From the HISA Media Team / Mandy Minger:

HISA, HIWU Pursue Cases Against Veterinarian and 13 Trainers in Widespread Conspiracy

February 21, 2025 (Lexington, KY) – The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission (PSHRC), today announced that they are pursuing cases against one veterinarian and 13 trainers in connection with an organized effort to evade HISA rules designed to protect and enhance the health and safety of horses and riders.

A coordinated investigation led by the PSHRC revealed that veterinarian Dr. Allen Post Bonnell allegedly conspired with the implicated trainers from May 2023 through November 2024 to administer intra-articular injections to the joints of Covered Horses within the prohibited stand-down periods, in direct violation of HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) and Racetrack Safety Programs—whose rules are in place to safeguard equine health and ensure fair competition.

As a result of the alleged violations, HISA and HIWU will pursue sanctions against these Covered Persons as described in HISA’s rules, including the disqualification of more than 100 horses from previous race results and subsequent forfeiture of purses, periods of Ineligibility for the Covered Persons and fines. While all horses were allegedly injected at Penn National Race Course, they participated in races at 10 different racetracks subject to HISA’s rules, across six different states.

HISA has verified that of the more than 100 unique horses alleged to have breezed or raced in violation of HISA’s intra-articular stand down times, 30% never raced again, strongly suggesting these injections were used to mask pain. Approximately 10% were observed to be lame post-race by a regulatory veterinarian. Three horses were euthanized as a direct result of injuries sustained in those races.

“This egregious breach of integrity and intentional undermining of equine welfare is a stark reminder of why rigorous oversight and enforcement are critical to the future of horse racing,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “The health and safety of horses and jockeys are paramount, and those who deliberately put them at risk will be held accountable.”

From the inception of the ADMC Program on May 22, 2023 through July 7, 2024, HIWU enforced intra-articular injection rule violations. As of July 8, 2024, HISA has been enforcing intra-articular injection protocols under its revised Racetrack Safety Program.

Further details, including disciplinary actions and sanctions against those involved, will be released in accordance with the disclosure requirements under the Racetrack Safety Program and ADMC Program. HISA, HIWU and the PSHRC remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting the integrity of the sport and the welfare of its equine and human athletes.

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About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

When the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law, it charged the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with proposing and enforcing uniform safety and integrity rules in Thoroughbred racing in the United States. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HISA is implementing, for the first time, a uniform national set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA has two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect on July 1, 2022, and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which went into effect on May 22, 2023.

The Racetrack Safety Program includes operational safety rules and national racetrack accreditation standards that seek to enhance equine welfare and minimize equine and jockey injury. The Program expands veterinary oversight, imposes surface maintenance and testing requirements, enhances jockey safety, regulates riding crop use and implements voided claim rules, among other important measures.

The ADMC Program includes a centralized testing and results management process and applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the United States. These rules and enforcement mechanisms are initially administered by an independent body, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), established by Drug Free Sport International (DFS). HIWU oversees testing, educates stakeholders on the Program, accredits laboratories, investigates potential ADMC violations and penalizes any such violations, subject to the FTC’s plenary review.

 

About the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The ADMC Program established a centralized testing and results management process that applies uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across all American Thoroughbred racing jurisdictions that HISA governs. As the enforcement agency of the ADMC Program, HIWU oversees all testing processes, including the selection of horses to be tested, training of sample collection personnel, and chain of custody procedures. Additionally, HIWU is charged with industry/stakeholder education, laboratory accreditation, results management and adjudication, and investigations. For more information, please visit hiwu.org.