HIWU names Janelle Winston as general counsel after Pujals retires

HIWU made a key legal handoff with immediate effect, naming Janelle L. Winston as general counsel after Michelle Pujals retired from the post following four years in the role. In a system built on testing, case management and enforcement, the move carries weight well beyond an office change because the general counsel helps shape how the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program is applied.

Pujals leaves after a run that HIWU said was central to building the organization from its start in 2022. HIWU was established by Drug Free Sport International to administer HISA’s rules and enforcement mechanisms, and Ben Mosier said Pujals was instrumental in helping build HIWU and in making sure the rules were applied correctly and consistently. That consistency matters in a business where legal decisions can drive suspensions, appeals and the credibility of the sport’s integrity system.

Pujals came to horse racing after 20 years in the NBA legal department, where she oversaw anti-drug programs for players, coaches and trainers. She also served on the NBA/NBPA Prohibited Substances Committee and the NBA Crisis Management Team, experience that fit the regulatory demands of a sport under constant scrutiny.

Winston arrives with a parallel resume built in another high-profile league. She spent nearly a decade as counsel for the NFL, where she administered policies on substances of abuse and performance-enhancing substances, handled labor-management disputes, trained coaches and players on personal conduct and gambling policies, and served on the Partnership for Clean Competition board. Her background also includes work as senior labor relations counsel at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York City Transit, service as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, and adjunct teaching at Fordham School of Law since 2007.

The timing underscores continuity rather than disruption. HIWU’s 2025 annual report pointed to an expanded enforcement footprint, including 463 searches at 50 racetracks and training centers, 73,815 samples collected, and 6,132 out-of-competition tests. The unit also said its anonymous tip line received 219 tips in 2025 and that all were addressed within 24 hours. Alongside those numbers, HIWU highlighted new operational tools such as the HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory accreditation program, standardized sample-collection equipment nationwide and a learning management system for sample-collection personnel.

For owners, trainers, riders and veterinarians operating under HISA’s program, Winston’s arrival signals that the enforcement apparatus remains in the hands of lawyers who know how to manage disputes, protect process and defend institutional credibility. In horse racing, that kind of continuity can matter as much as any ruling handed down at the track.