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The HISA Newsletter
June 12, 2024
Dear Thoroughbred racing participants,
We’re also pleased to announce today that racetracks operating under HISA’s rules in the first quarter of 2024 recorded 0.84 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, an approximate 38% decrease in racing-related fatalities year over year. Additional Q1 Racetrack Safety metrics can be found in HISA’s report, detailed further below.
This remarkable progress is due in large part to the collaboration between HISA and the members of the sport, who are working together to protect the health and safety of horses and jockeys. Industry-wide collaboration will always be central to strengthening the safety and integrity of racing. We’ve seen this in many ways, including through the constructive feedback HISA has gathered through its Horsemen’s Advisory Group (HAG), the willingness of racetracks to help us pilot new veterinary protocols and data tools, the veterinarians who have worked with us to implement them, and of course, the efforts of the vast majority of racing participants to comply with HISA’s rules and enhanced safety standards.
Finally, be on the lookout for the announcement of our next virtual HISA Town Hall, where I and other participants will answer questions from registered attendees.
As always, I thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
Yours in racing,
Lisa
HISA Publishes 2024 First Quarter Metrics Report
On the heels of a successful Triple Crown season that concluded without any fatalities, HISA has announced the release of its 2024 First Quarter Metrics Report. In keeping with a firm commitment towards transparency and accountability, HISA’s quarterly reports provide stakeholders with key data that reflect the continual progress towards ensuring the safety of U.S. Thoroughbred racing’s equine and human athletes.
The first quarter of 2024 (January 1 – March 31) witnessed an approximate 38% decrease in racing-related fatalities year over year. Racetracks operating under HISA’s rules and running races in the first quarter reported 0.84 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts, compared to 1.35 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts in the first quarter of 2023. Excluding Rillito Park in Arizona, which is closed for racing this year, the same tracks conducted racing during the first quarters of both 2023 and 2024.
This is the first time in U.S. Thoroughbred racing history that fatality metrics have been published on a quarterly basis—a reporting cadence that HISA will maintain going forward, in recognition of the seasonal variabilities in racing conditions and numbers of equine fatalities, as well as the importance of ongoing transparency regarding safety concerns.
Additional highlights of HISA’s Quarterly Metrics Report are available online here.
FTC-Approved Racetrack Safety and Registration Rule Modifications to Take Effect in July
The Racetrack Safety rule modifications submitted by HISA last year to the FTC for review have been approved and will take effect on July 8, 2024. In anticipation of the new rules taking effect, HISA will launch a 30-day educational campaign to help prepare racing industry participants for the changes. This educational campaign will include handbooks, webinars, posters, HISA Portal messaging and social media outreach.
HISA’s updated Racetrack Safety rules include revisions developed after extensive dialogue and feedback from industry participants, including the HAG. The changes, shaped by hundreds of comments from racing stakeholders, aim to enhance the safety and integrity of horse racing nationwide.
Highlights include:
- Updated void claim rule
- A second waiver claiming option
- Changes to certain intra-articular injection standdown times
- Updates to prohibited practices
- Updates to qualifications for placement on and removal from the vets’ list
- Enhanced safety protocols required at race meets
The newly approved rules are available in full here.
In addition to the Racetrack Safety rules, the Federal Trade Commission has approved the changes HISA proposed to the Registration Rules, which will take effect on July 1, 2024 and include the following updates:
- Any entity that owns a Covered Horse must register with HISA;
- Any veterinarian who provides veterinary services to Covered Horses must register with HISA; and
- Responsible Persons must update a Covered Horse’s location within 24 hours and report equine fatalities within 72 hours.
HISA Names New Members of Horsemen’s Advisory Group
This week, HISA welcomed four new members to the HAG, the body of racing industry participants which meets regularly to provide formal feedback to HISA’s executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of the Racetrack Safety and ADMC Programs.
Consignor Craig Bandoroff, owner Jon Green, owner Michael Levinson, and trainer Todd Pletcher have been selected by HISA to join the HAG. They replace outgoing members Mark Casse, Tom Drury, Jr., Linda Gaudet, Fred Hertrich III, David Ingordo, and Tom Robbins, who HISA thanks for their collaboration and service to the sport. The next rotation of HAG members will occur this fall, prior to which time HISA will again invite industry participants to apply to join the Advisory Group.
A full list of HAG members can be found online.
Dr. Rick Mitchell Appointed to HISA Racetrack Safety Committee
HISA is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rick Mitchell to its Racetrack Safety Committee. Dr. Mitchell is an accomplished veterinarian and a senior associate of Fairfield Equine Associates, primarily based in North Carolina and Florida.
The current Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the American Horse Council, Dr. Mitchell has previously served on multiple Boards including those of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). He has served as an official veterinarian for the US Equestrian Team at six Olympic Games as well as multiple Pan American and World Games. Dr. Mitchell received a B.S. in animal science from North Carolina State University and a D.V.M. from Oklahoma State University.
The HISA Racetrack Safety Committee advises and assists HISA with the implementation of its Racetrack Safety Program and must approve any proposed rule modifications related to the program. Dr. Mitchell will replace outgoing Committee member Dr. Noah Cohen, who HISA thanks for his service to the sport.
