HISA is buzzing around the racing world like a nest of hornets. After the 60 Minutes piece painting everything racing as the devil; most folks took the word of the news program as gospel. The last time I heard anything like this was Greyhound Racing in Florida. – After damning it to the lowest levels, it has disappeared after 50+ years in the Sunshine State forever. I wonder what effect it will have on horse racing?

HISA is actually a good idea if properly massaged. Racing, like all professional sports, needs a fair governing body that will keep out the bad and grow the good parts of the sport. – Are there problems? Yes. Can they be fixed? Yes. – Takes money, time, and commitment. Make the punishments only after due diligence swift and harsh. Reward the good members of the racing community with the spoils of what the sport brings to the table. After all, it was racing that went to Congress like Mr. Smith going to Washington asking for help making the game transparent and fair.

The group swung in quickly and shot first and didn’t ask questions later. Take Saffie Joseph. They all but damned him to the eternal fires. How much do you think it hurt his business for months on end while they gave him a colonoscopy with a rake and tore him open to the core. – Falsely accused, his owners gave away horses to other outfits, and his business was left in tatters. Then, after they finished, they informed him he was fine and able to return to training. – How many owners left the game? How many horses are in the new barns? Just like that, his world turned inside out. – Would you pay $2,000 a month to keep your horse in a barn that was not allowed to race, and the outcome was up in the air. – Nope, and neither did they.

Just slow down. Take your time and ask first before the in-depth investigation begins. Racing wants to be around for decades to come, but if you believed everything you heard on 60 Minutes; I’m sure you want this to go away right now. – There are hundreds that I know personally that are second and third-generation horsemen. They love the game and treat the horses better than some treat each other. They are dedicated to doing the right things and couldn’t imagine hurting a horse for the sake of money. But, I’m sure 60 minutes left that part of the story out. As well as they usually get there at 5:00 am and work until 7:00 pm. – No days off, and a vacation is something someone else takes.

HISA is not all wrong. They are trying, but just too hard. – Guilty until they feel you are innocent. Racing needs to rid the game of performance-enhancing drugs, punish the guilty, and leave the innocent to showcase the “Sport of Kings.” – There are so many hard-working folks who are hanging their heads to the court of public opinion. Time will either help or eradicate the sport in years to come. Nobody is off the hook. They are going after everyone and maybe asking questions later. – Just slow your roll and try and keep the game healthy and on the right path. Like all sports, it has big problems and needs help. Not an executioner on every backside to take away the sport. In the words of Winston Churchill; “There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.”