The TDN's CEO/Publisher Sue Finley will serve as the keynote speaker during the group's Monday evening dinner and awards ceremony, where her remarks will focus on horse racing, the media and integrity.

Central to ORI is the pursuit of integrity and education for its members. Interactions among investigators through networking helps to create lasting relationships between jurisdictions. This year's attendees hail from 18 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Ireland, England, France and South Africa.

The event will feature 16 presenters over the course of Monday and Tuesday, as members soak up the latest information concerning a host of pertinent topics directly related to their day-to-day work policing racetracks in their home states.

A broad range of case studies include unregulated horse racing, stable area access systems and equine safety stewarding, just to name a few. Representatives from various organizations like the British Horseracing Authority, the Comisión de Juegos de Puerto Rico, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit and the Association of Racing Commissioners International will participate.

“Each year our attendance continues to grow and we would like to thank Parx for rolling out the red carpet for us and all of our sponsors for their assistance,” said ORI Chairman Jason Klouser of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission. “This year's conference will have record attendance of over 120 individuals and has something for everyone. From the rookie investigator to the most seasoned, this is all about the general health of the sport. We are very pleased to welcome Sue as our featured speaker.”

“The question of integrity in horse racing has never been more important than it is right now, and the media has an important role to play in that question,” said Finley. “I look forward to speaking to the investigators and discussing how the roles we each play affect one another.”

Click here for the Parx Conference program.

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Director of Enforcement Jason Klouser, who led the investigation, said, “The Racing Commission's investigators observed Danny Hamilton failing to weigh-out the jockeys for race 8, which is a violation of numerous sections of Pennsylvania's rules of racing.”

Klouser added, “At this point, the investigation into Hamilton's activities is ongoing to determine if there were any other violations.”

According to the stewards ruling which is posted on the commission's website, part of the duties of the Clerk of Scales and/or their assistant is to preside over the racing process from when the jockeys assemble before the race to weigh-out, all the way through its conclusion when they come off the course to weigh-in.

Hamilton appeared this past summer on an episode of Horse Racing Today co-hosted by Jamie Martinez in which he discussed his experiences and delved into his duties as a clerk.

On that program, Hamilton said, “We run a very tight ship here at Presque Isle.” When asked what happens if a rider's weight is off when he or she comes off the course, the clerk said with a laugh, “Well then we have real problems! Then the Racing Commission gets involved and stuff gets really real.”

He went on to say, “But we don't have that problem, all the riders come back heavier than what they went out. So, if you go out at 124 [pounds], chances are you're going to come in at 126 [pounds], 127 [pounds], because the saddle towel, the pad, the horse's are sweaty, it soaks up into the pad and saddle towel … it weighs a lot. If they come back lighter than they went out, major problem, if they come back heavier, then you're good to go.”

Growing up around racetracks, including Beulah Park and Delaware Park, Hamilton as recently as 2019 served as an inspector for the Ohio State Racing Commission. Since then, he's had several other stops at locations such as Oaklawn Park, where he was an integrity officer.

Hamilton was hired as the Clerk of Scales by Presque Isle Downs earlier this year after he was the horse identifier at the course during the 2022 season. An attempt was made to contact the track's Director of Racing, Matthew Ennis, but several messages were not returned.

Currently, Hamilton is serving as a placing judge at Fair Grounds, which is also owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

Klouser confirmed that, “We have notified the Louisiana Racing Commission of the pending suspension.”

As for the ruling, Hamilton is denied access to all grounds under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission and does have the right to appeal. He was unable to be reached for comment.

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Don Ahrens of Sam Houston Race Park and Jason Klouser of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission explained how these special squads, working alongside agencies like the Breeders' Cup, the U.S. Trotting Association, the American Quarter Horse Association and various state racing commissions and tracks, ensure that safety and security is center stage from the test barn to the winner's circle.

“We have developed an approach with these integrity teams which can be tailored to any situation, racetrack or regulatory body, and it really directs all of our resources to the protection of the equine athletes and ensure a level playing field for the participants, so the wagering public can bet on a product they can trust,” said Klouser.

Ahrens and Klouser are part of the ORI cadre which at its core is based on training and networking. Operating behind the scenes, members wage a daily effort to strengthen racing's regulatory efforts.

ORI member conducting mock search at last year's ORI Conference | ORI

ORI member's tradecraft will be on full display from Mar. 3-6 when the ORI meets for what will be its 28th Training Conference. This time around, the multi-day event will be held at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

Chaired by Klouser, the preliminary agenda includes a diverse set of speakers who will be covering some of the most important issues pertaining to investigations in racing today.

“Our training conference continues to grow exponentially,” said Klouser. “That speaks to the organization's reputation and the importance of our network of investigators.”

This year's keynote address will be given by TDN's CEO/Publisher Sue Finley, who will discuss the changing landscape of media coverage and how it relates to racing integrity issues.

