HISA

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 eight years and fined a total $90,000 (as well as arbitration costs) for a series of medication violations stemming from 2024 onwards. These penalties come in the wake of a two-year suspension...

Two racetrack veterinarians who are the principals of Maryland Veterinary Group (MVG) have been served with notices of violations and were given provisional suspensions that started Jan. 12 after Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) searches of that practice's offices at Laurel Park and Delaware Park allegedly turned up "banned" substances that, under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) rules, are never to be found in any covered Thoroughbred or possessed on any HISA-regulated grounds. Dr. Nicholas Meittinis and Dr. Adam Lockard are both alleged to have violated HISA Rule...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and trainer Rudy Rodriguez have reached an agreement that will end Rodriguez's provisional suspension and allow him to return to training, HISA and Rodriguez announced jointly in a statement released Tuesday. His suspension will officially end on Wednesday. Rodriguez has not started a horse since Dec.  13. Rodriguez's problems began in November when HISA alleged that the NYRA-based trainer had violated rules related to "cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse" of Thoroughbreds. At that time, HISA served Rodriguez with a "notice of violation and...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has received official approval by the Federal Trade Commission for a series of proposed changes to its Enforcement Rules (Rule Series 8000), the group announced Friday. These changes will take effect January 19, 2026. HISA's updated Enforcement Rules are available in full here and include the following changes: Clarification that it is a violation to enter a Covered Horse or cause a Covered Horse to compete in a Covered Horserace prior to registering the Covered Horse with HISA (note that it is a...

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 Jose R. Gonzalez, Sr. has been suspended 18 months and fined $12,500 as a result of his trainee Discovery N Sight testing positive for the banned bronchodilator Albuterol from an out-of-competition hair sample collected on July 23. His suspension began...

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 small number of horses at heightened risk of apparent sudden death, as well as a better understanding of just what might be happening to them. Using data from more than 21,000 horses who wore the...

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 (HIWU)'s "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Carlos Acosta, Jr. has been banned a combined four years and fined a combined $25,000 after out-of-competition hair and blood samples taken in April from his trainees, Storm Leader and Tucum, tested positive for Albuterol, a banned bronchodilator. At the time...

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: 12/23/2025 Licensee: Jesus Nunez, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 24, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition...

What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com NAJJA THOMPSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS, INC. By 2036, I envision a Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry that has emerged stronger and more sustainable after confronting--and resolving--many of the structural challenges we face today. While the continued retraction of operating racetracks is likely unavoidable over the next decade, the remaining venues will be more strategically aligned with year-round...

It's a piece of legislation not introduced yet, but that didn't stop two industry leaders from discussing at last week's racing symposium in Arizona a proposed immigration change that could alter the way the sport's workforce seeks employment here legally. At the symposium, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) CEO Lisa Lazarus reportedly discussed a plan to expand P Visas to include equine workers with a built-in funding mechanism for the organization, according to BloodHorse. Currently, the backstretch workforce falls under the umbrella of the Fair Labor Standards Act, limiting...

What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com. BILL CASNER, CO-FOUNDER OF WINSTAR FARM What I am so optimistic about with horse racing right now is that young people are returning. Griffin Johnson has something like 2.5 million followers. When he went into the Derby, he had 1.2 million or something followers. He loves racing. He's got a vision of where it's going to go. He will bring, and he...

What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com MATT SCULL, FOUNDER, PRESIDENT OF FIRST RODEO RACING The care for the horse comes before all. A greater emphasis is now placed on the competition rather than the business of breeding and sales. The wrinkles in HISA have been ironed out and it has allowed the proper framework for all states/track operators to pull the rope in the same direction, rather than...