The following open letter to the racing community was signed by Breeders' Cup chair Barbara Banke and president/CEO Drew Fleming
To the Racing Community:
After a series of high-profile issues jeopardized the very existence of our sport, a wide cross-section of leaders representing all aspects of the industry came together to support legislation to address longstanding safety issues in racing. Our legislators agreed change was needed and passed the bipartisan Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which included provisions for a governing body to oversee its implementation.
The purpose was simple: to address a system that lacked integrity. Before HISA, horsemen endured a dysfunctional state-to-state patchwork of rules which were inconsistently enforced. Thanks to the input of horsemen, owners, breeders, jockeys, racetrack operators, veterinary experts, regulators, and other industry participants across the country, HISA has established a fair, transparent, efficient, and economically sound approach to improving the integrity and safety of the sport. This includes uniform rules and regulations across all states that are in line with international standards, swift adjudication protocols, and a robust anti-doping program and medication controls.
Unfortunately, when presented with this opportunity to finally achieve meaningful reform, certain groups have responded by obstructing the path forward. Rather than offer constructive input, these groups have chosen instead to...
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