A pending lawsuit between Churchill Downs, Inc. and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority reached a partial settlement March 24, but issues remain about fees assessed by HISA to tracks owned by CDI.
A recent HISA administrative ruling demanding CDI make partial payment of fees assessed in 2025 or face a shutdown of its tracks prompted CDI to request a stay of the ruling and to contact the court about possibly asking for a temporary restraining order. On March 19, following a two-hour hearing in a Louisville, Ky., federal court, pending motions were taken under submission by Judge Benjamin Beaton.
For now, fallout from the immediate issues has been averted.
"We write to let you know that there will be no need for TRO litigation, as the parties have resolved the dispute over the 2025 assessments that gave rise to the second enforcement proceeding," attorneys for CDI Thomas Dupree and HISA Patrik Shah wrote to Beaton Tuesday afternoon. "The pending motions before the Court remain live."
Those motions include a motion to dismiss CDI's lawsuit filed by HISA in April 2025 and CDI's June 2025 cross-motion for partial summary judgment against HISA.
CDI and the New York Racing Association sued HISA over its fee structure in December 2024, claiming assessments do not comply with federal law. On April 11, NYRA notified the court its claims were settled, and it was allowed to drop out of the suit.
