HIWU

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Following a full hearing in Cleveland between April 23 and April 25 before HISA's anti-doping and medication control program arbitration panel, Ohio veterinarian Scott Shell has been suspended for 21 months and fined $20,000 for possessing four banned substances on Sept. 28 last year at Thistledown Racetrack. The four substances in question were two jars of Carolina Gold/GABA (an amino acid that can be used as a calming...

Last week saw the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Unit (HIWU) and the University of Kentucky issue their reports into alleged misconduct and mismanagement at the university's Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab (EACL) under the leadership of former director, Scott Stanley. The allegations levelled towards Stanley and the lab's operations include misrepresentation of its ability to test for specific substances such as erythropoietin (EPO), and the "intentional misrepresentations" of positive tests as negative. Questions arising from operations at HIWU's fleet of contracted laboratories isn't confined just to the UK Lab, however. At...

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit has lifted the suspension assessed to trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. in the wake of one of his horses testing positive for methamphetamine after a race at Delaware Park in May. Duarte is the private trainer for Richard Santulli's Colts Neck Stables. On June 26, Duarte was informed that a horse he trained named Happy Cat (Kitten's Joy) had tested positive for methamphetamine following a May 22nd race at Delaware Park. On September 5, he was issued a provisional suspension of 60 days. After presenting...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.   NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 09/12/2024 Licensee: Robert James Gherardi, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Vet list medication violation for the presence of Firocoxib--controlled medication (Class C)--in a sample taken from Kell's Kiss on 8/6/24. Date: 09/12/2024 Licensee:...

I read with interest the TDN article about Jorge Duarte, which is the latest in a pattern of stories about trainers (George Weaver, Rusty Arnold, etc.) with positive tests that have seemingly come from contamination. Glen Hill Farm has been racing and breeding horses since 1967. We are an American-based operation but have been building in Europe and Australia for the last decade. Having served on many industry boards, I always understood the goal for medication reform was for American racing to first have uniformity between states and then hopefully...

On June 26, trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr was informed that a horse he trained named Happy Cat (Kitten's Joy) had tested positive for methamphetamine following a May 22nd race at Delaware Park. Duarte was indeed concerned, but he insisted he had done nothing wrong, that cooler heads would prevail and that he would not be penalized. Three-and-a-half months later, he has already started serving what could be a lengthy suspension. The problem is that when there is a drug positive, Duarte says the position of the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 09/10/2024 Licensee: Joe Tye, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (GastroGard)-controlled Medication (Class C)--in a sample taken from Wear the Crown on 7/26/24. Date: 09/10/2024...

According to the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), a horse from the barn of veteran trainer Phil Serpe tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol on Aug. 10. The alleged positive occurred in a $30,000 claiming race at Saratoga, which was won by the Serpe-trained Fast Kimmie (Oscar Performance). The horse has been banned from competing for 14 months from the time of the violation. Serpe's status is on hold since he has the right to request that the B Sample is analyzed. If that sample also comes back...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 09/04/2024 Licensee: Johanna Urieta, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a...

The stewards at Charles Town Races on Wednesday issued a ruling that will not impose penalties against the licensure of trainer Justin Nixon after deeming that a "trace level" of a cocaine metabolite detected in a winning first-time starter he trained in March was the result of "inadvertent exposure" to that drug. West Virginia, along with Louisiana, are the only two states in America where Thoroughbred medication testing and enforcement are not subject to oversight by the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) and the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit...

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) has issued a 60-day accreditation suspension of the University of Illinois Chicago Analytical Forensic Toxicology Laboratory (UIC-AFTL), one of five laboratories contracted by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unity (HIWU) to conduct drug testing for the agency. According to RMTC executive director, Michael Hardy, the agency notified UIC's Analytical Forensic Toxicology Laboratory of its suspension Tuesday. "The Horserace Testing Laboratory Committee (HTLC), which is tasked with overseeing RMTC's Laboratory Accreditation Program, will, upon receipt, review the laboratory's response and associated corrective actions. Accreditation...

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) has granted a temporary stay of enforcement to connections in six pending total carbon dioxide (TCO2) cases, all of which are out of Pennsylvania. In total, 11 of the 14 pending and resolved TCO2-related cases reported since the advent of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) have concerned horses that ran in Pennsylvania. Of the three other TCO2-related cases, one ran in California and two were out of Ohio. When asked about the reason behind the temporary stay of enforcement, HIWU spokesperson...