HISA

For the last several days, I have been thinking about the best way to respond to Friday's article by T.D. Thornton about Mr. and Mrs. Pimental. The story was disturbing to read, both because of the human story and the picture it paints of the organization I manage. First, it is impossible to not feel tremendous empathy for what the Pimentals are experiencing. Second, the article implied that HISA and HIWU are devoid of concern for regular horsemen, are looking to wipe out smaller training operations, and are ignorant to...

The Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team has conducted the first stage of an extensive assessment of the veterinary and treatment records associated with more than 200 potential contenders for the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, it was announced Tuesday. The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade I races and $31 million in purses and awards, will showcase the best Thoroughbreds from around the globe Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park. Working in conjunction with Dr. Jennifer Durenberger of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), Dr. Will Farmer...

Trainer John Pimental was mired in a 1-for-46 streak on the morning of July 28, 2023. But the 68-year-old horseman knew he didn't have life as bad as those numbers suggested. He was taking care of eight Thoroughbreds for a good, longtime client. He enjoyed escorting runners to the Monmouth Park starting gate with his 17-year-old pony, hustling as much business as he could on race days when his own horses weren't in, the way he had always earned a living as a second-generation racetracker who grew up on a...

Following discussions with HISA's ADMC Committee, HIWU will no longer impose Provisional Suspensions on Covered Persons upon the service of an Equine Anti-Doping Notice for an Adverse Analytical Finding (i.e., positive test result) for Banned Substances that are recognized as substances of abuse in humans, the unit said in a release Friday. Examples that fall under this category include cocaine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). If a Covered Horse's A Sample tests positive for one of these Banned Substances, a Provisional Suspension will not be imposed on the relevant...

Joe Taylor, who has been among the top trainers at Parx since he began his career about eight years ago, has received a six-year suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after two of his horses tested positive for the banned substances clenbuterol and methylphenidate. According to a posting on the HIWU website, Taylor has admitted the violations and accepted the penalties. However, his attorney, Alan Pincus, raised questions about the positive tests. "No trainer is going to give his horse two different easily detectable illegal drugs and...

Dear Thoroughbred racing participants, I want to thank everyone in racing who continues to do their part to promote HISA rule compliance to help advance our sport. HISA is proud of and encouraged by the progress we have made in the first five months of our Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, as well as the safety improvements we've seen across the country under U.S. Thoroughbred racing's first-ever uniform regulations. We continue to make the sport safer for our athletes while also making the rules clearer and more efficient for...

Earlier this month, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans heard oral arguments in a pivotal case—led by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA)—seeking to overturn the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) on grounds that it is constitutionally flawed. In short, the Fifth Circuit's pending ruling could have profound implications for the short and long-term future of the federal law. Oral arguments in the Fifth Circuit follow a key decision earlier this year out of the United States Court of Appeals...

Trainer Keri Brion, whose stable includes both flat and steeplechase horses, has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after a horse she trained allegedly tested positive for cocaine following a Sept. 19 race at Presque Isle Downs. The horse, Chasing After You (Speightstown), won the race, a $25,000 claiming event. Provisional suspensions can result in suspensions of up to two years. The suspension has been postponed because Brion has yet to either request a split sample or inform HIWU that she has waived her right...

Leroy Gessmann, who served as president of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) from 2015 to 2021 and currently works as the Arizona HBPA's executive director, told commissioners at the Arizona Racing Commission (AZRC) meeting Thursday that regardless of the decision gets handed down by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, both the HBPA and its opponents in a 2 1/2-year-old lawsuit to nullify the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) agree that the nation's highest court will eventually have to be called upon...

My wife and I recently started working on our travel plans for next year's Triple Crown races. Unfortunately, that will likely not include the 2024 Kentucky Derby as our trainer, Mr. Bob Baffert, for the 3rd year in a row still won't be allowed to race our horses at Churchill Downs, should our horses be so qualified. We have had to deal with this for the past few years with multiple horses, where Churchill Downs, a public entity, has deemed itself to be a higher power than the various state...

The attorney for veterinarians Scott Shell and Barbara Hippie, who have been provisionally suspended by the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) for possession of bisphosphonates and two other medications told the TDN Saturday morning that the veterinarians were operating under the rule as published. "Drs. Shell and Hippie vehemently deny any violation of the veterinary rules as posted pursuant to HISA," said Drew Mollica by phone Saturday. "We look forward an immediate hearing so that all of the facts may be explored and their good names and reputations...

Two veterinarians have been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) for possession of bisphosphonates, the controversial drug for treatment of bone degeneration issues that has long bedeviled horse racing regulators due to its ability to stay in the system for years, and it's propensity to potentially weaken bones if misused. It is understood these are the first such actions HIWU has taken for possession of bisphosphonates. No post-race or out-of-competition samples have as yet returned positive for bisphosphonates, according to the HIWU rulings web-page. HIWU is...