Sixteen Trainers Endorse Horseracing Integrity Act

Sixteen Thoroughbred trainers have thrown their collective support behind initiatives to create a national system for drug testing and enforcement in horse racing and called for greater industry support for standardizing and improving all racing surfaces.

In an Aug. 9 open letter to the industry, these trainers endorse the proposed Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019, a federal initiative that would create a framework for uniform testing, regulations, and sanctions nationwide and replace the state-by-state approach in place today.

"We understand the HIA is not without controversy among some of our colleagues, specifically regarding concerns of increased cost and regulation," the letter stated. "But the sport finds itself amid an ongoing crisis of confidence and the need to reform and restore public trust more than justifies the necessary sacrifices. We are ready for change and will embrace it for the greater good."

The letter was endorsed by Tom Albertrani, Christophe Clement, Ben Colebrook, Gary Contessa, Arnaud Delacour, Janet Elliott, Mark Hennig, Kiaran McLaughlin, Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey, Ken McPeek, Tom Morley, Graham Motion, Todd Pletcher, John Sadler, George Weaver, and Nick Zito.

Key elements of the Horseracing Integrity Act are:

• Establishes a conflict-free, self-regulatory organization responsible for creating and implementing an anti-doping program for the entire horse racing industry
• Provides a standardized list of permitted and prohibited substances, treatments, and methods for all covered races in the U.S.
• Requires full and fair information disclosure to breeding stock purchasers and the wagering public
• Bans the use of all medications within 24 hours of a race
• Provides for the increased safety and welfare of horses, jockeys, and drivers

The Horseracing Integrity Act has been supported by the Association of Commissioners International, which supports continued integration of the National Uniform Medication Program. This four-tier program has worked toward implementing uniform model rules through the state racing commissions.

The ARCI continues to make adjustments to this program. The group's Drug Testing Standards and Practices Committee announced Aug. 9 it had endorsed instituting a 48-hour restriction on administering nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including phenylbutazone, and corticosteroids prior to a race, pending scientific review. The new restrictions would not apply to harness racing, which is in the midst of determining breed-specific rules due to different schedules for Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter Horses. 

The letter from the Thoroughbred trainers said the racing industry in American is at a "precipitous moment" that mandates major reform if the sport is to survive.

"None of us takes this stance lightly, but we believe we are at a precipitous moment at which the industry must act to revive public trust in our sport and to protect our most cherished possession, our racehorses," the letter concludes.

What follows is the full text of the letter:

Horse racing is at a pivotal moment in its long history in the United States. The past six months presented a string of events at venerable Santa Anita Park that have shaken public confidence in our sport and led to calls from the public and government authorities for major reform.

Each of us loves the majestic animal at the heart of our sport and wants it to flourish, and within that context we offer our support as horsemen for two watershed initiatives to enhance the integrity and safety of horse racing.

We voice our support for the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019 (HIA), introduced on a bipartisan basis in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The HIA puts the entire regimen and apparatus for Thoroughbred drug testing in the very capable hands of an independent board composed of non-conflicted equine experts and representatives of the United States Anti-Doping Agency and creates a framework for uniform testing, regulations, and sanctions nationwide to best protect the integrity of our sport and vouchsafe the health and well-being of racehorses.

We understand the HIA is not without controversy among some of our colleagues, specifically regarding concerns of increased cost and regulation. But the sport finds itself amid an ongoing crisis of confidence and the need to reform and restore public trust more than justifies the necessary sacrifices. We are ready for change and will embrace it for the greater good.

Medication reform is not the only path to safe racing. We also support initiatives to standardize and improve the quality and consistency of racing surfaces and urge the allocation of more resources by racetracks and other stakeholders for the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory and related research projects, headed by Dr. Mick Peterson, formerly of University of Maine and now associated with University of Kentucky. For too long this critical piece of competition and safety has been maintained with inconsistent methods, techniques, and measurements. Technology, science, and human endeavor must marry their resources to achieve this goal, and we call for the industry to bring to bear the necessary human and capital resources to make this a reality.

Once again, we urge our colleagues to join us in supporting this vital work.

None of us takes this stance lightly, but we believe we are at a precipitous moment at which the industry must act to revive public trust in our sport and to protect our most cherished possession, our racehorses.