The California Horse Racing Board, a steadfast supporter of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act/Authority (HISA) since its inception, has signed a new voluntary agreement with HISA and its Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) indicating the CHRB’s intention to enforce and comply with all federal rules and procedures governing horse racing.

The CHRB has been enforcing and complying with safety regulations that HISA introduced July 1, 2022. Under the new agreement, the CHRB will implement rules under the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which are scheduled to go into effect March 27, 2023. Both the CHRB and HISA are committed to the principle of promoting safety in horse racing.

Under the agreement, the CHRB agrees to perform certain tasks for the Authority and HIWU, including collecting equine samples, testing those samples at the University of California, Davis, collaborating on equine-related research, and performing investigations with respect to adverse analytical findings. As the CHRB and California horse racing industry already pay for these activities, HISA is giving California a credit, reducing California’s annual fee due HISA accordingly.  

“The CHRB is proud of our work and record in safety and animal welfare, and therefore we want to have a role in shaping policy going forward,” said CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney. “We have partnered and supported the national effort from the beginning and appreciate the dedication of the Authority and HIWU.”

The CHRB and representatives of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, 1st Racing, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and UC Davis, have been advising HISA all along, promoting California’s strict regulatory program, and partly for that reason the federal rules are similar to those in California, meaning participants in California horse racing will need to make fewer adjustments than some of their counterparts in other racing jurisdictions.

(CHRB)