HISA

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has reached an agreement with Churchill Downs regarding the track's unpaid HISA dues, according to an order posted on HISA's website Tuesday. No specific details of the agreement were made public Tuesday other than that the case has been stayed "until notification from the parties that the conditions of the agreement have been satisfied," according to a joint motion dated March 24, and signed by Charles Scheeler, chair of HISA's board of directors. In that motion, it is also written that "[t]he parties have reached...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) published its 2025 Annual Metrics Report Tuesday which showed just 1.04 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts. The report notes that that number, which is "a sustained reduction from pre-HISA benchmarks", also marks a nearly 50% decline since reporting began nationally in 2009 by The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database (EID). "Our mission is clear: to make Thoroughbred racing safer for horses and riders while safeguarding the integrity and future of the sport," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "The data contained in this...

According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database (EID), the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009. Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University...

A federal judge on Monday ended a nearly two-year-old lawsuit by dismissing seven of the eight counts in litigation initiated by two Iowa horsemen who alleged unconstitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) and the way the HISA Authority collects assessment fees. The eighth count, which pertained to an order from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the fees, will simply be remanded back to that agency for a reworded explanation because, the judge wrote, "there is a 'strong possibility' that the FTC Order is guilty of nothing...

All breakdowns are horrible, something that no one ever wants to see and something that remains a troubling issue the racing industry continues to face. So it was a horrible scene on March 14 at the Fair Grounds when the 5-year-old gelding Guaguarero (Mo Town) fractured his right front ankle in a $12,500 maiden claimer and began to lose his action about 20 yards before the wire. Somehow, well in front of the field at the time, he managed to stagger across the wire still in front and was declared...

Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, has come a long way in the 3 1/2 years he has been training on his own. He's already won more than 100 races and collected a pair of Grade I wins, including World Beater (Oscar Performance)'s score in last year's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. And now it looks like he'll have a starter in this year's GI Kentucky Derby. In winning the Virginia Derby, the Mott-trained Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) earned enough points to guarantee himself a spot in...

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 Dates: 03/17/2026 Licensee: Pedro Nazario, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on March 18, 2026; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--The mercurial Louis I. Kahn said that, "The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a building." For something a touch more vernacular, the master architect was still no less pithy when he reminded us that, "Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces." Oaklawn Park, ever the innovator in the world of horse racing, has faithfully scooped up Kahn's architectural spirit. They have put thought into a blueprint that can change their backside for the future and it starts in the form...

In the ongoing battle between HISA and Churchill Downs Inc., HISA fired the latest shot Tuesday, ordering Churchill to pay it $5,024,848.56, plus interest in the amount of $250,631.77. In documents released Tuesday by HISA, the authority charged that if CDI does not comply with the order it will no longer be able to simulcast races from any of its tracks to out-of-state locations starting Mar. 27. The legislation that created HISA allows it to revoke a tracks simulcasting privileges if HISA believes a track is in violation of its...

Gary Biszantz, who bought his first Thoroughbred for $400 at age 21 in 1956 and was still active in the sport nearly 70 years later, passed away Saturday afternoon after an accidental fall, according to Mike Owens, long-time manager of his Cobra Farm. Owens added that Biszantz's wife, Betty, and six daughters were all with him at the time. Biszantz was 91. Biszantz established Cobra Farm in the 90s, selling it last year after enjoying 480 winners, 32 in stakes and four at Grade I level, and twice went down...

Our existing industry "members," for lack of a better encompassing term, need to come together and agree on a unifying mission statement. This could happen around The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson's "big table". Why not a mission statement similar to the Breeders' Cup for our industry, like this: "To provide safe, healthy, fair, and high-integrity environments for our horses and fans, and owners and bettors to compete in, at all levels, of our sports entertainment industry." Why be similar to the Breeders' Cup? The Breeders' Cup is not only...

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. Among this week's rulings, trainer Angel Sanchez-Pinero has been banned a combined four years and fined a combined $50,000 for two out-of-competition positive tests involving banned substances. Sanchez-Pinero is already serving a combined 10-year ban for a series of medication violations stemming from 2024 onwards....