HEAL

The Ohio Department of Agriculture ("Ohio Lab")'s probationary HISA Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation status of the Analytical Toxicology Laboratory has been suspended for a minimum of six months, starting Feb. 9, according to a Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) release on Tuesday. Samples collected in Ohio will be directed to the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of California, Davis for analysis. HIWU's independent Laboratory Expert Group, which evaluates the performance of Program laboratories, recommended the suspension of the Ohio Lab's probationary HEAL accreditation...

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) has suspended the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory's (PETRL) probationary Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Equine Analytical Laboratory (HEAL) accreditation status for a minimum of six months, beginning July 8, 2025, the organization announced in a release Wednesday morning. Effective immediately, samples collected in Pennsylvania are being sent to Industrial Laboratories for analysis. HIWU's independent Laboratory Expert Group, which evaluates the performance of Program laboratories, recommended the suspension of PETRL's probationary HEAL accreditation due to nonconformities associated with HEAL compliance. HIWU,...

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...