Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act Took Effect July 1, 2022 without Quarter Horse Racing Opting In

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES, July 4, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Animal Wellness Action, a Washington, D.C.- based non-profit who worked tirelessly to enact the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) that officially took effect on Friday, identified the first major horse racing catastrophe by combing Equibase records from July 1- July 3, 2022.

Evidence on Equibase’s website shows that “Apolitical Eagle” was involved in a serious catastrophe in race 7 on July 1, 2022 at Ruidoso Downs, as well as “Js Mortgage Breaker” who actually jumped the rail mid-race. “Apolitical Eagle” was “vanned off” which typically means the horse was put down on the track and euthanized due to injury, then vanned off the track.

AWA executive director Marty Irby released the following statement on Sunday:

“The American Quarter Horse racing industry continues to put equine protection and welfare last when it should be at the center of their enterprise. The AQHA opposed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, and maintains their pro-horse slaughter position, which shows they view horses as nothing but an expendable commodity instead of sentient beings that can feel pain and suffering.

“Leaders in the industry and Quarter Horse racetracks should immediately opt-into oversight from the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, to help stamp out the rampant doping, cheating, and deaths that occur in the sport if they want to maintain legitimacy.”

Background:

Animal Wellness Action has been leading the charge to stamp out doping in American horse racing in the animal welfare space and Irby testified before the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 in support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act just weeks before the indictment of nearly 30 trainers, veterinarians, and other horse racing parties involved in the largest horse-related doping scandal the U.S. has ever seen. Animal Wellness Action was also instrumental in preventing notorious horse trainer Bob Baffert from competing in all three Triple Crown races in 2022 due to drug violations related to the late Medina Spirit who crossed the finish line first at the 2021 Kentucky Derby and was ultimately disqualified after his untimely death at Santa Anita Park from a cardiac event in December of 2021.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act that was signed into law in December of 2020 by President Trump officially took effect on Friday, July 1, 2022, and currently only applies to Thoroughbred racing but contains an opt-in provision that would allow Quarter Horse racing and harness racing to be included as well, but to date, the legislation has mostly seen fierce opposition from these two segments of American horse racing.

Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies, and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all.

Marty Irby
Animal Wellness Action
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Marty Irby before the Horseracing Integrity Act hearing