Maddox Racing and Bloodstock

06/30/2025

Baby steps.....

The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a decision to grant, vacate, and remand (GVR) Nat’l Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Ass’n, et al. v. Horseracing Integrity and Safety Auth., Inc., et al. back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, directing the lower court to reconsider the challenge to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) in light of the Court’s recent ruling in Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research.

This action represents a renewed opportunity for the Fifth Circuit to address the fundamental constitutional issues raised by horsemen nationwide—and do so in a manner consistent with the highest Court’s recent guidance and precedent.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals twice declared HISA to be unconstitutional. In November 2022, the court decided that HISA illegally delegated legislative power to a private corporation. In response, Congress made a one-sentence tweak to the law. But in July 2024, the Fifth Circuit again declared that HISA unconstitutionally delegated governmental enforcement powers to a private corporation.

“We are confident that the Fifth Circuit, once again, will declare HISA to be unconstitutional.” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “Our well-founded arguments regarding HISA remain unchanged—it is a deeply flawed, unconstitutionally delegates governmental authority to a private corporation and places unfair burdens on horsemen.”

The GVR action signals that the Court recognizes a connection between its latest opinion and the legal arguments raised in the HBPA case. It also means that the Fifth Circuit’s prior ruling—critical of the structure of HISA— may be rewritten in a manner that potentially negates further consideration by the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court’s action should not change the prior opinion of the Fifth Circuit holding HISA to be unconstitutional” said Peter Ecabert, General Counsel of the NHBPA. “HISA is fundamentally different from and more flawed than the statute in the Consumers Research case. Under HISA, the FTC cannot appoint or remove Authority board members; plus the Authority was unlawfully granted sweeping enforcement powers that were not at issue in Consumers Research. I am confident the Fifth Circuit will find HISA unconstitutional a third time. Further, a beneficial development with this Supreme Court action is to permit any cases that have been held in abeyance awaiting Supreme Court guidance freedom to proceed.”

“This is an opportunity to put more legal points on the scoreboard and further clarify that HISA crosses constitutional boundaries,” said Daniel Suhr, lead counsel for the HBPA and president of the Center for American Rights. “The Supreme Court’s guidance ensures that lower courts will now reevaluate HISA in the context of how the Constitution limits federal power and protects against unchecked delegation to private entities.”

At the same time, the HBPA continues to champion a viable and constitutional alternative: the Racehorse Health and Safety Act (RHSA). The RHSA, introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), will create an interstate compact of participating states to develop and enforce uniform, science-based rules on medication and racetrack safety—without unconstitutional federal overreach.

“RHSA is a common-sense solution—rooted in state cooperation, science, and fairness,” added Hamelback. “We can protect the integrity of the sport without trampling the rights of horsemen. The HBPA will continue to fight for the constitutional rights of horsemen in the Court of Appeals and back at the Supreme Court again if we have to.”

06/02/2025

05/07/2025

Morning nap time on a much needed sunny day!

01/22/2025

This has got to end. The slow growth of power over the horse industries will kill millions of jobs all over the country!

Government agency overreach has been rampant for decades, and the USDA is a principal offender. Animal extremist groups infiltrated the USDA to push their anti-animal agenda, and the recent amendment to the Horse Protection Act (HPA) reflects this influence. For the last 14 years, our staff has work...

12/20/2024

Gone too soon, but boy did he make a mark!

Today, our industry lost a legend. When you think about the number of Thoroughbreds in the history of our sport that exemplified greatness at every stage of their career—from the racetrack to the breeding shed—the list is short. They are the true unicorns, and Uncle Mo was one of them.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to our friends Mike Repole, the entire Repole Stable family, and the whole team at .

12/04/2024

I don't like to brag on our successes, but I'd want to brag on Mark. He has taught me everything a know about horses, breaking, handling, conditioning and training. Over the years we have worked together we have learned so much more by experience. 2024 has been one of the most discouraging years with circumstances out of our control. We were finally able to get into a groove again and are finishing the year off much better than how it started. Then you have the individual horses and the ups and downs of their fragility. Ruckus, my special boy out of Brieforboxers, has had so many set backs the last couple years and his training/racing has been sporadic. One of Mark's talents is noticing the potential in an individual and being able to adapt and cater to their specific needs. He has not given up on Ruckus and yesterday he showed up to prove he is not finished yet. 🐎

11/20/2024

Don't miss out on these opportunities. Plus,Big Dee's is having some great sales already!

Check out the latest giveaways for horse supplies, riding supplies and barn supplies from Big Dee's Tack and Vet

11/15/2024

You don’t know horse racing
By: Jessica Hallett

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the horse
The horse that knows the car that pulls into the barn in the morning
The horse that recognizes their caretaker and calls out to them
The horse that follows the caretaker with their eyes because they know that’s where the treats are
The horse that can always find his way back home
The horse that loves affection and scratches
The horse that gives their all on the track because of their family

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the groom
The groom that nicknames each horse
The groom that knows what each horse likes and doesn’t like
The groom that spends all day in the barn
The groom that cares more for the horse than anything else
The groom that sleeps in front of the stall if something is wrong
The groom that can identify their horse from the simplest thing
The groom that would do anything for the horse

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the trainer
The trainer that spends everyday going over every horse
The trainer that sets up a training and feed schedule for their horses
The trainer that knows what each horse needs
The trainer that takes the time to find the right race for their horse
The trainer that does right by the horse
The trainer that does anything for their horses

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the owner
The owner that picks the right horse for the right home
The owner that ensures the horse has everything he needs
The owner that buys special equipment add ons so the horse looks his best on the track
The owner that makes the best decision for the horse
The owner that finds the horse a home after their racing career is over
The owner that does anything for the horse

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the time spent behind the scenes
The time spent planning out schedules and training
The hours spent grooming
The mornings, afternoons, and nights spent picking out stalls
The time spent developing a diet for each horse
The time spent finding the right regime for the horse
The decades of wisdom collected to get one to the track
The time spent doing right by the horse

You don’t know horse racing because you don’t know the behind-the-scenes efforts of the horses, horsemen, vets, blacksmiths, and racing officials

You don’t like horse racing because you don’t know horse racing

11/08/2024

We bought this beautiful mare when she retired from racing and within a week we sold her for a very nice profit. It looks like she is doing well. Should we buy her back?

11/01/2024

Gathering around the hay bale for the latest gossip on the farm.

06/05/2024

OH could be on the short list for the end of racing if we have no vets! The HISA vets are using their power to dig their own graves and they don't even realize it!

When Dr. Barbara Hippie drove through the backstretch gates at Mahoning Valley Race Course last September, she knew she had some substances and medications on her truck that were banned by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). But she said she thought she had no reason to worry. She sai...

05/10/2024

"We need to stop feeding the narrative that Thoroughbreds are underdogs with rags-to-riches stories just because they're doing something other than what they were originally bred to do. As we well know, these horses are thoughtfully bred, lovingly raised, and carefully produced and cared for like the world-class athletes that they are. Lack of competitiveness on the track simply has nothing to do with the quality of the horse and all that went into producing it – it only means they need to pursue something different."

As we revel in the afterglow of a 150th Kentucky Derby that was everything racing needed it to be, those of us with a foot in the sport horse world still have the previous weekend on repeat in our heads. The last weekend in April, horses can be found thundering around a different venue of