Professional horseracing has existed in one form or another for centuries, dating as far back as ancient Greece and Rome. Such steep history makes it even more remarkable that, in the US, the first ever set of standardized equine anti-doping regulations have only been in place for two years.
In 2023, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) formally launched its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. What was previously a patchwork of state-by-state rules and penalties finally coalesced into a unified effort to preserve integrity and safety in the sport.
The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) is the official, independent enforcement agency for the ADMC Program. Their remit is vast, from overseeing Thoroughbred drug testing to training sample collection personnel, handling lab accreditations and investigating all potential instances of noncompliance.
Drug testing—for animal and human athletes alike—can be a game of chance. Without the right information and intelligence, you might spend a lot of time and resources following up on non-issues. For HIWU, RealResponse has become an essential tool for collecting tips that result in lifesaving investigations.
Setting a new standard for equine welfare and racing integrity
Despite being a relatively young organization, HIWU is already making an outsize impact on the industry. Shawn Loehr, Director of Investigative Operations at HIWU, attributes this to their collaborative, multifaceted approach.
“By working together, we can help develop an effective testing strategy across the board that not only detects, but deters, violations. We’re not only hoping to catch people who are cheating, but also have a deterrent effect so we have a cleaner sport.”
From 2023 to 2024, racing-related equine fatalities at federally regulated tracks decreased 27%, according to HISA data. “Certainly the data suggests that HISA’s rules, including the ADMC Program, are having a positive impact on reducing racehorse fatalities.”
From 2023 to 2024, racing-related equine fatalities at federally regulated tracks decreased 27%, according to HISA data. “Certainly the data suggests that HISA’s rules, including the ADMC Program, are having a positive impact on reducing racehorse fatalities.”
These swift results are the product of a robust system for identifying and addressing misconduct. Loehr breaks it down into three main steps:
- Loehr and his team become aware of potential misconduct through a variety of avenues, including investigators and analysts who are constantly gathering intelligence, and anonymous tips.
- They then work with state racing commissions and racetracks nationwide to substantiate initial misconduct claims, triaging which reports warrant a full investigation.
- Claims that do move forward are assigned to an investigator, who develops custom strategies for each case (e.g., conducting interviews or surveillance, bringing on informants, conducting formal searches). Investigative reports are handed over to the legal team to determine whether or not ADMC rules were, in fact, violated.
Investing in reporting out of the gate
Coinciding with the launch of the ADMC Program in 2023, HIWU partnered with RealResponse to make misconduct reporting more accessible and scalable. For Loehr, having a system that supported two-way communication between his team and whistleblowers was critical.
“The ability for somebody to make a tip anonymously is great,” says Loehr. “But what’s unique is that we have the ability to communicate back and forth with that person to get more information.”
At least two HIWU employees monitor the RealResponse-powered tip line daily (including weekends and holidays). With a centralized reporting platform, Loehr’s team has been able to respond to every single tip within 24 hours—regardless of when it comes through. The team uses keywords in RealResponse to organize and triage the growing volume of tips they receive. “We can see the peaks and valleys of the types of tips we’re getting (e.g., if there are a lot related to one racetrack, one trainer or one horse). It gives us the ability to pull data, determine our investigative strategy and be able to report out on what we’re finding,” explains Loehr.
Peace of mind is priceless
Loehr and his colleagues credit RealResponse with helping HIWU capture, and act on, critical industry intelligence at scale.
“I’ve worked at other places with traditional phone call or email tip lines, and it was a one and done communication,” says Loehr. “Our ability to gather more information has led us to fruitful investigations that we may not have pursued otherwise.”
The technology hasn’t only contributed to a greater volume of tips, but higher quality tips as well. More than 80% of the information HIWU receives through the platform offer value toward a new or existing investigation. “Without RealResponse, our investigative caseload would be reduced and we’d potentially miss out on avenues to accept information from those that are actually there in the field every day.”
Crucially, the platform helps HIWU make good on its mission to standardize the historically fragmented world of horseracing regulations. Says Loehr, “We have the ability to accept tips that may cover multiple states or multiple tracks, or involve multiple people—that really wasn’t done before. So we can take those and build out larger, more egregious cases.”
Quantitative results aside, Loehr is encouraged by some of the qualitative results his team has received from reporters themselves. By giving whistleblowers peace of mind that their concerns are heard, HIWU hopes for more people to come forward with tips in the future.
“We’re getting feedback from people who saw we took action based on their tip, which never would have happened before. They feel like we listened to them, and that there’s value in sharing with us.”
Learn more about how RealResponse can amplify the voices and insights you need to strengthen your organization’s culture.
