Harrisburg, PA — Lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which passed Congress late last year as part of a much broader bill, was part of the Lasix discussion at the April 27 Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission meeting.

Russell Williams, United States Trotting Association President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanover Shoe Farms, updated the PHRC on the latest lawsuit filed to challenge HISA which has two racing commissions among the plaintiffs.

“A fair amount is up in the air for a while as these cases progress,” he said.

The PHRC approved an administrative policy for Thoroughbred racing only that will eliminate the use of race-day Lasix in 2-year-old races and graded stakes effective June 1 of this year. Horsemen’s groups, including those in the Standardbred industry, don’t support the change in Lasix regulations and asked that the matter be deferred.

The PHRC voted 5-0 with one abstention to approve the policy. Two commissioners who represent the Standardbred industry did not vote under commission practices.

Kim Hankins, Executive Director of the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, spoke in favor of Lasix use for the health and welfare of the horse and said given that HISA doesn’t take effect until July 1, 2022, an “immediate reaction” to alter Lasix policy isn’t necessary. He also said even though it’s a Thoroughbred-only policy now, “we could see it in the future leaching down to the Standardbreds.”

The latest update from the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association on its marketing efforts indicates growing awareness of and interest in horse racing in the state.

The PHRA provided the update during the Commission meeting. The PHRA, made up of the four horsemen’s associations and two breeders’ organizations in the state, was formed after the groups agreed to shift one percent of purse money generated by casino slot machines to support local and statewide marketing strategies for the industry each year.

Darby Hughes, Director of Accounting Planning for Pavone Marketing Group, which has an office in Harrisburg, Pa., said a “brand health-tracker” was set up to track trends over periods of time. The focus was on perception of the industry, awareness of the industry in and around the racetracks, and live and “virtual” attendance. The about 600 survey respondents are 18 years of age or older who attended the races at least once in the last five years and live in a radius of 50-75 miles of a track.

For the period from the first wave to the second wave — it ended in January 2021 — awareness among casual participants increased from 58 percent to 61 percent, and among regular participants it went from 22 percent to 29 percent, Hughes said. The number of individuals who would plan a future trip to a track increased 10 percent from the first wave to the second wave, he said.

“This is meaningful awareness,” Hughes said.

The survey respondents noted they had seen various advertisements for racing and breeding throughout the period but for the most part didn’t associate them with the PHRA. Hughes suggested boosting the profile of the organization as part of the overall marketing plan.

Because of the lingering impacts of COVID-19, the 2021 marketing plan will be about finding ways to bring the sport to the people, Hughes said. All of Pennsylvania’s tracks are open to the public but still with attendance restrictions, and in 2020 a few live online racing productions including one for Adios Day at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino proved successful.

The marketing firm also gauged interest in betting apps as part of the survey. Hughes said 56 percent of respondents said they wagered on sports, but only 27 percent said they wagered specifically on horse racing. About 40 percent, however, expressed interest in a parlay wager involving horse races and another sport, he said.

In other business at the PHRC meeting, Standardbred Bureau Director Tony Salerno said fair dates have been set for 2021. There will be 19 events — 14 agricultural fairs with harness racing and five facilities with two-day harness racing programs. Purses will average about $9,000 per division plus starting fees, Salerno said.