The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) commends the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R. 1754) today. This bill aims to reduce fatalities and injuries that have plagued U.S. horseracing and end the reliance on performance-enhancing drugs to mask pain, inflammation, and other warning signs that often precede catastrophic breakdowns.

The Horseracing Integrity Act — introduced by Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Andy Barr (R-KY), co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus — would create an independent anti-doping authority that would set uniform national standards, testing procedures, and penalties for Thoroughbred racing, replacing the inconsistent and often lax regulatory schemes that currently exist among 38 jurisdictions. The nonprofit U.S. Anti-Doping Agency — widely recognized as the nation’s premier anti-doping organization — would handle enforcement, laboratory testing, and violations. Importantly, the bill would prohibit race-day medications, aligning U.S. standards with those abroad. The legislation also addresses racetrack safety by creating an accreditation program to ensure that tracks comply with maintenance procedures, as well as a national database to track injuries and fatalities.

Hundreds of horses break down during races each year in the United States — resulting in nearly 10 fatalities per week in recent years, according to The Jockey Club’s equine injury database. That number excludes fatalities that occur during training. An overreliance on performance-enhancing drugs contributes to this staggering death toll — one that far exceeds that of other racing jurisdictions around the world. The shocking spate of horse deaths at the famous Santa Anita racetrack outside of Los Angeles — 23 over the course of three months — exposed serious safety and welfare concerns in the racing industry.

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