The Horseracing Integrity Act is a good fit for Kentucky’s signature sport

Our association is a horseman’s group and trade association representing the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry in Kentucky. In North America, Kentucky is synonymous with horses and horse racing, thanks to our five Thoroughbred and two Standardbred racetracks across the state. Kentucky is also known by the performance of our horses and trainers around the country, and by our strong economic contribution to the Commonwealth’s economy.

The past few years have been tough on the entire Thoroughbred industry: It started with the fatalities at Santa Anita in 2019; then the federal indictments of more than a dozen trainers, veterinarians, and others in 2020; and in 2021 even the Kentucky Derby has been roiled in controversy.

We are extremely grateful to Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Andy Barr for their work on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 (HISA), which was signed into law in December and will take effect in 11 months. This legislation is exactly what racing, in Kentucky and beyond, needs.

HISA will create a uniform, national structure to regulate medication and safety, which will replace the current disjointed state-by-state system. It will improve the safety and integrity of our sport — something we have long strived for — and will ensure all owners and trainers are competing on a level playing field.

Groups opposing HISA have been fighting bills similar to HISA for years, and they fought against HISA last year in Congress. Now upon its passage, they’re challenging it in the courts.

Opponents claim HISA is unconstitutional even though it was carefully crafted to conform to decades of established Supreme Court precedent and underwent extensive legislative deliberation. HISA will operate under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission, whose legal mandates include consumer protection and freedom of competition.

With HISA, we will know that we are subject to the same rules, regulations, and penalties regardless of where we race or who we know, and everyone in the industry should welcome that. As an industry, we must come together to support HISA now. Our athletes, both equine and human, deserve it — as do our fans, bettors, and workforce. As do we all.

That seems like a pretty good fit to us.

Chauncey Morris is the executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.