Integrity Cases: America’s HISA, How the US Racing Integrity Reform Is Working in Practice

The US federal horse racing integrity framework, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and its enforcement arm, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), represent the most significant regulatory reform in American horse racing in decades. Established by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act signed in 2020, HISA came into force in 2022, replacing a patchwork of 38 different state regulatory systems with a single federal anti-doping and medication control programme for thoroughbred racing across the United States.

The system’s implementation has been accompanied by significant industry debate, legal challenges and ongoing regulatory refinement. The period from late 2025 through early 2026 has been particularly active in terms of both enforcement actions and proposed rule modifications.

How HIWU Operates

HIWU, HISA’s testing and adjudication unit, operates a database of publicly searchable case records updated regularly. The case records identify the covered person (trainer, owner or other participant), the covered horse, the alleged violation (banned substance or controlled medication), the prohibited substance or method, and the resolution status.

Cases fall into two principal categories:

Rule 3212, Presence of a Banned Substance: The highest tier of violation. Banned substances are those that have no legitimate therapeutic use in competition or whose risks to welfare and competitive fairness are such that their presence is prohibited regardless of intent. Cases involving banned substances trigger more severe consequences, including immediate provisional suspension in many circumstances.

Rule 3312, Presence of a Controlled Medication Substance: A lower tier of violation. Controlled medications are substances with legitimate therapeutic veterinary uses that are prohibited on race day or within specified withdrawal periods. A positive for a controlled medication may reflect inadvertent administration too close to a race rather than deliberate doping, though strict liability applies.

Resolved Cases in Early 2026

HIWU’s public database records reveal the following resolved cases in the January – March 2026 period (publicly confirmed through the HIWU search portal):

Angel Sanchez-Pinero (multiple cases, resolved 3/5/2026): Multiple violations involving different horses. Surprise Boss tested positive for Albuterol (Salbutamol, non-inhalation route), a beta-2 agonist banned under Rule 3212 when administered by non-inhalation means. Miss Hard to Get tested positive for Clenbuterol, another beta-2 agonist with significant performance-enhancing and masking potential. Both violations were resolved as Banned Substance cases. Sanchez-Pinero received a suspension.

Craig Lewis / Kikuride (resolved 3/4/2026): Kikuride tested positive for a Controlled Medication Substance following a race on 31 August 2025. The violation was classified under Rule 3312 and resolved as a controlled medication case, a less severe category than a banned substance violation.

Angela Maria Aquino / Golf Drama (resolved 3/2/2026): Golf Drama returned a positive for Phenylbutazone (PBZ), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory commonly used in equine veterinary practice, following a race on 11 January 2026. The violation was classified as a controlled medication case under Rule 3312.

Richard Dutrow Jr. / Dame Cinco (multiple cases, resolved 2/26/2026): Dutrow, a trainer with a complex regulatory history, faced multiple cases including one involving Dame Cinco from an event in June 2024.

Proposed HISA Rule Modifications

In November 2025, HISA published a comprehensive set of proposed regulatory amendments with a public comment period closing 5 January 2026. The proposed changes address several areas where the industry had raised concerns about HISA’s implementation:

Case circumstances in Banned Substance cases: The creation of defined “case circumstances” would allow HIWU to exercise discretion and consider additional mitigating factors when determining sanctions. This addresses industry concerns that the existing framework does not adequately account for circumstances such as contamination.

Limiting immediate provisional suspensions: Under current rules, provisional suspensions can be imposed immediately in Banned Substance cases. The proposed modification would limit immediate provisional suspension to “circumstances where the substance poses an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the horse and the integrity of racing.”

Environmental contamination recognition: The proposed rules would formally recognise environmental contamination and inadvertent exposure as factors in enforcement and penalty assessment, a significant shift for a system that has operated under strict liability principles.

Reclassification of human substance abuse drugs: Some substances primarily associated with human recreational or abuse use, are currently treated as Banned Substances when detected in racing horses. The proposed rules would allow substantial penalty mitigation “where contamination or inadvertent exposure is more likely than not.”

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association (FTBOA), commenting in December 2025, expressed support for the direction of these proposed changes while noting ongoing concerns about the pace of reform: “We have communicated directly with the FTC regarding our concerns about prior delays in implementing reforms.”

The Broader Context

HISA’s creation replaced 38 state systems that varied enormously in their prohibited substance lists, testing protocols, penalty structures and enforcement resources. The uneven pre-HISA regulatory landscape had been a source of ongoing integrity concern, particularly in states with more permissive medication rules, and the federal framework’s standardisation was its primary selling point to racing’s reform advocates.

Implementation has been contested. Legal challenges from horsemen’s organisations in several states argued that HISA’s federal authority was unconstitutional. Courts have broadly upheld the framework, and HISA continues to expand its testing programme and enforcement infrastructure. The November 2025 proposed modifications represent a regulatory maturation, an acknowledgement that initial implementation design required calibration based on real-world case experience.