With a view to pulling the veil back on the whys and wherefores of their operations, a representative of either the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN. If you have any questions you'd [...]

A raft of changes to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program woven into the recently introduced Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act could open up the visa to the immigrant backstretch workforce. Designed specifically for agricultural workers, the H-2A program has for a long time effectively excluded equine backstretch workers from participation as it is designed for [...]

With a view to pulling the veil back on the hows and whys of their operations, a representative of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN. If you have any questions you'd like [...]

In the latest salvo amid an oftentimes confusing chain of events that have played out across Pennsylvania's racing industry the last couple of months, the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) issued a statement Thursday denying allegations the organization had failed to provide adequate support for the nine trainers at Parx Racing who were told last [...]

With a view to pulling the veil back on the hows and whys of their operations, a representative of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN. If you have any questions you'd like to ask HISA, please feel free to send [...]

The Kentucky legislature has overridden the governor's veto on a sweeping bill that opens the door to fixed odds wagering in the state and bars a cap being placed on the number of mares bred to a stallion there, among its many facets. HB 904, first introduced into the state legislature by Republican Representatives Matthew [...]

The Tehama and Humboldt County Fairs have submitted summer race date applications to be considered at this Thursday's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) meeting. Tehama's proposed fair racing meet would run from Apr. 29 to May 26. Humboldt's requested dates would go from Aug. 5 to Sept. 1. There remain, however, several outstanding financial, bureaucratic [...]

Two days after first being quietly unveiled at Santa Anita, the Racing on Demand slot machine-style parimutuel games-with distinct similarities to Historic Horse Racing-were removed from the track by Department of Justice law enforcement officers Saturday afternoon in a pubic operation that saw DOJ personnel wheel the machines out the back of the Santa Anita [...]

Though rare, sudden deaths in racehorses have long proven a source of great frustration for being just that–a sudden event with virtually no way to predict it, and oftentimes no way to explain it. Emerging research, however, offers real hope that perhaps soon, the industry will have a way to both zero in on the [...]

Very near the final hour, the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) and Gulfstream Park have landed on a three-year live racing agreement, some details of which were shared in joint press releases issued Tuesday. This agreement is a federal requirement for a racetrack to conduct live racing and simulcast its signal nationwide. Gulfstream [...]

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 08/18/2025 Licensee: Anna Meah, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 [...]

After well-publicized track management issues last month that saw racing and training suspended for a short period, Thistledown has been back up and running since August 4 with a new track superintendent. But that doesn't mean the work is done. The task of keeping a racetrack in good shape is an ongoing daily headache–just ask [...]