U.S. Senate needs to get horse racing safety bill over the finish line

For nearly six years U.S. Reps. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, along with partners in the Coalition for Horseracing Integrity, have been pushing to end doping in American horseracing and bring meaningful reform to the multi-billion-dollar industry that Kentucky thrives on.

When we first started working to pass federal anti-doping legislation in the 114th Congress, as co-chair of the Congressional Horse Caucus, Barr led a hearing that brought light to the issue, and some progress was made with notable figures including Bobby Flay speaking in support of the measure. By the close of 2016 the bill had made progress, and the major players in American horseracing were starting to pay attention to legislation gathering momentum with 21 House cosponsors.

In the 115th Congress, modifications to the bill expanded on eliminating doping and brought more equine groups into the fold. A full Congressional hearing was held before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on H.R. 2651, the Horseracing Integrity Act that ultimately garnered 131 cosponsors. But the hearing didn’t play out as planned, and without a Senate companion measure, the bill died at the end of 2018.

By early 2019, Animal Wellness Action committed to making H.R. 1754, now the Horseracing Integrity and Safety (HISA) Act, one of its top priorities for the 116th Congress. Working with the industry leaders of reform efforts, The Jockey Club, Keeneland, and others, we believed the timing was ripe, and under the right circumstances we could permanently end drugging in the sport.

I testified in support of the bill before the House Committee hearing held in January of this year alongside Hall of Fame jockey, Chris McCarron, and other leaders in this fight. The hearing went overwhelmingly well in our favor. Just six weeks later, the U.S. Dept. of Justice indicted 27 trainers and veterinarians caught illegally importing drugs to juice up horses, and more endorsements for the measure, including Bob Baffert and the Jockey’s Guild followed.

And just a few weeks ago, the House finally passed the HISA by a voice vote. With 261 cosponsors including Reps. James Comer, R-Tompkinsville; John Yarmuth, D-Louisville; Hal Rogers, R-Somerset; and Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, and support from a broad base of industry players, including Churchill Downs and The Kentucky Derby; The Stronach Group and The Preakness Stakes; and the New York Racing Association and The Belmont Stakes, and every major animal protection group in the U.S. – the legislation is moving forward.

Horseracing operates under an outdated, state-based, Balkanized patchwork of medication rules that creates confusion and risk for owners and trainers and contains gaps in rules and enforcement. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act would greatly improve regulatory standards, ban the use of all medications on race day, and level the playing field for everyone invested in horseracing.

It would designate the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), a private non-governmental agency, as the independent organization that would oversee and administer all drug testing in U.S. horseracing. H.R 1754 would also require racing authorities and racetracks to report all horse deaths and injuries to the Federal Trade Commission to be displayed in a public federal database. Its newly introduced companion bill in the Senate, S. 4547, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, mirrors the House-passed measure that’s awaiting action in the Upper Chamber. And following the House vote, the American Association of Equine Practitioners endorsed the bill as well – the end of doping in American horseracing is within our grasp.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is the best shot that animal protection has in the remainder of the 116th Congress, and we applaud McConnell and the rest of the Kentucky delegation who’ve stepped up in support of the bill. It’s time for the rest of the Senate to step up and help get this one over the finish line.

Marty Irby is the executive director at Animal Wellness Action in Washington, D.C., and an 8-time world champion equestrian who was recently recognized by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, II for his work to protect horses. Follow him on Twitter @MartyIrby.”