Churchill Downs calls for independent review of integrity regulator
Churchill Downs has called on the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch an independent review of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) governance, information security, disclosure practices and handling of recent integrity concerns.
In a letter signed by chief executive Bill Carstanjen, the racing giant raised concerns over the so-called Fair Hill Five incident, in which four horses with unremarkable form produced unexpected results at Saratoga and Monmouth Park on the same day.
Churchill also questioned why HISA did not publicly disclose until after the betting incident that trainer Angel Quiroz had a horse test positive for albuterol on July 10, arguing that delayed reporting raised questions about whether the trainer could have been provisionally suspended sooner.
The letter also raised concerns about Marshall Gramm’s alleged access to confidential medication records through the HISA portal, asking whether similar vulnerabilities existed elsewhere and whether other users could have accessed sensitive information.
Churchill called for answers about how long the security vulnerability existed, what controls were in place to detect improper access, whether information was used in wagering or handicapping and what independent verification had been undertaken of corrective measures.
The company urged the FTC to use its statutory oversight authority to require an independent review, saying the industry, wagering public and other racing stakeholders were entitled to answers about the integrity and security issues.
HISA said it had already been in communication with the FTC about the matters raised by Churchill and welcomed the commission’s ongoing oversight and review of its actions, policies, protocols and systems.
