Federal oversight is coming to horse racing
Essential Quality, center, leaves the gate at the start of the 153rd Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, 2021. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
When the horses start running around the track in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, no one is going to be thinking about HISA.
But HISA is going to have an impact on the sport very soon.
Federal oversight is coming with an eye on making it safer and trying to ensure clean competition.
A federal law was passed in December of 2020 called the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. It allowed for the creation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) to be formed under the Federal Trade Commission’s umbrella.
Thoroughbred racing didn’t have a national governing body like other sports. It does now — HISA.
New rule: There will be a uniform set of rules.
"Uniformity, I think, is, one of the most important components because I think that’s how a) you make things fairer; you make them more transparent,” said Lisa Lazarus, who was installed as HISA’s CEO in February.
“And then that just kind of gets to the goal of the organization. It gives it a chance to regulate nationally in a way that does everything possible to care for the welfare of the horse and also the welfare of the humans that are riding or associated with the horse.”
There are two prongs to this. The first goes into effect July 1. It’s called the Racetrack Safety Program.
The aim, Lazarus said, is to try “to minimize and hopefully one day eliminate equine fatalities (and) human injury.”
So the jockeys will be required to register, have their fitness certified and take a baseline concussion test. They will also be required to carry a medical information card in their safety vest while riding, just in case.
There will also be new regulations about hitting the horse with a riding crop.
“I think the riding crop rule is really an important one,” Lazarus said. “… It defines what is allowed in terms of whipping, which is much, much, much less than is allowed in a lot of states. There’s a maximum of six strikes, but they’re not in succession. … The crop should be limited to safety and direction and not obviously for punishment or any kind of competitive advantage.
“… And also you’re only allowed to strike the hindquarters, like, areas that are not as sensitive for the horse. And then there’s also specifications around the whip. The portion of the whip that would actually strike the horse is a much softer material.”
Trainers will have to register themselves and their horses and keep up-to-date health and vaccination information for those horses. Trainers will also have to participate in four hours of continuing education each year.
Then there are the racetracks. HISA has study results for the best surfaces to prevent equine fatalities. Experts will be testing surfaces. HISA plans to ensure they have optimal ones. Lazarus said that rules for track accreditation will be phased in.
The second prong is the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. It’s geared toward centralized testing, taking on investigations and prosecuting violations. The program goes into effect Jan. 1.
Lazarus said there will be “a very kind of intense, well-resourced investigative arm.”
“I think that’s also really going to help us determine whether or not we have real problems,” she said. “If we do, the good thing is we have national uniform rules to deal with them. And if we don’t, we’ll have national uniform rules to prevent them going forward.”
Belmont field loses two
The post position draw for the Belmont Stakes will be held on Tuesday at the track. There were two withdrawals on Monday. Ethereal Road and Howling Time are out.
