HISA Ties Seven Equine Deaths to Sweeping PA Conspiracy

In a case it believes goes far beyond an honest mistake on timing or record-keeping, misunderstanding of rules, or contamination, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority alleges that a vet and 13 trainers based at Penn National Race Course organized an effort to repeatedly inject horses at what they knew were prohibited times. A HISA release and representative said the injections during stand-down times ahead of races or training sessions total more than 200 instances from May 2023 to November 2024. It said three horses that received those injections during the prohibited time period died in the race that followed. HISA expects these alleged violations to result in more than 100 race disqualifications from races in those years, including three 2024 stakes at Penn National. While HISA said most of the races where horses that received intra-articular injections too close to race time took place at Penn National, it added that some of the horses it says were injected at Penn National went on to compete at nine other tracks subject to HISA rules in five other states. According to HISA, a coordinated investigation led by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission revealed that veterinarian Dr. Allen Post Bonnell allegedly conspired with the implicated trainers 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 and Racetrack Safety Programs—whose rules are in place to safeguard equine health and ensure fair competition. HISA and its enforcement arm, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, in collaboration with the PSHRC, outlined the allegations in a release issued Feb. 21. "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." Besides Bonnell, HISA released the names of some of the trainers facing sanctions linked to this alleged conspiracy. They are Kimberly Graci, Bonnie Lucas, Marlin Arthur (Joe) Miller, and Javier Morzan. For the trainers not yet named, Lazarus noted that some cases fall under HISA and some others under HIWU; and that names connected with the latter will be released at a future date. HISA, a private organization under the Federal Trade Commission, oversees anti-doping efforts as well as medication control in the majority of racing jurisdictions in the United States. Substances on the anti-doping side include performance enhancers as well as substances never allowed in the horse, while medication control concerns the substances that are allowed to treat horses in training but are highly regulated. In an effort to reduce equine injuries, rules are in place to ensure that intra-articular injections are not masking pain on a day a horse races or trains. In recent years, stand-down times—the amount of time between when an injection is given and a horse races or trains—have been lengthened to ensure that they are not masking pain. Studies have shown that smaller microfractures can lead to catastrophic breakdowns. That change in stand-down times, and other rule updates aimed toward improved safety, helped tracks under HISA oversight enjoy the safest year on record in 2024. Lazarus said in a Friday press conference that the investigation found that three of the horses that received injections during these prohibited times died in the race that followed while four others died in a race or training session soon after. HISA is looking into the timing on when it can release the names of those horses. Beyond that, HISA said 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 postrace by a regulatory veterinarian. Veterinarian Bonnell Responds Bonnell, 81, said Friday that he thought HISA was motivated by "revenge" to call the situation a conspiracy. "I love these animals; I love horses," Bonnell said. "I would never give horses anything illegal. These are permitted medications, and they caught me injecting a knee—I could see where that would call for a punishment but not on the level of what they're looking to do." Bonnell, who was summarily suspended by the PSHRC in the fall of 2024 as well as Graci and Miller, said because of restrictions on injections, many races are not filling. He also said that confusion occurs when races are scrapped for not filling. Bonnell said that while he's not especially fond of administering injections, he was doing his job and helping horses with the hyaluronic acid and flumethasone he was administering. Bonnell does not believe his actions contributed to horses breaking down. Lazarus said that the rules on stand-down times relative to injections are based on research and aim to address concerns about equine safety and racing integrity. She noted that many of the alleged instances also would have violated previous rules that allowed for injections closer to racing or a workout. Christopher McErlean, vice president of racing for the track's parent company, PENN Entertainment, said Penn National would cooperate with the investigations and take appropriate actions regarding individuals as they're identified. "We are extremely disappointed regarding this morning's announcement from HISA/HIWU regarding potential flagrant rule violations by multiple trainers based at, and competing at our track, as well as a long-serving practicing veterinarian," McErlean said. "The actions of any individuals who attempt to circumvent rules intended to ensure the safety and welfare of the equine athlete will not be tolerated and will be dealt with quickly." The alleged violations were discovered through an investigation that involved interviews, including talking with the vet and trainers allegedly involved, as well as a review of veterinary and billing records. HIWU executive director Ben Mosier noted that these substances would not have been likely to be detected in postrace samples, emphasizing that the alleged violations are based on the timing of when the injections were administered—during the stand-down time. "Dr. Bonnell admitted to two substances that he was injecting. The first, hyaluronic acid, is an endogenous