April 2023 Issue

Page 6 April 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN I can’t reach it! Right-o. I’ll Call WideSpread Rentals! 610.273.0269 102 Suplee Road, Honey Brook, PA 19344 Equipment for Farms! WE WILL BUY SELL, RENT OR TRADE FINANCING AVAILABLE OR LEASE TO OWN We also have: • All Terrain Hylifts • Scissors Lifts • Kubota Track Hoes • Kubota Track Loaders • 40'–80' Boom Lifts THE BILJAX 55X can make your job safer, faster, and easier to: • Build or Remodel • Clean Gutters • Clean Siding • Repoint Chimney • Repair the Roof • TrimTrees • Paint House or Barn • Change Lightbulbs We now have roofers buggy for rent. By Suzanne Bush A horse is a horse, of course, unless that horse is a racehorse in America. In that case the horse is at the center of an expensive—of- ten heated—debate at the heart of a declining industry. For years a patchwork of regulations has governed the country’s 38 racing jurisdictions. So, racetracks in Pennsylvania and racetracks in West Virginia likely have different standards regarding racetrack safety, pre-race and post-race veterinary examinations of horses, even the types of riding crops jockeys are permitted to use. And then there is the issue of drugs. Drugs that some racing jurisdictions consider routine and acceptable, others prohibit. Is the Finish Line for HISA in Sight? As many in the industry lamented the precipitous decline in popularity of horseracing, and argued for dramatic reform that would focus on safety—for hors- es and riders—some challenged the notion that radical change was needed. The money from wagering on horseracing in 2003 totaled more than $15 billion. By 2015, the year that American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, that total had dropped to $10.6 billion. American Pharoah’s trainer, Bob Baffert, said racing didn’t need a commission or reform. “The sky is not falling,” he told Newsweek then. “I don’t see a problem. We just need more stars.” Reform Isn’t Breaking News Reform had been bouncing around Congress in one form or another since 2011, and had robust support from leading organizations such as The Jockey Club, but a sense of urgency was lacking in Washington. The crusade gained a critical mass of support, though, as numerous crises roiled the industry recently. There was an appalling increase in race-related deaths of horses. There were high profile and im- passioned protests at racetracks, demanding an end to horseracing. There were arrests of jockeys, trainers—even one prominent track veterinarian—on charges of manufacturing, misbranding and treating horses with perfor- mance-enhancing drugs. Cur- rently there is the proliferation of sports betting, and the ongoing move to “decouple”—eliminate the racing requirement from casinos. And there is the spec- ter of declining attendance at racetracks—a trend that began decades ago, but has accelerated, many believe, as a result of the mounting catastrophic injuries to horses and the proliferation of drugs. Creating uniform standards for an industry this diffuse and beholden to an expansive array of disparate stakeholders seemed a futile exercise. But industry leaders and legislators managed to cobble together the so-called Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) which was signed into law in December 2020. Another Day, Another Court Challenge Celebrations of HISA’s final passage didn’t last long. Within weeks the new law was chal- lenged in court. The United States Trotting Association (USTA), the National Horsemen’s Benevo- lent and Protective Association (NHBPA), several states and racetracks filed lawsuits claiming HISA was unconstitutional. The most contentious sticking point? Drugs. Critics railed against the promise of regulations that (Continued on page 32) The first race of the day at Parx Casino and Racetrack. A clean start on a crisp, sunny February 27, 2023. Brody Slam was the winner. Photo credit: Suzanne Bush