On March 2, 2025, Peter Sacopulos and Lexington Veterinarian, Clara Fenger, presented at the VITICUS WVC 2025 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Mr. Sacopulos presented “HISA: Constitutional or Unconstitutional: The Status of the Constitutional Challenges Before the Supreme Court of the United States; Infractions Under HISA: Defenses, Recommendations, and Take Away Points for Veterinarians.” The conference was attended by veterinarians from across the country. Twelve thousand veterinarian and veterinarian technicians were in attendance. Attached are photographs from the VITICUS Conference t ..read more

One of the most compelling arguments for federal regulation of Thoroughbred racing is uniformity. Yet the lack of uniformity governing the rules of adjudication and, specifically, that of expert testimony is concerning ..read more

Peter Sacopulos participated in the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga that was held August 12 through August 14, 2024. The Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga is an intensive, premier forum for industry decision-makers, stakeholders, and racing and gaming patrons to analyze trends in all sectors, as well as to discuss critical issues and to share ideas. Mr. Sacopulos chaired a panel discussion, serving as moderator, for a presentation entitled: “HISA: Welcome to the New World Order.” This panel included the executive directors from the California Horse Racing Board, the Texas Raci ..read more

Attorney Peter Sacopulos participated in the National HBPA Conference that was held at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa. Mr. Sacopulos participated in a panel discussion entitled “HISA: Status Report on Where We Are Now”. Mr. Sacopulos participated in the panel discussion with Brent Malmstrom of KAM Racing Stables, Attorney Daniel Suhr, founder of the Center for American Rights and lead counsel in the case of the National HBPA, et al. v. Black, et al., as well as Peter Ecabert, general counsel for the National HBPA. Mr. Sacopulos has been involved in the constitutional ch ..read more

On April 9, 2024, Peter Sacopulos presented at the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) continuing education seminar. The Racing Officials Accreditation Program (also known as ROAP) accredits and provides continuing education to racing officials. Mr. Sacopulos’ topic was: “The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act: Litigation Updates.” Pete Sacopulos is a frequent contributor to the Horsemen’s Journal magazine and has presented to ROAP members on multiple occasions ..read more

On February 19, 2024, Attorney Peter Sacopulos presented at the Viticus Group WVC annual conference in Las Vegas. Mr. Sacopulos and co-presenter, Dr. Clara Fenger, board member and officer for the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians (NAARV) presented a program entitled “Recent Positive Tests Under HISA: How they are happening, how to avoid them, how to prepare to defend them”. The Viticus group is located in Las Vegas, NV and provides innovative veterinarian healthcare education worldwide having done so for over 90 years. Over 20,000 veterinarians attended this conference ..read more

Prior to May 22,2023, positive drug test results in horse racing were adjudicated by state racing commissions. Typically, the process was a merit hearing conducted by an administrative law judge followed by the right of judicial review in district court after exhaustion of administrative remedies. This system has been completely changed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) rules for alleged Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) violations. That system has, as its basis, arbitration. Arbitration is one of the most common forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), i ..read more

The Horseracing Integrity Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) rules governing adjudication of disputes continue to be the subject of attack for denying the covered person required due process. “As the first series of alleged Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) violations progress through the adjudication process, HISA and HIWU have made exceptions and variations to regulations, without formal amendment, in an attempt to mitigate the due process challenges. This approach is problematic regarding consistency and application. Even more concerning is ..read more

Attorney, Peter Sacopulos, was a presenter at the 37th Annual National Conference on Equine Law. This conference was sponsored by the University of Kentucky and is held annually in Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Sacopulos’ s presentation was: “The Horse Racing and Safety Act- Litigation Update”. Mr. Sacopulos presented to more than a hundred equine practitioners from more than thirty different states, as well as from Canada and the Netherlands.  Mr. Sacopulos is national counsel for the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians (NAARV) and authored an Amicus Brief on behalf of his ..read more

The 2023 National HBPA Annual Conference was held in New Orleans on March 6-10. The conference was held in conjunction with the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) Annual Meeting, allowing both organizations the opportunity to discuss the industry and where we are headed in 2023. The conference took place at the Hotel Monteleone located in the historic French Quarter. The conference was hosted by the Louisiana HBPA and included an afternoon of racing at Fair Grounds. To read a recap of the conference, check out the Spring issue of The Horsemen’s Journ ..read more