Racing Medication and Testing Consortium suspends Illinois laboratory

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has suspended the accreditation of a lab in Illinois that was responsible for testing samples pulled from horses in the state, according to the RMTC’s executive director.

The facility, the Analytical Forensic Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago, is one of five laboratories that carry out testing for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority under its Anti-Doping and Medication Control program, which is administered by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit. The lab serves as a primary testing lab for Illinois samples, and also serves as a referee lab for confirmatory testing.

The suspension of the lab’s accreditation was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.

Mike Hardy, the executive director of the RMTC, said in a prepared statement that the suspension began on Sept. 3 and will last for 60 days, during which time the lab will be allowed to respond to the problems identified during the accreditation process. The response, which could include corrective actions, will be reviewed by the RMTC’s Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee, Harty said.

“Accreditation will not be restored until the laboratory is in full compliance with the code,” Hardy said in a prepared response.

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In an interview, Hardy said he could not comment on the specific problems turned up during the accreditation process, though his statement referenced “nonconformities” with the RMTC’s voluminous code of standards.

The Illinois lab has been accredited by the RMTC since 2017. Under HISA’s enabling legislation, beginning in 2025, only accredited labs can be used to test samples.

HISA said in a statement that the laboratory had performed tests on “3 percent of all samples collected” since the ADMC went into effect in May 2023. The samples that were destined for the lab are being diverted to the other four accredited HISA laboratories, HISA said.

“HISA and HIWU remain in communication with the RMTC and Illinois Racing Board for this ongoing matter and have no further comment at this time,” the HISA statement said.

Earlier this year, HISA pulled the University of Kentucky Equine Analytical Testing Laboratory from its list of approved labs after holding discussions with University of Kentucky officials to discuss concerns at the lab. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Scott Stanley, the head of the lab, was removed from his position.

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