Breakthrough for scandal-hit US racing after uniform anti-doping regulations approved for most courses

US racing, hit by damaging episodes concerning medication and the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs in recent years, was said to have entered a new era after uniform anti-doping regulations were approved on Monday.

Following a ruling from the  Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the majority of courses in the US will operate the same anti-doping and enforcement measures for the first time.

“This is a historic moment for our sport,” Lisa Lazarus  the chief executive of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority (Hisa) said on Monday. “For the first time, racing participants will operate under uniform testing and enforcement standards developed to strengthen equine welfare and instil greater fairness in competition.

“The clear and consistent penalties for rule violations under the anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) programme will hold bad actors responsible for their actions, while raising public trust in the sport for the vast majority of horsemen who act in good faith and follow the rules.

“In the coming weeks and months, industry participants will begin to see first hand how the ADMC programme’s uniform prohibited substances lists, standardised lab result turnaround times, strategic out-of-competition testing, and fair and swift adjudication will significantly bolster integrity in the sport.”

She added: “Many in our sport have long called for uniformity in how we protect our equine athletes and demonstrate the integrity of the sport, and I am incredibly proud that today we are taking the first steps in making this dream a reality.”

Prior to the implementation of the uniform rules, horses racing in different states or at tracks operated by particular groups would be subject to differing sets of rules. These gaps were exploited by “a small group of bad actors”, according to Hisa chair Charles Scheeler, with damaging consequences for racing. Recent high-profile incidents include the high-profile medication failure of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and the discovery by the FBI of a large-scale doping ring associated with prominent trainers Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis.

Scheeler said that the implementation of a new programme promised a new start.

“Thoroughbred racing is a cherished American institution that for too long has been marred by a small group of bad actors who took advantage of the patchwork of differing state-level anti-doping rules to cheat and evade real consequences,” he said.

“Leaders in the sport and horsemen across the country have finally come together to prioritise equine welfare and integrity above all else, and I have no doubt that our sport’s future is brighter for it.”

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