Hisa Appoints Marc Guilfoil To Oversee State Racing Commission Relations
Guilfoil joins the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) after serving as Executive Director of the Kentucky Horseracing Commission
JUNE 21, 2022 – Marc Guilfoil, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horseracing Commission, has joined the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) as Director of State Racing Commission Relations.
In the role, Guilfoil will direct outreach to and collaboration with state racing commissions on the implementation of HISA’s Racetrack Safety and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Programs.
Tom DiPasquale, a HISA consultant, has been performing in the role on an interim basis and will continue to do so until July 15 to facilitate a smooth transition.
“Marc is a respected leader in the racing industry with years of state racing commission experience, and I trust that his expertise, relationships and professionalism will serve HISA
well as we continue to work closely with state racing commissions to implement the new federal law,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “I also want to thank Tom DiPasquale for his incredible work over the last several months as HISA has prepared to go into full effect this summer; he has been an invaluable contributor to HISA’s implementation plan.”
“I want to thank the Governor and the State of Kentucky for the opportunity to serve the state as Executive Director. It’s been both an honor and a privilege. I am looking forward to helping HISA achieve national uniform safety and integrity standards,” said Guilfoil.
Guilfoil began his work at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in 1988 and was promoted to executive director in 2016. He had previously served as the commission’s director of racing and as deputy executive director of the commission.
Guilfoil is a Kentucky native and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in agriculture.
About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority
Established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is comprised of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which goes into effect July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which will go into effect in January 20ADMC23.
The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program will expand veterinary oversight, impose surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhance jockey safety, regulate riding crop use, and implement voided claim rules, among other important measures.
The ADMC Program will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for integrity violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms will be administered by a new independent agency, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new system, accredit laboratories, investigate potential integrity violations and prosecute rule breaches.
The original press release can be found here : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/604f6ab712afe14e11227976/t/62b2181e7c5f2d79d479199c/1655838751034/Marc+Guilfoil+Release+6.21.22+FINAL.pdf
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