THA Applauds Furosemide Advisory Committee, Calls for Transparency
The board of directors of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association wants to express our sincere appreciation to the members of the Furosemide Advisory Committee convened by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
The committee undertook an enormously important responsibility for the Thoroughbred industry, and its members devoted significant time, expertise, and thoughtful analysis to an issue that directly impacts the health and welfare of the horse.
The committee represented some of the most respected veterinary and scientific minds in Thoroughbred racing, and we are deeply grateful for the extraordinary amount of time, expertise, and thoughtful analysis contributed by them: Dr. Emma Adam, Dr. Scott Hay, Dr. Rob Holland, Dr. Heather Knych, Dr. Scott Palmer, Dr. Sarah White-Springer, Dr. Corinne Sweeney, and our chairman, Alan Foreman.
Most importantly, the work of the FAC reflected what many in this industry have long asked for: a comprehensive, science-driven review of furosemide policy focused first and foremost on equine welfare. The committee's findings were thorough, balanced, and rooted in established scientific evidence-—not politics, perception, or commercial interests. It was also critically important that owners and trainers had meaningful representation throughout the process.
We were encouraged by (the May 5) announcement that the HISA board voted to maintain the status quo regarding the use of furosemide in most races, ensuring that many horses will continue to benefit from the protection it provides against exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. That decision prevented what many horsemen believed would have been a devastating step backward for equine welfare.
However, we are disappointed that the HISA board declined to fully adopt the recommendations of its own advisory committee.
The FAC's recommendation was clear and unequivocal:
"The current regulatory policy regarding furosemide, prohibiting its use in 2-year-olds and in horses racing in named or graded stakes races in the 48 hours prior to a race, be modified to permit the current strictly regulated administration of furosemide to horses competing in all races, except for graded stakes races that implicate commercial breeding potential."
After an exhaustive scientific review, the committee concluded there is no scientific justification for prohibiting the regulated administration of furosemide to 2-year-olds or horses competing in most stakes races. If equine health and welfare are truly the guiding principles behind policy decisions, then the industry should be willing to follow the science wherever it leads and "prioritize animal welfare over political or commercial interests in imposing regulatory policy governing race day use of furosemide."
We concur that: "As stewards of the horse, and to the degree that we employ horses for sport and/or entertainment, we are morally obligated to do everything humanly possible to reduce the risk for compromise of equine welfare related to that endeavor."
We are also disappointed that the broader racing community was not afforded the opportunity to fully review and discuss the FAC's findings prior to the HISA board's action. Transparency and stakeholder engagement are essential when addressing issues of this magnitude, particularly when the conclusions were developed by such a highly respected panel of experts, but not shared with the industry prior to decision-making. This lack of transparency prevented informed industry input and discussion.
We hope that furosemide policy will continue to evolve now that the decadeslong debate about the medication's perceived performance-enhancing effects and detrimental impact on the health and welfare of the horse have been resolved.
Open letter from the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association
Light Up Racing to Sunset After Breeders' Cup
Light Up Racing was launched in 2024 because the Thoroughbred industry had a problem it could no longer ignore.
Public trust was weakening, scrutiny was growing, and when difficult questions were asked, the industry was often too slow, too fragmented, or too hesitant to respond with the clarity the moment required.
The idea behind Light Up Racing was straightforward. If racing wanted to be better understood, it had to be willing to explain itself clearly and honestly, with evidence, and with enough confidence to stay in the conversation when things became uncomfortable.
The model was adapted from Kick Up for Racing in Australia, where the same issue had become impossible to miss: silence was no longer a neutral position. If the industry did not explain its own systems, standards, progress, and challenges, others would do it instead.
Operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Blue Grass Community Foundation and guided by a board of industry leaders, Light Up Racing set out to build a more coordinated, credible, and practical approach to public communication.
From the beginning, the work was based on a simple principle: confidence in the sport cannot be manufactured through messaging; it has to be earned through honesty, transparency, and proof.
What We Built
In a relatively short period, Light Up Racing showed what becomes possible when the industry chooses to engage rather than retreat.
