Former Commission Chair: Without HISA, Texas Tracks 'On The Path To Ruin'

Aug 06, 2023

Former Texas Racing Commission chair Dr. Robert Schmidt believes that his state's Thoroughbred industry needs to implement the rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority because the current situation is simply “unsustainable.” In an op/ed for The Community News, Schmidt explains that holding out against the federal authority is costing Texas' Thoroughbred tracks approximately 90 percent of their handle due to the inability to simulcast races.

The TRC argues that legal technicalities prevent it from allowing HISA to oversee Texas racing, but Schmidt writes that the TRC's political appointees “have lost sight of their designated purpose” and that the TRC “needs to recognize its responsibilities and protect our animals in an ever-changing world.”

“In this one rare instance, Congress has actually provided us — and our horses — a solution,” Schmidt wrote. “Ultimately, HISA has the resources, the regulatory power, and sophisticated lab testing that can root out illegal drug use, research track surfaces, and analyze breeding patterns. HISA has the potential to improve the sport and create a safe horse racing animal that can thrive in a newer environment.”

He concludes: “The consequences of the Texas Racing Commissioners' opposition to these efforts simultaneously leaves our horses at risk and our tracks on the path to ruin.”