Metformin Provisional Suspensions to be Deferred Pending RMTC Review
On June 4, following the recommendation of the ADMC Committee, the HISA Board of Directors announced that it has requested HIWU defer active Provisional Suspensions of Responsible Persons for metformin positives under the ADMC Program, effective immediately.
In line with HISA’s ADMC requirements, metformin is included in the Prohibited Substances List because there is no recognized therapeutic use for the substance in horses involved in Thoroughbred racing. In addition, HIWU has intelligence that some horsemen may be using metformin to try and gain a performance advantage. However, there is limited scientific information available regarding the substance’s use in horses. The HISA Board feels that further expert analysis on the topic is necessary to determine if any refinement of HISA’s rules is appropriate.
Consequently, HISA and HIWU have asked the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium’s (RMTC) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to conduct a review of the available science relating to metformin. Following RMTC’s Board of Director’s approval, any conclusions drawn and guidance produced regarding the SAC’s review will be shared with HISA’s ADMC Committee. Once the RMTC Scientific Advisory Committee completes its work, which HISA expects will take several months, the ADMC Committee and the HISA Board will determine whether any policy changes regarding metformin should be submitted to the FTC for approval.
In this interim period, metformin remains on the Prohibited Substances List and, as such, regardless of the source and/or the existence of any mitigating circumstances, any ADMC Program violation resulting from an Adverse Analytical Finding for metformin will result in the automatic disqualification of race results of the relevant Covered Horse. The deferral of Provisional Suspensions is only applicable to the Responsible Person; Covered Horses that test positive for metformin are still subject to a Provisional Suspension.
HISA’s Participation in Upcoming Industry Conferences
This week, from June 12-14, HISA Racetrack Safety Committee Chair Dr. Susan Stover will participate in the Global Summit on Equine Safety and Technology hosted by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Dr. Stover will speak during several sessions on equine fracture risk factors and preventative measures, including HISA’s initiatives to reduce injury risk.
Additionally, HISA HAG member Dr. Sara Langsam will present on the use of wearable technology at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit at the University of Kentucky on June 25. In her address, Dr. Langsam will provide insights and updates on the AAEP’s next steps in adopting technology that can be worn by horses to collect biometric data and monitor for heightened levels of risk.
HISA and Jockeys’ Guild to Host International Jockey Wellness Conference in October
HISA and the Jockeys' Guild are proud to announce that they will co-host the International Jockey Concussion, Safety, and Wellness Conference, from October 9-11, 2024, in Lexington, KY. The groundbreaking event will serve as a forum for exploring ways to address critical mental wellness, concussion, and medical issues affecting Thoroughbred jockeys and participants in other equestrian sports.
The conference’s comprehensive program will feature two days of engaging sessions – including roundtable discussions, presentations and lectures – on topics related to jockey safety and wellbeing. The information shared, including best practices and potential industry solutions, will be highly relevant to a broad range of attendees, including medical professionals, racetrack safety directors, EMTs and first responders, racetrack management, jockeys and their families, academics, and other racing industry stakeholders.
Scheduled speakers include Dr. Margot Putukian, Chief Medical Officer of Major League Soccer; Dr. Steven Broglio, Director of the University of Michigan Concussion Center and Neurotrauma Research Laboratory; Dr. Shae Datta, Vice Chair of the American Academy of Neurology’s Sports Neurotrauma Section; and Dr. Mark Hart, Cardiologist and FEI Medical Committee Chairman, among others.
Racing industry participants who are required to meet certain annual continuing education requirements under HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program will be eligible to receive credit for conference attendance. For more details and to register to attend, please visit the conference information page or contact Niki Robb at niki.robb@hisaus.org.
HIWU Update
From the desk of Ben Mosier, Executive Director, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit:
At this time one year ago, HIWU had just launched the first national, uniform anti-doping and medication control program for Thoroughbred racing in the United States. Countless hours went into preparing for implementation, and countless more have been dedicated to making the program the best it can be in the 12 months since. This included maintaining constant communication with industry stakeholders to respond to feedback and make adjustments when appropriate.
These efforts paid off. In the first 366 days of the ADMC Program:
- More than 76,000 horses were tested at 60+ racetracks and training centers in 20 states.
- Partner laboratories reported the presence of 40+ Prohibited Substances.
- 277 barn searches were conducted.
- 171 tips were received through the anonymous whistleblower platforms.
- Program laboratories reported 38 Atypical Findings; of the 37 cases that have been resolved thus far, three have been pursued as a potential violation.
- Cases were resolved in an average of 70.2 days from the date of sample collection/violation.
The year was punctuated by administering the ADMC Program for all of racing’s biggest events, which most recently included our first Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. We have just completed our second Belmont Stakes and are now preparing for the busy summer racing season. We'll build on last year’s successes while applying necessary updates based on feedback and experience from 2023.
Receptiveness and adaptability will be perpetual themes in our second year of operations, for we will continue to engage with the industry to refine processes, consider enforcement changes, and educate participants when adjustments are made. Fortunately, the data demonstrates the success of HIWU’s partnerships with stakeholders. As shown in our 2023 Annual Report, the vast majority of horsemen are complying with the program. HIWU’s goal in 2024 and beyond is to ensure that these horsemen can compete on a level playing field and that those who compromise the welfare of the horse and the integrity of the sport face meaningful consequences.
Thank you again for all you do to ensure that we're moving forward together.
Lisa Lazarus
CEO
HISA
