HISA to Use 'Can’t Race' Flags to Enforce Rules

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced March 7 that it will begin using "can't race" flags to enforce its existing Racetrack Safety and Registration regulations beginning March 27.

Covered persons and horses who are not in compliance with HISA's Racetrack Safety and Registration rules, which went into effect on July 1, 2022, will be at risk of being unable to race until they comply with the rules.

To be in full compliance with the Racetrack Safety and Registration rules:

• Covered persons must ensure that they and their covered horses are registered in the HISA portal.
• Covered persons must ensure that they have paid any overdue fines issued to them, and
• Jockeys must have the dates of their most recent baseline concussion test and physical examination entered into the HISA portal, and those dates must fall within the last 12 months.

In addition to HISA's use of "can't race" flags beginning March 27, HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program is also expected to launch that day pending final approval of the ADMC rules by the Federal Trade Commission. This will mean that all of HISA's ADMC, Racetrack Safety and Registration regulations are expected to be in full effect as of March 27.

"March 27, 2023, will truly be the start of a new era in Thoroughbred racing," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "An added level of enforcement of our Racetrack Safety and Registration rules, coupled with the launch of our ADMC Program, will be a clear sign to all that the racing industry is taking equine well-being and rider safety incredibly seriously. I am grateful for the high level of engagement and compliance we've seen with our Racetrack Safety and Registration rules since they went into effect on July 1, 2022, and I hope that the use of 'can't race' flags serves as one more mechanism to ensure uniformity and compliance across the country as we continue our implementation process."

To help racing participants navigate the Racetrack Safety and Registration requirements, HISA has produced a series of how-to visual guides and videos, available at the links below:

Registering horses in the HISA portal—Visual Guide and Video

Paying overdue fines—Visual Guide and Video

Inputting baseline concussion test and physical dates into the HISA portal—Visual Guide and Video

Racing participants can also call the HISA help desk for assistance at 1-877-513-2919 at any time.