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A federal judge said Tuesday a national horse racing authority cannot enforce its rules in Louisiana and West Virginia while a lawsuit challenging the organization is in court.

In granting a preliminary injunction, Western District of Louisiana Judge Terry Doughty said the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority likely went beyond its bounds on three rules that went into place July 1. State and racing officials in those jurisdictions sued to prevent the federal authority’s new regulations from going into effect.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said the ruling is limited in scope geographically to Louisiana and West Virginia and does not question the organization’s constitutionality or validity.

“Congress enacted HISA to enhance equine and jockey welfare and protect the integrity of this great sport by, for the first time, creating national rules and standards to govern thoroughbred racing,” she said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “These measures are backed by research and informed by the expertise of independent and industry representatives. The reality is that the majority of racing participants support the authority’s mission to protect those who play by the rules and hold those who fail to do so accountable in order to keep our equine and human athletes safe and the competition fair.”

Doughty said the authority may have overstepped its bounds when it comes to how horses covered by the rules are defined, the ability for investigators to confiscate records from anyone who owns or “performs services on” a covered horse and basing state payments for upkeep partly on race purses.

The attorneys general of Louisiana and West Virginia hailed the injunction as a victory. Louisiana’s Jeff Landry said the regulations are “unclear, inconsistent and violate due process.”

“I am grateful Judge Doughty applied the law and blocked this federal overreach from devastating our state and the thousands of Louisianans in the horse industry here,” Landry said in a statement. “Louisiana has not only regulated horseracing but also built an entire culture around it with the owners, trainers, jockeys, racetracks and patrons. … The process of creating the law and its associated regulations showed a reckless disregard for the thousands of industry participants in Louisiana and a correspondingly reckless disregard for the impact to our state.”

West Virginia’s Patrick Morrisey said he was confident the legal challenge joined by the Louisiana State Racing Commission, Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, West Virginia Racing Commission and The Jockeys’ Guild “will likewise have a favorable result.”

The Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act went into law in January 2021, giving a federal authority the ability to regulate the sport across the U.S. Safety regulations started in July, with antidoping rules going into effect at the start of 2023.

Activist Marty Irby criticized the ruling, calling HISA “the sport’s last chance at survival.”

“It’s a shame to see the federal court side with rogue state operators and officials who continue to help keep doping and animal abuse alive in American horse racing,” said Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action. “If these states insist on operating under the status quo, then we will make sure to further highlight every doping incident, death, and scandal in their domains.”

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M’s Crawford to IL after tweaking oblique in BP

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M's Crawford to IL after tweaking oblique in BP

ARLINGTON, Texas — Leadoff-hitting shortstop J.P. Crawford was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Seattle Mariners on Thursday because of a right oblique strain.

The move came a day after Crawford felt his oblique tweak during batting practice, resulting in him being a late scratch from the Mariners’ 5-1 loss at Texas.

“I do not have a timeline for J.P.,” manager Scott Servais said. “We’ll evaluate it as it goes along. We hope to get him back as soon as possible.”

Dylan Moore was the starting shortstop for the series finale Thursday against the Rangers. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez moved up to leadoff hitter from his usual No. 2 spot.

Seattle brought up infielder Leo Rivas from Triple-A Tacoma. Rivas, 26, has played 665 games over nine minor league seasons and was seeking his big league debut.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Mariners transferred right-hander Gregory Santos (right lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

Crawford is off to a slow start, hitting .198 with two homers and nine RBIs in his first 22 games.

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Dusty Baker wins Baseball Digest lifetime award

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Dusty Baker wins Baseball Digest lifetime award

NEW YORK — Dusty Baker has won the fourth Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Baseball Digest.

The beloved Baker retired following the 2023 season after spending 56 years in the majors as a player, coach and manager. He was honored Thursday with an annual distinction that “recognizes a living individual whose career has been spent in or around Major League Baseball and who has made significant contributions to the game.”

Willie Mays won the inaugural award in 2021, followed by Vin Scully in 2022 and Joe Torre last year.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor,” 74-year-old Baker said in a news release. “I never thought that I’d be in the class of the people that received this award. I know that my late mom and dad would be proud of me. This is really special.”

Baker broke into the big leagues as a teenager with the Atlanta Braves in 1968 and played 19 seasons. He made two All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger awards and earned a Gold Glove in the outfield.

He was the 1977 NL Championship Series MVP and finished fourth in 1980 NL MVP voting before helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.

After his playing career, Baker was a coach for the San Francisco Giants 1988-92 and then became their manager in 1993. He won the first of his three NL Manager of the Year awards with the Giants that season and spent 26 years as a big league skipper, also guiding the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros.

Baker took all those teams to the playoffs, winning 10 division crowns, three pennants and finally a World Series championship in 2022 with the Astros. He ranks seventh on the career list with 2,183 wins and is the only manager in major league history to lead five franchises to division titles.

In January, he returned to the Giants as a special adviser to baseball operations.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am honored to congratulate Dusty Baker as the 2024 recipient of Baseball Digest’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He joins an incredible club,” commissioner Rob Manfred said. “Dusty represents leadership, goodwill, and winning baseball. His ability to connect with others, across generations, is second to none. He is a championship manager and player. But, most importantly, Dusty is an extraordinary ambassador for our national pastime.”

Baker was selected in voting by an 18-member panel from a list of candidates that also included Bob Costas, Sandy Koufax, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Rachel Robinson and Bud Selig, among others.

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MLB bringing back Players Weekend in August

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MLB bringing back Players Weekend in August

For the first time since 2019, MLB will dedicate three days in August to players, focusing on showcasing them beyond their stats and on-field performances, according to a release distributed Thursday.

From Aug. 16-18, a different aspect of players’ lives will be highlighted through in-stadium events, game broadcasts and social media.

Day 1 (Aug. 16) will feature their personalities, friendships and off-the-field interests. Day 2 will focus on their charitable causes, and Day 3 will celebrate the people who helped them on their path to the big leagues, including parents, coaches and other mentors.

During the weekend, players will wear special New Era caps featuring each players’ uniform number on the side panel in a “youthful design,” according to the release. Players also will be able to use customized bats during the games and can wear cleats with personalized designs as well.

MLB is calling the three days a “reimagined Players’ Weekend” as its previous incarnation, from 2017 to ’19, featured specially designed uniforms with player nicknames on the back of their jerseys.

The goal of the weekend is to reach younger audiences, which have been growing over the past several years. According to league data, the median age of ticket purchasers has dropped from 51 to 45 since 2019, while ticket buyers from ages 18-35 has increased by almost 10% during the same timeframe. MLB is hoping that trend continues.

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