HISA

The closer the clock ticks down to Nov. 4, when Turf Paradise's latest 130-day meet is scheduled to launch, the louder will the questions resound about the facility's historically checkered approach to equine welfare and safety. Near the midway point during last year's Turf Paradise meet, its equine fatality rate was more than 2.8 deaths per 1,000 starts. This compares to the national equine fatality rate of 1.39 per 1,000 starts last year. Between Oct. 10, 2021, and May 7, 2022, 11 horses were fatally injured during morning training at...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Los Alamitos Date: 09/16/2022 Licensee: Victor Espinoza, jockey Penalty: $500 fine Violation: Excessive use of...

Curtis Burns is passionate about horses. Like many in the horse industry, he credits the horse for everything that he has. A lifelong horseman, he grew up in the Minnesota, noting his then small stature had him poised to be an exercise rider or jockey prospect. However, at around age 14 a chance opportunity led him to the racetrack. "Pretty much from there I never went home," he said. Burns now wears many hats--farrier, innovator, teacher, and the manufacturer of the Polyflex Shoe and other farrier products. He told the...

InCompass Solutions has launched EquiTAPS, a free service that enables users to submit veterinary treatment and procedure records to racing authorities for horses in their care and to give authorized parties in other jurisdictions access to those records. EquiTAPS satisfies reporting requirements as set forth by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and will accept records submitted by covered persons as defined by HISA, including trainers and veterinarians. When required by HISA's regulations, treatment and procedure information entered into EquiTAPS will be automatically forwarded to HISA. "We are excited...

The owners of Drafted (Field Commission) have appealed a ruling handed down by the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) that could cost them $26,000 in purse money because their jockey Luis Castro violated HISA rules regarding the use of the whip. The incident occurred in the GI Forego S., where Drafted finished fifth. NYRA stewards determined that Castro hit the gelding 10 times during the race. Under HISA regulations that have been in place since July 1, a rider cannot whip a horse more than six times. According...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Del Mar Date: 08/26/2022 Licensee: James Marsden, owner Penalty: Suspended...

The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Assocation released the following letter on HISA. Click here to read the full letter. Below is an excerpt from the letter: "In short, HISA has survived constitutional challenges and the legal maneuverings now are just a distraction lacking substance. As the federal court said when it granted the limited injunction, if HISA fixes the four issues it specifically addressed as faulty, the case is over. Our view was previously, and continues to be, that litigation would be costly and there is little to gain. HISA was crafted...

As promised in remarks made by Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) CEO Lisa Lazarus during The Jockey Club Round Table in Saratoga Aug. 14, a Horsemen's Advisory Group to provide feedback to its executive team and Standing Committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA's regulations and protocols has been established.  HISA is inviting all horsemen and women who wish to be considered for membership in the Advisory Group to email horsemenadvisory@hisaus.org indicating their interest and qualifications by Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. "We look forward to building upon our...

The Jockey Club has elected six new members: Len Coleman, who served alongside Dr. Nancy Cox as co-chair of the blue-ribbon nominating committee that was formed to select members of the board of directors and standing committees of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA); Dr. Nancy Cox, in addition to her aforementioned role, Cox is the vice president for Land Grant Engagement and the dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky (UK). Also elected were Marc Holliday, who was elected chairman of...

In advance of oral arguments scheduled Aug. 30 in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the two sides involved in the injunction appeal brought by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act Authority (HISA) have filed legal briefs that they hope will sway the court to their side of the case. Both HISA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are defendants in an underlying lawsuit led by the states of Louisiana and West Virginia, plus the Jockeys' Guild, that alleges unconstitutionality and federal rulemaking procedure violations regarding...

Either trainer Burton Sipp is an unwitting pariah, or racing is his witting fool. Over the last 40 years, Sipp has faced allegations involving insurance scams and dead horses, animal neglect cases, race-fixing stings and regulatory malfeasance. Not all the accusations against him have stuck. Since the mid 1990s, Sipp has been barred from applying for a racing license in New Jersey due to swirling suspicions of fraudulent practices. So he moved his tack to more welcoming pastures. For the past few years, the trainer has been dogged by allegations...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.California Track: Del Mar Date: 08/11/2022 Licensee:  Derrick Brown, owner Penalty: Suspension Violation:...