The HISA Newsletter
September 30, 2024
Dear Thoroughbred racing participants,
It has been an exciting summer for Thoroughbred racing, marked by significant progress across the sport. In July, we were pleased to publish our Second Quarter Metrics Report, which shows the nationwide racing-related equine fatality rate has declined for four consecutive quarters since HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program was implemented in May 2023.
We were pleased to lead, along with Jockeys’ Guild, a series of important meetings this month between jockeys and members of Congress in Washington, D.C. and are excited to host the first-ever International Jockey Concussion, Safety and Wellness Conference with the Guild next month in Lexington.
Additionally, in partnership with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), we’ve made critical progress in addressing issues at certain testing laboratories, further strengthening the integrity of anti-doping enforcement. Earlier this month, HIWU announced the findings of its investigation of the University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which uncovered evidence of serious misconduct and failures to comply with the requirements of the ADMC Program. I am incredibly proud of HIWU’s investigation, and confident in our combined ability to protect the integrity of the industry’s lab testing infrastructure with improved processes under the HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation standards in 2025.
I want to extend my gratitude to everyone involved in racing who has collaborated with and supported HISA’s mission through your feedback and rule compliance and encourage you to continue to stay engaged – whether by joining our next Town Hall, applying to join our Board or one of our various committees or advisory groups or by simply doing your part to uphold safety and integrity in the sport we all love.
Yours in racing,
Lisa
HISA and Jockeys’ Guild Hold Jockey Advocacy Week on Capitol Hill
Earlier this month, representatives from HISA and Jockeys’ Guild traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and their staffs, providing them an opportunity to hear directly from riders and their families about the importance of improving mental and physical health outcomes for jockeys. The visits were highly productive, enabling jockeys and their families to share their personal experiences. HISA and Jockeys’ Guild briefed Congress on the tools they established to improve health conditions, including the sport’s first uniform concussion protocol, HEADCHECK integration and the creation of the industry’s jockey mental health steering committee.
HISA and Jockeys’ Guild were pleased to facilitate conversations with a large bipartisan group of Congressmembers, during which they asked them to consider the following:
- Joining the Congressional Mental Health Caucus
- Joining the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
- Supporting the Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023, which would speed up connecting callers with their nearest call center so they can receive appropriate care from mental health professionals as quickly and as safely as possible, while still protecting user privacy.
HISA extends its gratitude to the lawmakers who participated, including, but not limited to:
- Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY)
- Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA)
- Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN)
- Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY)
- Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
- Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Top: HISA, Jockeys’ Guild and jockey representatives meet with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Bottom: The group meets with Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) (Photo Credit: Daniel Swartz for HISA)
HISA Establishes Veterinary Advisory Committee
This week, HISA announced it has established a Veterinary Advisory Committee that will be made up of regulatory and private practice racetrack veterinarians from around the nation. The committee will provide feedback to HISA’s executive team and standing committees on the implementation and evolution of HISA’s regulations and protocols related to veterinary care, medication, racetrack safety, equine research, and other relevant issues.
HISA is seeking qualified veterinarians from diverse professional backgrounds and geographies to serve on the Veterinary Advisory Committee to ensure a broad representation of perspectives. The group will be expected to meet monthly to provide feedback to HISA’s leadership.
Interested candidates are invited to submit an application (available here) to Dr. Shari Silverman at shari.silverman@hisaus.org with the subject line “VAC Application” by October 25, 2024. Veterinarians committed to equine welfare with an interest in shaping the future of safety and integrity in Thoroughbred racing are encouraged to apply.
HISA Sponsors Racehorse Necropsy Workshop at UC Davis
HISA, in conjunction with the Davis Thompson Foundation, sponsored a Racehorse Necropsy Workshop at the UC Davis California Animal Health and Food Safety Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in San Bernardino, California from September 12-14. The workshop was attended by veterinary pathologists, regulatory veterinarians, clinical residents and veterinary students from the US, Japan, Ireland, Hong Kong, Spain, and Mexico.
This hands-on event provided expert guidance detailing racehorse anatomy, pathology, and the factors that affect racehorse health and performance. Participants discovered and discussed the critical steps in diagnosing racehorse health issues from gross examination to pathological specimens. The interactive environment led to thought provoking discussions on case studies, recent research and advancement in imaging diagnostics as well as equine pathology.
Attendees were exposed to the unique issues and specific examination protocols when performing a necropsy of a racehorse. HISA rules require a postmortem examination and report which are used in conjunction with the required mortality review. Findings contribute to the education for the prevention of future racehorse injuries and illnesses. The next Racehorse Necropsy Workshop is being planned for the fall of 2025 at the University of Kentucky.
Proposed Supplemental Rule Series Posted to the HISA Website
HISA recently published to its website a proposed new set of supplemental rules relating to topics such as cleanliness and security of receiving barns, restrooms on the backside, disclosure of consumption of Prohibited Substances and entering a horse on the Veterinarians’ List while awaiting the results of a blood sample collection.
