The RMTC has released the following document with suggested withdrawal time guidance for various medications under HISA’s proposed ADMC regulations.
Author: Dave Basler
FTC Public Comments on HISA Proposed Medication Rules Due February 9th
Public comments to the FTC on the HISA proposed medication rules are due by 11:59 pm next Thursday, February 9th.
Below is the link to submit your comments;
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/26/2023-00957/hisa-anti-doping-and-medication-control-rule
Below you will find a sample submission to the FTC which you can simply copy and paste or make any changes you see fit to before submitting.
“As a horseman currently racing in Ohio. I am submitting comments asking the FTC
NOT to approve the proposed HISA Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rules. On
December 12, 2022, the FTC disapproved an almost identical version of this Rule
based on the fact the rules were not consistent with the Act which calls for the
establishment of uniformity in horse racing. The disapproval states clearly that
uniformity cannot be achieved until “the legal uncertainty regarding the Act’s
constitutionality comes to be resolved.” The Fifth Circuit recently declined to
revisit their opinion when asked to do so by the Authority and you, the FTC;
therefore, there is no doubt the legal uncertainty remains unresolved. The FTC
decision to disapprove the proposed ADMC Rules in December remains the correct
one now.
In addition to the continued uncertainty in the court system over the
constitutionality of this law, the proposed rules themselves have unworkable
issues which must be addressed. These rules were drafted without input from
horsemen or the practicing veterinarians who will have to live by them on a
daily basis should they be enacted. I’ve attached the National HBPA and NAARV
submission to the FTC which lay out numerous concerns horsemen nationwide have
with these proposed rules.
Without question, the vast majority of horsemen and horsewomen who are being
forced to race under the HISA regulations, DO NOT support HISA.”
Below is the National HBPA and NAARV joint submission to the FTC regarding these proposed rules which lay out the countless concerns horsemen nationwide have regarding these rule proposals. This file can be saved and attached to your FTC submisson.
FTC Comment Period for Proposed HISA Medication Rules Ends February 9th
The FTC is accepting public comments on HISA’s proposed medication rules through February 9th, 2023.
The proposed regulations can be found at hisaus.org/regulations
Comments can be submitted to www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/26/2023-00957/hisa-anti-doping-and-medication-control-rule
We will have comments which you can submit or add to available here later in the week.
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules HISA Unconstitutional
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, November 18th, 2022 issued a ruling declaring HISA to be unconstitutional in a case in which the National HBPA had brought suit against HISA.
We are still sorting through all of the legal ramifications of this ruling. For the time being the Ohio State Racing Commission has said that HISA’s current regulations will stay in effect in the state until they receive clarification from the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
We will keep our members posted as we receive more information on this vital issue.
Below is the order from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals;
HISA Bulletin on Vaccinations
Please see the attached bulletin from HISA on vaccinations which will be required beginning January 1, 2023.
Hiring Field Office Manager for Thistledown, Mahoning Valley
The Ohio HBPA is hiring a field office manager to work during the racing season at both Thistledown and Mahoning Valley Race Course. If you are interested please email your resume to [email protected]
Mahoning Valley Race Course 2022 Fall Meet Stall Application
Due September 14.
Lasix Rule Changes Beginning October 1, 2022
The following changes to the lasix rule will begin on October 1st, 2022 at all Ohio tracks; race day lasix administration will only be allowed on track no later than four hours prior to the scheduled post time for the horse’s race. The administration of Amicar will no longer be permissible on race day.
Ohio HBPA 2022 Election Results
Top three in each category have been elected to serve a four-year term on the Ohio HBPA board. Fourth place finisher in each category will serve as an alternate for the next two years.
Trainer or Owner/Trainer Candidates
Nancy Adams 59 votes
Susan Anderson 111 votes
Joe Poole 114 votes
Mike Rone 111 votes
Owner Candidates
Linda Carrera 69 votes
Michael Friedman 68 votes
Brian Poe 83 votes
George Sikora 92 votes
Kimpton Williams 64 votes
Dave Basler’s Response to THA Press Release
As I have said before I’m not going to call anyone out on HISA until they publicly make statements.
The THA made a public statement today which you can read in this post.
Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association: HISA Lawsuits ‘A Distraction Lacking Substance’
Rightfully, they are taking heat from their membership as to why they aren’t fighting HISA in court just as the HBPA is. Instead of admitting their errors in supporting HISA the THA has doubled down in their support of HISA.
In their release the THA takes credit for the few rule changes HISA has recently made. This is laughable as the THA supported HISA throughout yet had zero input in the rule making process. During the public comment period the THA, as well as the HBPA and many other industry groups, made countless suggested changes to the Safety series rules all of which were ignored by HISA. Only after the HBPA and others filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality and legality of the law and rules promulgated by the Authority and approved by the FTC did the Authority make changes. Not coincidentally, many of the changes involved issues brought about in the various lawsuits. So after ignoring the THA for 18 months did the Authority suddenly start listening to them or was it the lawsuits filed and threat of further lawsuits being filed that forced their hand to make much needed changes to the rules. You be the judge.
Another dubious claim made in the THA release is that the lawsuits are “wasting” horsemen’s money. The National HBPA lawsuit is being argued by the Liberty Justice Center which felt there were significant enough constitutional issues with the Horse Racing Safety and Integrity Act that they agreed to take the case pro bono. The National HBPA and the listed HBPA affiliates in the federal case filed in North Texas are paying nothing in this case.
The Louisiana case which was filed by the Louisiana AG, Louisiana HBPA, Jockeys’ Guild et al. which 14 other HBPA affiliates have filed a motion to intervene in is being handled by a partner at Jones Walker based in New Orleans who owns numerous race horses and wants to protect the rights of horsemen everywhere. Each affiliate is being charged a nominal amount. The total amount spent by the National HBPA and all affiliates in these two cases will be less than HALF the salary the THA CEO will be paid this year. I will let you decide who is wasting horsemen’s money.
Which brings me to my final point. The board of the Ohio HBPA and I will continue to fight HISA trying to overturn it and if we are not successful in those efforts, we will continue to fight to make substantive changes to rules which currently are overly burdensome and unfair to our members. We won’t always win and we may make some mistakes along the way but we will not sell out our members.
If HISA is successful mark my words many executives from these industry groups which are expressing support for HISA will quietly end up on the HISA payroll over the next several years.
This is already taking place as Alex Waldrop, Chairman of the RMTC which has long supported HISA is now a paid consultant for HISA. Mark Guilfoil who was the executive director of the Kentucky Racing Commission, one of only five commissions who signed a voluntary agreement to collect assessments on behalf of HISA, was subsequently hired by HISA. It is rumored he is being paid nearly twice what he was being paid by the state of Kentucky.
I promise you I will represent horsemen to the best of my ability until I retire from the sport. I will never work for HISA. Try to get a similar commitment from people working for the groups still publicly supporting HISA.