substance in the horse. It's actually not a prohibited substance itself, but again, the act of the injection is what's prohibited," Mosier said. "The second was flumethasone... It's a corticosteroid. "Due to the timing of the injections and the low levels that he claimed to be injecting, (flumethasone is) a fast-acting substance that is typically not detectable through standard postrace testing based on the time frame he was injecting. It shows the importance of investigations and people coming forward with information. This program isn't just about testing and postrace testing." Bonnell said he thinks regulators are aiming to end his veterinary career in racing and possibly go after his license. He said sanctions of that level are out of line with his offense. A detailed report from the PSHRC suggests Bonnell knew the rules but ignored them while trainers looking to circumvent those standards called upon his services. That report says that in an Oct. 24, 2024, interview with PSHRC investigators, Bonnell said trainers would request his services for intra-articular injections because they knew he would not report the injections as required; allowing the trainers to run their horses during the time the horses should have been placed on the veterinarians' list. The report said that Graci also met with commission investigators Oct. 24 and acknowledged it was common knowledge among trainers at Penn National that Dr. Bonnell would not properly report joint injections. State Vet Witnessed Injection The PSHRC report suggests the entire case began Oct. 21 when chief state veterinarian Dr. David Marshall observed Bonnell injecting a horse's knee in the wash stall of Barn 24 at Penn National. Marshall reported what he saw to PSHRC investigators. Those investigators met with Bonnell about the allegation the afternoon of Oct. 24. According to the report, Bonnell initially said he didn't recall the Oct. 21 injection but then said he was not injecting the horse but rather draining fluid from the horse's knee joint. According to the report, after Bonnell said he had used "probably a 10 ml" syringe, investigators said he was observed with a 3-milliliter syringe and the liquid inside did not appear to be joint fluid. The report said Bonnell eventually stated that the horse was injected with hyaluronic acid with Bonnell adding that it was legal and that horses already have hyaluronic acid in their joints. The report says Bonnell acknowledged he did not file a report of this injection as required. The report also accuses Bonnell of purposely misleading investigators about what horse was injected Oct. 21. It says Bonnell initially said he had injected Graci-trained Liquid Lightning but after reviewing Bonnell's notebook, investigators observed that Liquid Lightning was listed as being injected Oct. 17 while Graci-trained horses Zoomer and Starlite Walker were listed for Oct. 21. When confronted about the dates, Bonnell eventually said he gave the horse's name as Liquid Lightning because Graci asked him not to report it so that Zoomer could run in an Oct. 25 race. The report says he also admitted giving Starlite Walker an injection on Oct. 21 as well. PHRC investigators said Bonnell eventually offered detail about those injections, saying he injected all four knee (and hock) joints of Zoomer and one knee joint and one ankle on Starlite Walker with 2 cubic centimeters of hyaluronic acid and 2cc of flumethasone. The investigation then used records and interviews that would see HISA allege violations over about a year-and-a-half period. The report goes on to allege that Graci, who ranked fifth in wins last year at Penn National, "had at least 55 horses in her stable receive intra-articular injections a total of 106 separate times from Dr. Bonnell. None of these injections were recorded in the Certificate of Intra-Articular Injection form turned into the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission veterinary office as required." The report alleges Morzan had five horses receive 11 separate injections that were not properly reported, including one that received "numerous injections and was unfortunately euthanized." It alleges that Lucas, who last year ranked ninth in wins at Penn National, had at least 39 horses in her stable receive 60 separate intra-articular injections from Dr. Bonnell that were not recorded. It said that one of those 39 horses suffered a catastrophic injury during a race in Pennsylvania. The report says that Miller said that Bonnell has been doing this practice for many Penn National trainers. It goes on to say that Miller had three horses receive 12 separate, unreported injections from Dr. Bonnell and that one of his horses "who received numerous injections unfortunately was euthanized." The report also notes the tracks besides Penn National where these trainers had horses race after receiving unreported injections during the stand-down time. Those include Pennsylvania's other two Thoroughbred tracks, Parx Racing and Presque Isle Downs, as well as Aqueduct Racetrack, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Finger Lakes, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, and Pimlico Race Course. Lazarus said the case, which appears to be the largest since HISA has launched, points to HISA's ability to take the extra step in getting to the bottom of such cases to protect the safety of athletes, both human and equine. "That means going beyond veterinary inspections, beyond racing surface oversight, and beyond postrace testing," Lazarus said. "It means working collaboratively with our industry partners on complex investigations that uncover potentially novel and egregious ways in which covered persons put horse welfare, jockey welfare, and the integrity of competition at risk." Lazarus said that the PSHRC led an outstanding investigation. BloodHorse did not have contact information to immediately reach the trainers accused of wrongdoing. The HISA release said that 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.