Horse racing reform bill passes
Measure aims to improve safety for animals, jockeys
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation aimed at curbing doping in horse racing and improving safety for horses and jockeys on the track.
The legislation was the result of years of efforts by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D -Amsterdam, whose district includes the Saratoga Race Course, along with Rep. Andy Barr, R-KY., who represents the city of Lexington, often known as the Horse Capital of the World.
Their push to reform the industry got a final boost in August when Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-KY., secured the support of the biggest industry associations and racing venues like Churchill Downs and Keeneland for a tweaked version of a proposal that Tonko and Barr had been pressing for
years. With Mcconnell’s support, the bipartisan legislation is expected to pass the U.S. Senate and become law.
The House bill would create and implement national medication and track standards for horse racing, an industry that has long operated under a patchwork of state laws.
“Our Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act puts the health and wellbeing of our equine athletes and jockeys firmly at the center of the sport, and delivers commonsense medication and track safety standards that will lift this noble sport to higher standards of integrity and safety,” Tonko said. “These long overdue reforms will help restore public trust in the sport and put it on a path to a long and vital future, supporting countless jobs and driving economic activity in communities across our nation.”
Tonko has been working on reforms to horse racing for nearly six years. Many in the industry have agreed that change is needed to protect horses and jockeys and eliminate the sport’s reputation for widespread doping.
But even earlier this year, a congressional hearing on the topic
showed disagreement on how to bring about change. Some industry officials resisted the creation of a national body to oversee horse racing, noting that state commissions already enforce their own rules.
The legislation passed Tuesday establishes a private, nonprofit authority to regulate horse racing overseen by the Federal Trade Commission and the nonprofit U.S. Anti-doping Agency. It includes a ban on raceday doping, a practice that is believed to contribute to higher rates of horse and jockey injuries
and deaths in the U.S.
“Doping of athletes in sport to enhance performance is widely recognized as a form of cheating in human competition,” said Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action, who testified before Congress on the issue in January. “It’s equally wrong and even more dangerous for the athletes involved to allow widespread doping in American horse racing.”
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) applauded the passage of the legislation, noting it has long supported anti
doping controls.
Thoroughbred horse racing contributes billions to the U.S. economy, according to the American Horse Council Foundation. About $11 billion was bet in 2016 at thoroughbred and quarter horse racetracks.
In New York, the industry is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact statewide, according to NYRA.
“Horse racing is an important cultural and economic driver in our region,” said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R- Schuylerville. “I look forward to
seeing the positive economic impact [the legislation] has at the Saratoga Race Course and beyond.”
Overall, the U.S. race horse fatality rate is up to five times greater than in the rest of the horse racing world, The New York Times reported in 2019. In 2020, 63 horses have died while racing in New York, including 18 at Saratoga, state Gaming Commission data shows.