Tag: HISA

Santa Anita Park's just-concluded Winter/Spring Meet was its safest on record. (Image: Santa Anita Park)

Santa Anita Park Enjoys Safest Winter/Spring Meet in its History

Santa Anita Park ended its six-month Winter/Spring Meet as the safest racetrack in North America among its large-track peers, with three racing fatalities from more than 4,800 starters during the just-completed 76-day meet. Only four years removed from a nightmarish season in which 30 horses died during racing or training, […]

Hot Rod Charlie and Flavien Prat (L) were disqualified from last year's Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. Prat later said New Jersey's no-crop rule was partially to blame for the colt's interference and Mandaloun's victory. (Image: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

Commissioners Rescind Monmouth Park’s Restrictive No-Crop Rule

The New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) rescinded Monmouth Park’s draconian no-crop rule that was implemented for the 2021 racing season. The NJRC rescinded the rule in favor of the less-stringent House Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) guidelines. Those guidelines, called “house rules” in New Jersey, allow jockeys six strikes per […]

The United States Anti-Doping Agency couldn't reach an agreement to provide drug testing and enforcement for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The two sides suspended negotiations Thursday, putting a key element of HISA into flux. (Image: USADA)

HISA, USADA Fail to Reach Agreement on Drug Testing, Enforcement

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced Thursday that it suspended talks with the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to help enforce HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control program. The two entities broke off negotiations on Thursday after failing to reach terms on an agreement. The USADA was seen as an […]

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) outlined rules for drug use, riding crop usage and claiming races. (Image: Jay Baker)

HISA Outlines Proposed Rules Governing Drugs, Crops and Claims

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) released its proposed new rules on Thursday that address doping enforcement, medication, crop usage, and new claiming provisions. The HISA proposal puts drug enforcement in the hands of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Those rules simplify what is often a Byzantine maze of […]

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, the chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said in a Saturday TV interview he hopes the final dispersal of the 2020 purse will happen soon. (Image: Doug De Felice/Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Cup Official Said 2020 First-Prize Payout Near Resolution

In a short television interview before Saturday’s Saudi Cup, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia Chairman Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal said the final $10 million purse distribution for the 2020 Saudi Cup should come within six weeks. Prince Bandar addressed the elephant in the room regarding the world’s richest […]

Improbable's romp to the Awesome AGain Stakes title last fall came in a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race. This year, the Awesome Again and its other 'Win and You're In' Breeders' Cup races will run Lasix-free. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Breeders’ Cup Bans Lasix for ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge Races

Following in the footsteps of the Triple Crown races, Breeders’ Cup World Championships officials announced Wednesday their Challenge Series races will run Lasix free. The Challenge Series races are the “Win and You’re In” races spread out over the world. Those events give all-expense-paid spots in the various Breeders’ Cup […]

Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) helped shepherd the bipartisan Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act into law. HISA became law late Sunday night when President Donald Trump signed a $2.3 trillion spending bill that included the legislation. (Image: Lucas Willard/WAMC)

Horseracing Integrity and Safety Bill Becomes Law

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 officially became law Sunday night when President Donald Trump signed the $2.3 trillion omnibus spending bill. That bill provided $900 billion for COVID-19 relief, along with keeping the US government operating. HISA was part of that bill. Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and […]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) discusses the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). Kentucky Republican Congressman Andy Barr (left) and Breeders' Cup President Drew Fleming were key supporters of the bill. (Image: Keeneland)

Congress Passes Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, a bill once thought dead, passed in the US Senate late Monday night, taking up a small part of a $1.4 trillion government funding bill that included $900 billion for COVID-19 relief. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill, which the House […]