Racing Department

John Ferrara serves as the Commission's Director of Racing. In that capacity, he supervises the stewards and judges who monitor live racing at the licensed pari-mutuel racetracks in Texas. He also serves the primary policy maker on racing matters and acts as a liaison between the Commission, the racetracks, and the industry organizations.

The Texas Racing Act requires each pari-mutuel horse to be supervised by a board of three stewards. Similarly, at a greyhound racetrack, the races are supervised by a board of three racing judges. Unlike some other racing jurisdictions, all of the stewards and racing judges are employed by the Commission.

Although selected and employed by the Commission, the stewards and racing judges are not merely the Commission's agents at the racetrack. The Texas Racing Act, §3.07 gives the stewards and racing judges extensive enforcement authority over the licensees working at the racetracks. The stewards and racing judges conduct disciplinary hearings on alleged rule violations, disqualify race animals for interference in races, review and approve occupational license applications, and generally monitor all aspects regarding the conduct of live racing to ensure compliance with the Texas Racing Act and the Commission's rules.

Many of the disciplinary hearings conducted by the Steward and Racing Judges involve the use of illegal medication in race animals. Under Commission Rule §319.3, only certain medications are permitted to be present in a race animal on race day. However, some medications have more ability to influence the outcome of a race than others. To assist the stewards and racing judges in making penalty decisions, the Executive Director has developed a classification of prohibited drugs, chemicals and other substances and a schedule for recommended disciplinary action.

• Drug Classification and Penalty Schedule for Horses (PDF format)
• Drug Classification and Penalty Schedule for Greyhounds (PDF format)

The Commission licenses training facilities to facilitate horse owners and trainers obtaining official workouts. For a list of currently licensed training facilities, click here.