Hardy to replace Scollay as head of RMTC

Dr. Michael Hardy, a former regulatory veterinarian who was recently appointed as the safety officer for Horseshoe Indianapolis, has been hired as the executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, an industry funded medication and drug advisory organization.

Hardy will fill a position formerly held by Dr. Mary Scollay for the past three years. On Tuesday, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced that it had hired Scollay to be the chief science officer for the authority’s Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.

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In his role, Hardy will work with HISA on a laboratory accreditation program that is expected to be fully administered by HISA when the authority becomes fully operational. Hardy will also administer other RMTC programs, such as monitoring “emerging threats to the integrity of racing and the health and welfare of horses” and overseeing the RMTC’s research-funding programs, the RMTC said.

Many of the RMTC’s functions overlap with the anticipated scope of HISA’s mission, and it is unclear if the RMTC will maintain a significant role in the racing industry after HISA fully rolls out its programs, a process that is expected to take at least a year.

Hardy has been a member of the RMTC’s horse racing testing laboratory committee since 2019. The RMTC said that Hardy will continue to serve as the chief association veterinarian and safety director at Horseshoe while serving as executive director.

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