The California Horse Racing Board unanimously approved a motion in a board meeting April 21 to "opt-in" and remit Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority fees upon it receiving the necessary statutory authority.
The board's actions follow recent similar moves by regulators in Kentucky and Minnesota, CHRB executive director Scott Chaney said. Elsewhere, regulators in New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas chose not to collect HISA assessments, with some citing conflicts with existing state laws.
If regulators decide not to collect and remit HISA assessments, the duty falls to covered racetracks. Federal regulation of the Thoroughbred racing industry under HISA begins July 1.
Chaney said the HISA fee for California is approximately $1.4 million for the calendar year 2022, representing just over 10% of HISA's total budget. Funding is to come from advance deposit wagering platforms based on a formula, Chaney said.
He and board members expressed they believe opting in to collect HISA fees saves costs for the state's industry in place of tracks collecting those, and gives the CHRB some leverage in dealing with federal authorities.
Some board members were critical of some rules and practices outlined by HISA. Board member Tom Hudnut said HISA's anti-doping plans exhibit a "lack of clarity" and chairman Dr. Greg Ferraro took issue with HISA rules that will allow overhand use of the riding crop by jockeys. California currently only permits underhanded strikes to their mounts, though the volume of strikes (six) is the same in the two sets of rules.
Most states allow overhanded strikes, and jockeys and their representatives generally prefer less-restrictive riding-crop regulations.
"So, basically, we're sacrificing humanity on the altar of conformity. Is that correct?" Ferraro asked Chaney.
"The (California) crop rule is kind of near and dear to my heart. I agree with you, Mr. Chairman," Chaney responded.
Also during Wednesday's meeting, the CHRB unanimously backed a continued distribution of ADW market access fees toward three programs. Thoroughbred Owners of California executive director Mary Forney said the program this year would direct approximately $1 million toward horse recruitment, $440,000 toward rewards for bettors, and $527,000 toward Cal Racing Cares—an awareness program focused on animal welfare and safety.
In his executive director's report, Chaney remarked that the state's racing handle is up marginally year-to-date, and total equine fatalities are down 48% from 2021, a year in which there were also sharp reductions.
Veterinarians and researchers from the University of California, Davis addressed one type of fatality—a sudden death, of which a cardiac event is classified—during a presentation during the early part of the CHRB meeting.
They informed the board that studies indicated that many horses showed a decreased exercise history leading to a sudden death episode, suggesting they were not training optimally and their conditioners backed off their exercise.
The UC Davis team expressed optimism that expanded examinations and heart checks of horses showing negative signals could prove beneficial in studying and limiting sudden death occurrences.
