Martin: HISA Needs A Rewrite, Not A Midnight Quick Fix

by Press Release | 6 Dec 22 “Don't make the same mistake twice,” ARCI President Ed Martin said in reaction to reports that Senator Mitch McConnell will make an effort to slip changes to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) in to the Defense Appropriations Bill or Omnibus Spending bill. “Such a move would…

Horse racing-U.S. Senator McConnell pushing for legislative fix to safety law

(Reuters via Yahoo!News) Dec, 3, 2022 — U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is pushing for a legislative fix to a law designed to make horse racing safer after an appeals court last month ruled it unconstitutional, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters. The changes to the law, which would provide…

Injunction Halts Implementation of HISA Rules in LA, WV

HISA refers to the “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.” This Act creates a Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (“Authority”) as a private self-regulatory organization. The Authority must develop rules related to horseracing, including anti-doping, medication control and racetrack safety rules. Predictably, it is already in trouble. REUTERS reports: (Reuters) — A federal judge on Tuesday…

Jockey Club weighs in on Baffert vs NYRA

Attorney Susan Phillips Read has filed a request on behalf of The Jockey Club to provide an amicus brief in the civil lawsuit filed by trainer Bob Baffert against the New York Racing Association, reports BloodHorse.com. An amicus brief is provided by a person or entity who is not a party to a case who assists…

Mitch McConnell rides a spooked horse — the racing industry

We have been following the scuttlebutt this week since it was announced that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has decided to ride to the rescue of horse racing. He is riding a spooked horse so not sure what he can do, but it appears he feels he has found at least part of the answer —…