Horse Racing Integrity Act passed
 

I read it was stuck in the COVID bill that just passed. Can some one who knows more fill us in?

This is huge. If they figure out how to fund it, it basically means we will have national doping rules imposed by USADA, which follows WADA protocols. That's going to be almost impossible for trainers to gamd.

i love the name of the Bill, Integrity Act.. that would mean that this is not just limited to illegal drugs and medications, it could encompass the wagering pools as well the way i see it.

It depends on whether that new Commission is fully funded and how broadly it sees its mandates, but if it works the way it is supposed to, it should include that.

Indeed, even doping is obviously, in addition to a horse safety and cheating issue, also a wagering issue. When you bet on a horse who should have won and get beat by a doped horse, you've been screwed along with the owners of the horse you bet on.

I found it funny how I went from hearing crickets, to finding out it's law. I hope it helps.

So the article lists all the groups that were behind the legislation, so naturally I assume the push must've had its detractors as well. Which organizations did not support this act & why? I would think uniform drug rules would be widely applauded by all, but is the feeling that this would lead to a nationwide ban on lasix, and therefore have various trainers & vets against? Or is the support of funding a more contentious issue depending on the jurisdiction?



At this rate with tracks actually working together to not have overlapping post-times & nationally uniform medication rules, maybe a national commissioner of racing or uniform rules on disqualifications are around the corner too :D

NOTE: These statements while true for U.S racing, had been implemented in many other racing jurisdictions like Europe and Hong Kong for decades.
It’s certainly about time it happened in the States! :ThmbUp:

Integrity?

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

good op/ed at the paulick report typed by barry irwin of team valor fame...

"What's the big deal about the new racing legislation?

When I called for horseracing to find a way to install the United States Anti-Doping Agency as the overseer of drugs in an Op/Ed for The Blood-Horse back in 2004, I did so with some specific goals in mind. My overriding reason, however, was to have an agency that was independent.

Now that USADA will be given the job, nobody knows whether the hopes and dreams of those who worked so tirelessly to make USADA's presence a reality will be fully accomplished. One thing that everybody in the sport can be sure of is that special interests will no longer be able to tilt the playing fields or the halls of justice.


Over the years people have asked me why special interests fought so hard to keep the legislation from being enacted. The answers are many but they all boil down to unethical participants in racing being stopped from running their games and not paying any price when they get caught.

~~read the rest at the following link~~

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/r...ure-integrity/

He's right. If you are a rich guy considering buying some racehorses, and you hear that the sport is dominated by a few cheaters, are you going to invest your money?

This is huge.

Of course you will invest- and then hire the cheaters.
On the list of interesting things, this ranks just above diaper rash.
:sleeping:

US Trotting Association was against it, I don't know why.

They weren't totally against it but came out against it because of the funding aspect. It was written by thoroughbred interest with only themselves in mind even though it will now apply to all breeds. They could have totaled purses for each breed and then divided among purses but didn't. They based funding on per start stats with no division. So as currently written a 3k claimer harness horse in Maine who races for a 2k purse per week will be forced to pay 10 times more in fees per year than a Baffert Stakes horse will. $100 per start for a horse that races 10 times a year is one thing. That same hundred for a harness horse who races 50 times is something else. Your integrity fee per year will be more than the value of some of the horses racing. They could have written it as a straight fee taken from each purse based on its total, but didn't. The people that wrote the legislation get it passed and worked it out best financially for themselves. About the same as all legislation.

FAQ answers courtesy of the paulick report.

"When and how does the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) come into play?

USADA is identified within the bill as the anti-doping and medication control enforcement entity. What will get them directly involved is execution of an agreement between the Authority and USADA, but the Authority's board will have to be in place before that happens.

When will it be determined exactly what the cost will be to racing participants?

That's going to evolve. There will be an initial budget for the Authority covering 2021. But until the anti-doping and medication control and racetrack safety programs go live, the Authority will not be assessing the states. More will be known early in 2022.
There is a misconception that the Authority's cost will be allocated to individual members on a per-start basis. That is not true. Budgets will be allocated to individual states based upon the total anticipated number of starts in that state for the succeeding year, and it will be up to each state to determine how the money will be raised and whether a per-start fee or some other form of calculation will be used."