The issues with the Horse Racing Integrity & Safety organization — which was birthed by buttoned-up and self-absorbed members of The Jockey Club and made possible with well-intended but flawed federal legislation — have been building over the past couple of years.

Rumblings from the biggest and best of the industry have been mounting. Lawsuits from within the industry — that it is supposed to be refereed fairly and by according to federal law — have been filed and won against HISA, demanding changes to the very core. Anger over the perceived arrogance of the HISA hierarchy and the disgust with the way HISA has spent and wasted mass amounts of money on a regular basis comes from nearly every segment of the industry.

Now, comes the news that HISA and its’ highly compensated computer science experts have somehow, some way allowed this ex-Jockey Club member/college professor/possible convict Marshall Gramm to weasel his way into the most private of information and steal it for his own personal use.

Now, comes the recent news that Bob Baffert — one of the horse industry’s most well-known and penalized trainers for positive drug violations and a man who has had horses tested positive in both the G1 Kentucky Oaks and the G1 Kentucky Derby and a man who was suspended and prohibited from even showing up at Churchill Downs — has been appointed to an advisory board by HISA.

Are you frigging kidding me?

Omg.

This is a storyline that you can’t even make up.

It is truly amazing that any organization could suffer through this many gross errors, massive mistakes, arrogance, dismissive attitude, and absolute disasters in the course of such a rapid-fire fashion and in such a short period of time.

And, it is truly time — if not way past time, already — that the Horse Industry demand and obtain wholesale changes if not the complete dismantling of HISA. Right now.

It is truly time that Lisa Lazarus — the first and currently only Chief Executive Officer of HISA — be stripped from her position. Right now. Right frigging now.

It is truly time that HISA’s Board of Directors — which have allowed these series of mistakes to not only continue but to mount in both number and significance — be overturned. Completely. Right now. Right frigging now.

It is truly time that HISA’s budget is completely reviewed with a complete, deep audit that goes to the very bones and remodeled to only fund an organization that is supposed to be regulatory in nature and to assist existing racetracks and racing organizations with improving safety for all participants in every location. It should be an organization that concentrates on building model, nationwide rules that govern the industry; and assisting each state oversight organization to ensure credibility and integrity of all racing and all involved uniformly, equally and fairly with the absolute best in drug testing assurances. Only.

It is truly time that HISA meet with any and all federal officials — as in, maybe, yesterday — and turn over all evidence they have discovered and amassed on when and how Marshall Gramm, if it was him as he admits, was able to infiltrate private, confidential and highly sensitive information from the HISA computer files; and what discussions HISA has had with Gramm and information it has gleaned about what Gramm allegedly did with that information that he “obtained” from the HISA data base. Most of all, HISA shall advocate for local, state and federal prosecution of any and all acts that have been discovered and documented if found to be illegal.

And, it is truly time that whoever is left to oversee this disastrous organization shall immediately correct Lazarus’ misjudgment and totally ignorant appointment of Baffert and rescind any invitation that was given to the embattled trainer.

This is a lot to ask for, granted.

But guess what?

We aren’t asking any more.

It is our sport. It is our industry. And, it is our demand.

In other words?

You can’t be a king, or a queen, of anything if the people are ready for insurrection.

And, the people of the sport of Thoroughbred racing are ready to demand change. Now.

Unlike the apologist Ray Paulick, who suggested that the industry issue a simple slap on the wrist and move on, I suggest we slap some handcuffs on the wrists of the offenders and move them on to an appropriate and suitable location outside the realm of this industry.

One:

The reasons are very obvious: HISA mandated and demanded veterinarian records of all our horses. They mandated and demanded sensitive medical records of our horses. They mandated and demanded private and confidential information that we — the horse owners — pay for and possess. It is ours. Not HISA’s. Certainly not Marshall Gramm’s, if he acted in this manner. Not anyone else’s. And, my mandating and demanding private information HISA has and had a total responsibility and obligation to ensure that information is and was protected. HISA owed us that absolute assurance. As a great friend, who is also a horse partner of mine, said: “Private health records, equine or human, are not to be for sale.”

Two:

Since HISA failed in this critical responsibility, it — IMO — has opened itself to a possible class action lawsuit on the behalf of all the owners whose horses and horse’s information were left compromised and whose records were stolen and cannot be recovered sufficiently. Personally, I will be reaching out to the National HBPA and other horseman’s organizations to see if they would like to follow suit.

Thee:

By its’ own admission and the public disclosures of Marshall Gramm — a professor of economics at Rhodes College — has previously made in social media accounts, as well, HISA and Gramm entered into discussions about a possible “settlement” over the alleged infiltration of Gramm into the HISA data bank and the alleged “Lifting” of information as it pertains to veterinarian reports and medical records of horses owned by licensed owners throughout the United States.  According to public statements already made, these discussions between the parties broke down when HISA supposedly refused to not disclose the name of the offending party.

