HIWU

In light of pointed criticism aimed at the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) by an arbitrator in a recent case, the drug enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) has issued a horsemen's advisory on a supplement called Easywillow, along with broader recommendations for horsemen and women about their use of supplements. Earlier this month, trainer Gary Greiner was banned four months and fined $1,000 after he was found in possession of a dietary supplement containing a banned substance in June of last year, as per...

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 to ask HISA or HIWU, please feel free to send them over to us at the following email address: danross@thetdn.com. The following question was submitted by Kate Hunter, a U.S. representative for Japanese participants. Q:...

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 Vance Childers has been suspended a combined 46 months and fined a combined $30,000 for an out-of-competition and a race-day medication violation, respectively, and for a possession charge of Piper Methysticum (Kava), a banned anti-inflammatory. Childers's case is intertwined with that...

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, owner and trainer Raul Beltran-Moreno has been suspended for 18-months and fined $12,500 after he was found in possession of Pitcher Plant Extract, a banned substance (which goes by the brand name Sarapin) due to its analgesic properties. The suspension began...

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 Christopher R. Fung has been suspended two years and fined a total of $20,000 (including arbitration costs) after his trainee, Anointed King, tested positive for Clenbuterol after finishing second at Finger Lakes on Aug. 20, 2024. His suspension began on...

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: 04/21/2026 Licensee: Anthony F. Cunningham, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)--a class C controlled substance--in a sample taken from Sound Doctrine on 3/20/26. Dates: 04/21/2026 Licensee: Scott E. Young,...

A methamphetamine pipe found at the entrance to the Los Alamitos test-barn last December raises questions as to whether federal and state oversight of these supposedly tightly controlled enclosures, where blood and urine samples are drawn before being sent off for testing, is sufficient to ensure they're operated in the cleanest, most transparent way possible. On December 7, a meth pipe was discovered on the threshold of the track's test-barn, triggering an investigation by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). According to CHRB spokesperson Mike Marten, no complaint was ultimately...

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: 03/30/2026 Licensee: Karyn Wittek, trainer Penalty: 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 $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final...

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: 03/24/2026 Licensee: Joe Toye, trainer Penalty: 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 $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final...

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...

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....

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: 03/02/2026 Licensee: Angela M. Aquino, trainer Penalty: 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 $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points....