Churchill Downs says court rules HISA acted in ‘arbitrary manner’

Churchill Downs (CHDN) announced that the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, and therefore its purse-weighted fee methodology and associated efforts to collect fees under this basis are unlawful. “We are pleased with the Court’s decision in our favor,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “It’s unfortunate that HISA wasted so much time and resources, forcing us to go to such lengths to prove a very clear point. This is indicative of HISA’s ongoing fiscal mismanagement, which is a distraction from our joint mission of equine health and safety. By finding that HISA continuously exceeded its authority, the Court reiterated why it was necessary to bring this legal action.”