Federal lawmakers have inserted an amendment into an omnibus spending bill that would modify the relationship between the Federal Trade Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority in a bid to skirt concerns expressed by a U.S. Circuit Court over the constitutionality of the current structure.
The American Graded Stakes Committee has upgraded one Grade 2 stakes to a Grade 1 while downgrading five Grade 1 races to Grade 2 races, the committee announced on Friday as part of its annual effort to review all eligible stakes in the U.S. for grading.
The race upgraded to a Grade 1 was the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs, while the downgraded Grade 1s were the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, the Woodward Stakes at the Belmont at Aquueduct meet, the Clark Stakes at Churchill, the Starlet at Los Alamitos, and the Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Erica Garcia, a veterinarian, was sentenced on Monday to 10 months in prison on two misdemeanor charges stemming from the 2020 indictment of more than two dozen individuals connected to Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, according to court records.
Garcia acknowledged in court papers that she administered “adulterated and misbranded drugs” as part of her practice, including to horses trained by Jorge Navarro, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on two felony counts arising out of the same indictment.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on Monday night shelved its plans to take over drug-testing enforcement in most major U.S. racing jurisdictions as of Jan. 1 after a federal agency declined to approve rules related to the program.
The Federal Trade Commission cited legal issues related to HISA in its decision to decline approval. Under HISA’s enabling legislation – which has been ruled unconstitutional by one U.S. District Court of Appeals – the FTC must approve rules for HISA’s programs before they can be implemented and enforced.
The board of directors of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has approved the nominations of three individuals to its Anti-Doping and Medication Control Standing Committee, including Barry Irwin, an outspoken critic of racing’s current abilities to catch drug violators.
TUCSON, Ariz. – A rare panel at the annual Global Symposium on Racing focusing on the concerns of horseplayers turned out several recommendations for racing executives and horsemen, and most of them involved the need for racetracks to level the playing field for all bettors and lower the price of betting.
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority wrapped up this year’s Global Symposium on Racing on Wednesday afternoon with a rapid-fire, no-nonsense 43-minute presentation that focused largely on the fine details of the implementation of its anti-doping and medication control program beginning Jan. 1.
The panelists then opened the floor to questions.
There weren’t any.
TUCSON, Ariz. – Pat Cummings, the executive director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, told an audience at the Global Symposium on Racing on Wednesday that bettors have manipulated U.S. pari-mutuels pools “more than 50 times” in the past six months.
The question is, What to do about it?
The New York Racing Association is entering the metaverse.
NYRA, through its NYRA Bets Holdings, a subsidiary of NYRA Bets, has acquired a minority equity ownership position in Game of Silks, a derivative gaming platform that mirrors the real world of Thoroughbred horse ownership in a play-to-earn format.
TUCSON, Ariz. – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association during the next congressional session will be lobbying to protect existing tax breaks for horse owners and to secure funding for organizations that provide aftercare for retired horses, the president of the NTRA said at the Global Symposium on Racing on Wednesday morning.
