look forward to individual racetracks continuing to take initiative and deploy new and innovative tactics to prioritize safety above all else. HISA commends Oaklawn for their recently announced protocol requiring radiographs for repeated intra-articular injections into the fetlock joint, which builds upon the pilot program HISA and Oaklawn launched in December 2023 to test the use of a designated area for intra-articular injection treatment in line with the HISA Strategic Response Plan.

With your continued support and collaboration, HISA looks forward to making additional progress in keeping our sport safe and fair in 2024 and for years to come.

Yours in racing,

Lisa

HISA Establishes Next Generation Advisory Group

Earlier this month, HISA announced the establishment of a Next Generation Advisory Group that will be made up of individuals in the early to mid-stages of their professional careers. The Advisory Group will provide feedback to HISA’s executive team and standing committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA’s regulations and protocols. HISA is inviting anyone who wishes to be considered for membership in the Advisory Group to submit an application indicating their interest and qualifications by February 9, 2024.

HISA is looking to select a diverse group of 10-12 individuals who bring a wide range of experience in horse racing, related industries and innovation to join the Advisory Group. 

The Next Generation Advisory Group will be co-chaired by Mackenzie Kirker-Head, HISA Communications and Design Manager, and Brandon Badgett, Director of Strategy at Jahnel Group. HISA Assistant General Counsel Sam Reinhardt will act as Secretary, and Alexa Ravit, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) Director of Communications & Outreach, will act as HIWU Liaison.

Questions about the Advisory Group should be submitted to Mackenzie Kirker-Head at Mackenzie.KirkerHead@hisaus.org. More information about the group and expectations of members can be found here.

New Vets’ List Search on HISA Portal

Did you know? HISA's veterinarians' list rules attach progressive stand-down times for horses appearing on the lists for epistaxis or unsoundness more than once in a 365-day period. Registered Persons may now search HISA's database for a horse's vets' list history for these two categories by clicking here and entering the horse's name.

Dr. Michael Hardy Joins HISA Horsemen’s Advisory Group

Veterinarian Dr. Michael Hardy was recently appointed to join HISA’s Horsemen’s Advisory Group, the body of racing industry participants formed by HISA in 2022 to provide formal feedback to HISA’s executive team and standing committees on the implementation of and evolution of its Racetrack Safety and ADMC rules.

Dr. Hardy graduated from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. In 2008, he began his career as a racing regulatory veterinarian for the Kentucky Horseracing Commission. For 11 years, he served as the Chief Association Veterinarian, then transitioned to the role of Safety Director for Horseshoe Indianapolis. Dr. Hardy is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Racetrack Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC). He is also a member of the Breeders’ Cup Veterinary Panel and has served on the Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee and RegVets Continuing Education Program’s Committee for the RMTC.

Dr. Sarah White-Springer Appointed to HISA Furosemide Advisory Committee

Dr. Sarah White-Springer has been appointed to serve as a new member of HISA’s Furosemide Advisory Committee (FAC).

The FAC was formed last year to oversee a study of furosemide (also known as “Lasix”) on horses during the 48-hour period before the start of a Covered Horserace, as mandated under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The FAC has just finished reviewing grant applications for the study. A request for proposals was issued by HISA in August 2023.

Dr. White-Springer is an Associate Professor of Equine Physiology in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. She received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Florida, where she focused on equine nutrition and exercise physiology. She subsequently completed two years of post-doctoral training in muscle physiology in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. She is an avid equestrienne, competing in upper-level dressage.

Dr. White-Springer’s appointment comes following the voluntary resignations from the FAC of Dr. Ted Hill and Dr. N. Edward Robinson.

HISA to Announce Funding for Scientific Studies on the Use of Furosemide

HISA will soon announce the recipients of grant funding for scientific studies on the effects of furosemide use on equine health and the integrity of competition. The projects selected for funding will be voted on by HISA’s Board of Directors following a recommendation from the FAC.

Researchers will be required to present final reports on their findings to the FAC on or before January 31, 2026. The findings will inform the FAC’s subsequent recommendation on whether HISA should modify its existing policies on the administration of furosemide.

HISA to Publish 2023 Key Metrics

In accordance with its recently announced Data Disclosure Policy, HISA will soon publish data for all of calendar year 2023 concerning equine fatalities, registrations, fines assessed, track accreditation and riding crop violations. Going forward, as part of its commitment to public reporting, HISA will release data reports on a quarterly basis, with an annual report in Q1. Additional metrics will be released as HISA’s level of confidence in reporting by Covered Persons and the ability to track and aggregate data improves.

Information relating to HISA’s ADMC Program will be released by HIWU in accordance with a similar disclosure schedule.

Lisa Lazarus to Speak at MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus will speak at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston during March 1-2. Lazarus will discuss how HISA is using data, technology and analytics with the aim of identifying factors contributing to equine injuries and suggesting steps to prevent them, including through HISA’s partnerships with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Palantir. HISA looks forward to participating in the conference and exchanging ideas with other attendees about how to use data and technology to make sport safer.

HIWU Update

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

Earlier this month, the HIWU team caught up with its Advisory Council, and the discussion was published in BloodHorse. The Advisory Council brings together five individuals who are experts in human anti-doping and/or equine sports, with decades of experience ranging from investigating and exposing widespread doping in Russian athletics, serving in leadership positions at both the World Anti-Doping Agency and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, leading world-renowned equine orthopedic surgery practices, and more. Their storied careers in equine health and safety, anti-doping and sports compliance provide invaluable insights to the HIWU team.

In this wide-ranging Q&A, members of the Advisory Council share their perspectives on HISA's ADMC Program, HIWU's achievements and future objectives, and comparisons between anti-doping programs in other sports and Thoroughbred racing.

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

Lisa Lazarus
CEO
HISA