Lexington, KY - Three highly respected former racing
regulators - Steve Barham (OR), Bennett Liebman (NY), and Allan Monat (IL) - will
comprise the independent panel the ARCI has formed to certify compliance with
key integrity standards each year.
Association of Racing Commissioners
International Chair Judy Wagner made the appointments this week, noting that
each of the appointees is totally independent of any racing interest or
regulatory agency.
Barham once served as Executive
Director of the Oregon Racing Commission prior to joining the University of
Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program in 2002 where he taught animal science and
racing law and enforcement. He helped
manage the ARCI model rules process and often assigned his students academic
projects measuring adoption of the best regulatory practices contained in the
ARCI Model Rules.
Liebman is no stranger to racing,
having served as a racing advisor to two NY Governors, a longtime member of the New York Racing and
Wagering Board (now the Gaming Commission), and as coordinator of the Equine
Law Project of Albany Law School’s Government Law Center.
Monet is a former jockey who served as
a Member of the Illinois Racing Commission, where he earned a reputation for
independence.
Under the program, the panel will
report each year at the annual ARCI meeting whether jurisdictions are
“Compliant”, “Substantially Compliant” or “Non Compliant” with select integrity
standards embodied in the Model Rules.
The standards may be expanded for subsequent years based upon
recommendation of the panel to the ARCI Board each December.
For 2017, the standards are linked to
four ARCI Model Rules that are often referred to as the National Uniform
Medication Program (NUMP). These
include implementation of the ARCI/RMTC
Controlled Therapeutic Schedule; use of an RMTC accredited testing laboratory;
adoption of the Multi-Medication Rule Violation point system; and the
independent administration of race day furosemide for those trainers/owners
opting to use it.
ARCI President Ed Martin indicated
that some individual regulators and industry entities have expressed a desire
to have a formal certification program to help guide them in assessing whether
races imported to their track or jurisdiction operate under key integrity
regulatory standards.
Racetracks, ADW’s and off track
betting companies choose which tracks they will offer their customers. Usually these offerings require the consent
of the appropriate horsemen’s organization and approval of the regulatory
entity.
Martin was adamant that the ARCI will
not be involved in recommending or deciding which simulcast signals should be
approved or not. “That is up to the
tracks, ADWs, OTBs, the local horseman’s group, and the appropriate regulator,
to make such decisions individually. All
the ARCI will do is provide information for others to assess what weight to
give it in making decisions affecting their customers or constituents,” he
said.
The concept of a compliance
certification program emerged from the Compliance Committee created by past
ARCI Chair Mark Lamberth of Arkansas. It
was included in the 2016 Stakeholder Input Project, where it received
considerable support - 57% - from those participating.
Some in the thoroughbred industry have
an interest in limiting the import of simulcast signals in some markets to
those races operating under minimum integrity standards. This concept has been embodied in the
federal legislative proposals that have been put forward, but not passed, since
2005.
