Statement from Breeders' Cup Limited on the Passage of HISA

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 22, 2020) – Late last night, the House and Senate passed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) as part of a broader legislative package.

“This marks the single most significant safety and integrity development in the history of Thoroughbred racing. This moment also demonstrates that great progress can be accomplished when the industry works together,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup. “We recognize that there is more to be done and we look forward to working with our counterparts to build on this momentum and further improve the sport for generations to come.

“Breeders’ Cup thanks House and Senate leadership for their support and applauds Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for bringing the industry together to build consensus on meaningful reforms and regulations. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Martha McSally (R-AZ), along with Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) were also instrumental in this all-hands-on-deck effort to making racing safer and more transparent. HISA will increase public confidence in one of our country’s oldest sports by creating uniform anti-doping and medication control and racing operations programs that will be developed and enforced by an independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (the Authority). Breeders’ Cup is proud to have played a role in this effort.”

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.

The 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, is scheduled to be held on November 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media.