HISA Seeks Applications for Board, Standing Committees
HISA is accepting applications for industry experts to join its Board of Directors, Racetrack Safety Standing Committee and ADMC Standing Committee. The Board and Standing Committees play a critical role in developing, implementing and enforcing HISA’s Racetrack Safety and ADMC Programs.
Qualified candidates interested in serving on the Board or Standing Committees are invited to complete and submit the Nominee Screening Questionnaire, along with a statement of interest and resume, to Anjali Salooja at anjali.salooja@hisaus.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis at such time as vacancies arise.
HISA Publishes Multiyear Strategic Plan
This month, HISA published on its website a draft of its multiyear strategic plan for public comment. The plan outlines HISA’s strategic priorities for 2024-2029, including:
- Expanding stakeholder education and training efforts
- Improving track surface conditions and maintenance practices
- Harnessing technology to implement advanced injury prevention and management systems
- Pursuing critical research initiatives and collaborating with international counterparts
- Improving resources designed to address jockey well-being.
A final version of HISA’s multiyear strategic plan will be posted on the HISA website in October.
HISA and Jockeys’ Guild Host International Jockey Wellness Conference Next Month in Lexington
Building on the momentum of our Capitol Hill advocacy week, HISA and Jockeys’ Guild look forward to hosting the first-ever International Jockey Concussion, Safety and Wellness Conference from October 9-11 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The historic event will focus on mental wellness, concussion and medical issues affecting athletes, particularly Thoroughbred jockeys and participants in other equestrian sports. The international lineup of distinguished speakers will feature, among others, Dr. Margot Putukian, Chief Medical Officer at Major League Soccer, and Dr. Steve Broglio, Director of the University of Michigan Concussion Center and the Neurotrauma Research Laboratory. Additional speakers will include experts from multiple U.S. universities, as well as Ireland and the International Equestrian Federation.
HISA is pleased to be advancing these critical conversations exploring how the sport can best support the athletes who are so integral to the industry’s success.
Registration for the conference is still open for those interested in attending. Racing industry participants who are required to meet certain annual continuing education requirements under HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program will be eligible to receive credit for conference attendance. For more information, contact Niki Robb at niki.robb@hisaus.org.
HIWU Update
From the desk of Ben Mosier, Executive Director, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit:
University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Investigation
On September 17, HIWU and HISA released the results of HIWU’s investigation of the University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (UK-EACL). The full report can be accessed here.
Key findings of the six-month long investigation include:
- UK-EACL’s failure to comply with mandatory testing specifications and instructions, including its standard operating procedures and sample analysis methods.
- UK-EACL misrepresented both its ability to test for specific substances, including erythropoietin, and the completion of analysis for certain substances on specific Samples.
- At the direction of UK-EACL Director Dr. Scott Stanley, the laboratory failed to perform confirmatory analysis on 91 Samples whose initial screening showed the potential presence of a Prohibited Substance and therefore required follow-up, instead reporting the Samples as Negative.
As a result of these findings, HIWU reanalyzed and reconciled all remaining potentially affected Samples, and HISA has sought repayment from the University of Kentucky for the laboratory’s non-compliant services. Ultimately, two false positive results and two false negative results were found. The false negatives will be pursued as potential violations under the ADMC Program, while the cases related to the false positives will be withdrawn, and the affected parties will be made financially whole.
To provide further assurance that the other Program Laboratories are in compliance with the ADMC Program requirements, HIWU has bolstered its Negative Sample Exchange Program and is preparing to implement HEAL accreditation on January 1, 2025. HEAL accreditation will give HIWU a strengthened ability to ensure strict compliance by all Program Laboratories with all ADMC Program requirements.
This investigation represents the impact of a national, uniform ADMC Program in which laboratories are held accountable for their work. The deceitful activities regarding UK-EACL were uncovered because of the HISA ADMC Program and HIWU’s diligence. We’re proud to have uncovered and halted these unacceptable practices that pre-dated HISA and HIWU and were unfair to horsemen and put horses at risk.
We are thankful for the University of Kentucky’s cooperation through the duration of our investigation and look forward to the future of laboratory accreditation under our Program.
Breeders’ Cup
With just over one month until the second Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held under the ADMC Program, HIWU’s preparations are well underway. We are in communication with the Breeders’ Cup as part of coordination for Out-of-Competition Testing and other needs leading up to and the week of the event.
Industry Engagement
Since August, I have presented to the boards of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and Thoroughbred Racing Associations. Additionally, I met with industry leaders when in Saratoga for The Jockey Club Round Table Conference and joined multiple meetings of HISA’s Next Generation Advisory Group. Most recently, my team and I convened for a meeting with HIWU’s Advisory Council, in which we discussed strategic planning for 2025 and beyond.
The ADMC Program can be most effective when supported by the partnerships of all stakeholders, and we at HIWU remain thankful for the continued collaboration by the Thoroughbred industry to promote success in all areas of the Program.
Thank you again for all you do to ensure that we’re moving forward together.
