Third Time’s The Charm? The Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019

Horseracing in the United States may be in serious trouble. Thirty-four horses have died at the Santa Anita Racetrack. There have been calls to suspend racing or to ban horseracing all together. There have also been numerous cases where horses have been disqualified for doping violations. On top of it all, on September 13, 2019, the New York Times alleged that Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018, failed a drug test after the Santa Anita Derby, which would mean that the horse should have been banned from the Kentucky Derby and hence ineligible for the Triple Crown. On March 9, 2020, 27 people, including the trainer of champion Maximum Security, were charged in what authorities described as a widespread international scheme to drug horses to make them race faster. In the midst of today’s bitter political climate, can a rare bipartisan Horseracing Anti-Doping and Safety bill succeed? This is the third time that Congressional Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) proposed a version of The Horseracing Integrity Act. Will the third time be the charm for passage