- More than 550 pieces of content were amplified, reaching millions of viewers and introducing evidence-based, accessible information into public discourse
- More than 200 industry stakeholders were trained in crisis communication, equipping them with the tools and confidence to engage with media, the public, and their own communities
- A growing library of science-based resources and toolkits became the industry's coordinated response mechanism during moments of heightened scrutiny
- Collaborative efforts brought together more than 10 organizations, aligning messaging and strengthening a unified voice across the sport
This was practical work, used in real time during real moments of pressure. When an issue begins to escalate, racing needs someone watching the conversation, understanding the risk, speaking to the right people, checking the facts, and helping stakeholders respond in a way that is calm, credible, and consistent.
That became one of Light Up Racing's most important functions. Through its "eyes and ears" network, direct stakeholder engagement, and close monitoring of public narratives, Light Up Racing was often able to identify issues early, before they became fully inflamed.
That meant stakeholders could be briefed, messaging could be aligned, and the industry was less likely to find itself reacting in fragments.
When negative narratives emerged through national media, social media, or high-profile race incidents, Light Up Racing helped provide structure around the response. It did not replace the role of governing bodies, racetracks, horsemen's groups, or promotional organizations; it helped connect the dots between them.
In partnership with organizations, Light Up Racing helped ensure those working to grow the sport were not left to manage misinformation on their own. Each organization could continue to operate in its own lane, while Light Up Racing supported the broader need for clear, evidence-based response using its network of trusted subject matter experts such as jockeys, trainers, veterinarians, scientists, and top horse people.
That role has become more important as the media environment has changed.
Public narratives are no longer shaped only by newspapers, broadcasters, or official statements. They now build quickly through social media, short-form video, comment threads, and people with connected networks but limited context. In that environment, the absence of a coordinated response is not just a missed opportunity; it is a genuine risk.
A Different Way of Working
Light Up Racing was never designed to be the industry's mouthpiece, but to help the industry find its voice. Allowing participants to speak for itself better, earlier, and with more confidence.
Through training, toolkits, direct support, and practical resources, people across the sport were given language and guidance to answer difficult questions, challenge misinformation, and explain what happens behind the scenes. That included executives, communications teams, farm staff, trainers, aftercare organizations, owners, participants, and people who simply wanted to feel more confident when racing was criticized in public.
The value of that work was not just in the content produced, but in the capacity it built across the industry. It also showed that transparency, handled properly, does not weaken the industry. It makes it more credible.
The Reality
But the work also exposed a more difficult truth. There is broad agreement that racing needs this kind of communication, that public trust matters, and that misinformation, silence, and fragmented responses are damaging. What has not yet been solved is how the industry funds this work properly.
Over the past three years, Light Up Racing pursued support through grassroots fundraising, stakeholder contributions, and corporate engagement. In its first year, more than 75 stakeholders and industry organizations supported the initiative. As initial support began to lessen, and following consistent feedback from industry leaders about the need for greater consolidation and alignment with existing organizations, the board explored a number of possible long-term options. These efforts included direct outreach, merger proposals, integrated budgets with operational modeling, and multiple rounds of discussion to explore how this work could be sustained within existing industry structures.
Despite those worthwhile efforts and shared agreement that the work needs to continue, a sustainable path forward was not secured. The need for the work remains clear. The alignment required to act on it was not.
What Happens Next
In the absence of a long-term organizational home, the board of directors has made the decision to sunset Light Up Racing following Breeders' Cup 2026.
Until then, Light Up Racing will continue in a focused capacity, delivering content, supporting partners, and contributing to the industry's efforts to strengthen public trust. It will also produce virtual training assets and expand its online library, so the resources built through this work remain available beyond the organization's formal lifespan.
A Final Reflection
Light Up Racing was designed as a catalyst, showing what is possible when racing chooses to explain itself with more honesty, more coordination, and more confidence.
It proved that:
- The public will engage with facts when they are presented clearly
- The industry is willing to step collaboratively forward when equipped to do so
- A coordinated, evidence-based approach to communication can shift the narrative
- The question now is not whether this work matters; the question is whether the industry is willing to build what it takes to sustain it.
The pressure on public trust is not going away, and neither is the need to meet it properly. With the 2026 Kentucky Derby drawing its largest audience since the early 1980s, there are clear signals that the public is reengaging with the sport. That attention brings both opportunity and responsibility—this is a moment for the industry to step forward with a new standard of leadership and communication.
In the weeks ahead, Light Up Racing will share additional reflections on what this work has revealed, and what it will take to move the industry forward.
Light Up Racing Board; Amy Brin, interim executive director