Truth is?

These negotiations should have been and should continue to be unlawful. And, Lisa Lazarus — an attorney, by trade, should have known better than to attempt to save her own stifles by committing this act of irresponsibility. HISA does not represent the owners of the horses and the owners of the protected medial records of their own horses. HISA was simply the custodian. A custodian that failed miserably. And, to be honest, Lisa Lazarus doesn’t have the right to represent me and my horse information. These negotiations appear to be nothing more than an attempt at a cover-up. No other way to view it, in my opinion.  If both of these parties — both of whom are guilty of an offense, IMO — could have kept it all secret by signing a Non Disclosure Agreement. That fact should be discoverable, as well, and should be offensive to all of us who own horses.

Four:

Marshall Gramm — who has been named publicly already by HISA as the offending party in this case — should be investigated by federal authorities, as well. If these investigators find that Gramm — a member of The Jockey Club, at the time — should be charged with illegally obtaining information by hacking or infiltrating the HISA portal of private information, and by utilizing this information for private profit? He should be legally penalized to the fullest extent of the law. Period.

IMO, it doesn’t matter if he had to use his expertise to “hack” the HISA computer portals or if he simply fell into the information accidentally. An ethical person — and certainly someone who serves on the board of The Jockey Club and is actively speaking publicly about the powers of horse information — would have made this disclosure to HISA immediately and would have made this “fault” aware to HISA. A professional “educator” would have made HISA aware of the loopholes in the system and the possibility of this private information being accessible to others. And, it could have been fixed. Then. There.

In my mind, if Gramm has done what he has publicly admitted to doing, it is no different than a person going into the bank to examine their own safety deposit box when they discover that the banker has given them the master key that can unlock all of the other safety deposit boxes in the room. And, then? Instead of telling the banker of their mistake and that it could lead to a possible infiltration of other’s personal, and protected belongings, the person simply uses the master key. And, for a long period of time has access to the “safety possessions” of others.

If that is the case here, then that is wrong. And, it should be punishable by law.

And, it could lead to a possible class action lawsuit against Gramm, himself, and his worldly possessions on behalf of horse owners whose information has been or could have been accessed by someone who shouldn’t have knowledge of private information.

At the very least, Gramm should be prohibited from ever participating in this sport — in any capacity — again, if convicted.

Especially if that information was utilized for person gain.

According to HISA, Gramm “deliberately and methodically” accessed confidential horse health information over a 6-week period in early May and ending in mid-June.” That quote was reported by The Thoroughbred Daily News on August. 17.

Did Gramm claim horses — through his Ten Strike Racing — utilizing that information? After all, according to records we have researched, Gramn did claim the following during the time line in question:

Expect to Patronium at Saratoga on 7-31-26.

Chelonian at Parx on 7-9-26.

Lex at Parx on 6-30-26.

Real Macho at Churchill Downs on 6-25-26.

Barksdale at Churchill Downs on 6-6-26.

Split Success at Churchill Downs on 6-4-26.

Dancewhenyoucan at Churchill Downs on 5-25-26.

Coastal Breeze at Churchill Downs on 5-22-26.

Scribble at Churchill Downs on 5-10-26.

Any there’s others, too.

Was the information illegally obtained helpful and utilized? We should all know the answer to that question.

The same question pertains to Gramm’s involvement in betting and in betting contests, during that time period.

Questions that we should all know the answer to, as well.

(We are being told that the FBI may be meeting on these issues this week. Stay tuned…)

In essence and in closing:

The Horse Industry should not ever let this issue and episode slip into yesterday without addressing and fixing it.

It deserves no less.

The Industry can tolerate no less.

The answers are simple, if you demand them.

  1. HISA has to change, if it even exists going forward.
  2. Lisa Lazarus has to go. Immediately.
  3. Marshall Gramm needs to be investigated for improper and illegal activities. If those findings warrant, he should be arrested and charged with serious crimes. And, if found guilty by a court of law, Gramm should be convicted and penalized for his crimes as a criminal. This does not warrant a “negotiation” to cover up. This demands investigation and disclosures. And, if applicable, convictions should demand restitution and detainment, if a jury so decides.
  4. The Jockey Club needs to acknowledge this massive failure of HISA and raise its’ ugly heads and stand up for what is right, for one of the few times in its’ history and help recreate a Board that actually functions as a Board with serious oversight.
  5. National Horsemen’s organizations — like the HBPA — should retain legal counsel and discuss possible class action lawsuits on behalf of all horse owners and against all parties who either allowed for or who gained access of private, confidential information.

It is time for a change.

Now.

On demand.