HISA Confident AMDC Program Will Launch March 27

Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority officials said Feb. 27 that they do not anticipate any obstacles that could hinder the launch of its Anti-Doping and Medication Control program in 30 days.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said, "I really don't think there is anything, which is why I'm so confident. There's no pending legal action that is on the schedule to resolve ahead of March 27. And don't forget for those who have been following, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was modified at the end of 2022. And no party, no person, no entity has mounted any challenge to that law."

Because of ongoing litigation that, at least for the time being, prevents HISA from operating in Louisiana and West Virginia, Lazarus said that the AMDC program will not be administered in those states. She also said that HISA will let the case before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana resolve before operating any programs in those states.

The AMDC, scheduled for a March 27 launch, would hand over drug testing and related penalties to the governing body. That date marks the deadline for the Federal Trade Commission to approve rules associated with HISA's ability to enact the AMDC program. 

"We really believe this will usher in a new and long-awaited age of enforcement in Thoroughbred racing," Lazarus said. 

Ben Mosier, the executive director of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which will carry out the program, said once approved, all test results and adjudication will flow through HIWU rather than individual state commissions. 

"We're really just taking a full-on approach with my team that I've built to ensure industry understanding of the new rules as much as possible," he said.

Mosier said HIWU's parent company, Drug Free Sport International, has years of experience using paperless collection methods for other sports such as Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and various equestrian governing bodies. 

A custom version of an app was built for HISA's needs and will operate securely from an iPad in the test barn where the necessary information will be pre-populated rather than requiring anyone to fill out paperwork. 

Mosier said the process will be "smooth, efficient, and fast."

Lazarus said they are "beating the drum" as much as they can because they want to make sure stakeholders understand this change in operations is coming and the states HISA operates in will lose jurisdiction. 

"We have to be 110% ready to go on March 27. We have to assume that the FTC is going to approve the rules on that day," Lazarus said. 

She said no state has gone through the formal signature-signing process but they have "an agreement or a way forward" with each state that they regulate. This has alleviated concerns the AMDC program won't be "smooth and operational" on March 27.  

She added, "Don't forget, obviously not everyone's racing right now. And our focus, our laser focus is on those states' racetracks that are racing on March 27."

Meanwhile, in a statement released Feb. 27 by Tom Rooney, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, he said, "HISA is the law of the land and has been challenged in the courts. In this country, constitutionality is not determined by those who may disagree with the language of the law but rather by the courts. … Petitioning Members of Congress to deem the law unconstitutional is inconsistent with our system of government going back to Marbury vs. Madison, unless these efforts are made to repeal the law and replace it with new legislation. Unfortunately, that is not what opponents of the law appear to be seeking. It is therefore my opinion that these opponents are misguided and are serving as a distraction from actually making the Thoroughbred industry safer and better for everyone."

He added, "HISA has been very collaborative, has sought to work with everyone, and has always led with a call for unity. With minimum standards of fairness as set by HISA across the country, Thoroughbred racing will be more competitive and more fun. While we await final verdicts from the courts we must continue to work together as an industry to improve our sport, so the dream of future generations enjoying horse racing can become a reality."