“We are excited to have Sue come and speak to the group since she has such an impressive list of accomplishments and we know she is going to deliver a unique set of perspectives concerning the media,” said Klouser.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the following:

• William Behe, United States Attorney's Office, Penn National Race Fixing Prosecution
• John Burgess, British Horse Racing Authority, BHA Overview and Case Study
• Angela Pezel-McCloskey, USDA Inspection Services, Unregulated Horse Racing in North America
• Ismael Navarreto, Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, Hidden Ownership & Fraud Case Study
• TC Lane, U.S. Trotting Association, USTA Regulatory Authority
• Cammie Helleski, University of Kentucky, Societal License to Operate
• Janet VanBebber, American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA's Role in Racing
• Vicky Kuora, FBI Violent Gangs & Safe Streets Task Force, Illicit Use of Xylazine
• Ann McGovern, Horseracing Integrity Safety Authority, Review of Churchill Downs Catastrophic Injury Report
• Shawn Loehr, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, HIWU Update
• Mickey Peterson, New Jersey Racing Commission, Preparing the Harness Horse for Racing
• Robert Martin, Parx Racing, Stable Area Access System
• Julie Engiles, Penn Vet-New Bolton Center Pathologists, Role in Equine Fatality Prosecutions
• Adam Morris, Governor's Office of General Counsel, Racing Official Prosecutions
• Michael Spada, Pennsylvania State Police, Case Study
• Carlos Quintana & Mónica Andreu, Comisión de Juegos de Puerto Rico, Regulating Racing in Puerto Rico

Click here for more information about ORI's 2024 Training Conference.

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Led by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission staff, the sweeps took place first in Erie at Presque Isle Downs before spending three days downstate at Parx Racing in Bensalem through Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby.

As part of their integrity program, the Commission once again put together a group of investigators–this time from nine states, plus representatives from England–and set them to work policing the barns and stable gates.

“We do this as part of our commitment to the integrity of horse racing in the Commonwealth and for the safety and security of the horses involved,” said Director of Enforcement, Jason Klouser. “The Commission is able to assemble such a large team of investigators through the contacts made from the Organization of Racing Investigators, whose members are the best and brightest when it comes to enforcement at their local tracks.”

The Organization of Racing Investigators, known as ORI, is a membership organization composed of specialists who are employed by state racing commissions and racetracks. The members' tradecraft helps protect the sport and perform a myriad of duties from combating allegations of race fixing, stopping horse doping, and breaking up nefarious activities in the barn areas. Their network fights a host of other offenses which are committed against equine athletes. The Pennsylvania Racing Commission is a regulatory agency, however, ORI members in various other states are commissioned law enforcement agents. No matter their standing, all investigators are essential when it comes to enforcing the rules.

In the lead up to the big day at Parx, the Commission's integrity teams moved across the state in an effort to maintain the integrity of horse racing in the Commonwealth.

Car search at Parx Racing | PSHRC

“The Commission utilizes all industry assets at our disposal to ensure a level playing field for all participants,” Klouser said.

Conducting enforcement operations in the barn area and searching vehicles entering the stable gate at both Presque Isle Downs and Parx yielded results.

Based on updates through the Commission's website, Ruling No. 23096PI was handed down to trainer William Joseph Dowling, when a search found him with two loaded needles and syringes. The 6-year-old dark bay state-bred gelding Saketumi (Maclean's Music) was scratched from the seventh race Sept. 18 and a summary suspension was issued by the board of stewards Sept. 21.

Shifting the search to Parx last Friday and Saturday, Assistant Starter Luis A. Gonzalez Jr. was found in possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. Ruling No. 23254PP indicated that Gonzalez was in possession of a methamphetamine pipe containing residue and marijuana. He was summarily suspended by the Parx Board of Stewards Sept. 22.

“The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission is incredibly proactive at the state level and will continue to liaise with organizations in order to strengthen the integrity of horse racing and the health and safety of the equine athletes,” said Klouser. “The Racing Integrity Team was a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, Parx Racing, Presque Isle Downs, and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.”

Click here to access the state's rulings portal.

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With record attendance at 100, the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) annual three-day event brings together security personnel who protect horses and the people associated with them.

Equine investigators, like other branches of law enforcement, have an evolving set of best practices. That is where the Rillito training can help advance their own tradecraft. As founding member Don Ahrens of Sam Houston Race Park put it, “It's simple, we are here to catch the bad guys because you never know when they'll show.”

ORI began as a fellowship in the early 1990s where members could share ideas and call upon one another for help when they needed assistance. Developing into a full-blown organization, its 27th training conference continues to be about networking, but attendees also have the opportunity to hear presentations from specialists across the industry. Monday morning, a wide variety of topics were offered that ranged from how cartel money is building bush tracks in places where you would least expect it to how to efficiently identify medications dispersed by veterinarians who are attending to horses along shedrows.

In the afternoon, Ahrens and his fellow board members led the teaching exercises at Rillito by planting fake evidence, like syringes, electronic shockers and other related illegal paraphernalia in the Jockey's room, around a trailer in the barn area and inside a pair of vehicles in the Rillito parking lot. A fourth location involved a practicum covering how to shakedown a rider just before they enter the gate in order to look for devices, like those electric buzzers, that could be used to hurt horses and give the jockey an advantage in the race.

In what was her first ORI Meeting, Kassie Creed, a Safety and Compliance Associate who works under Dr. Stuart Brown in Equine Safety at Keeneland said, “I am an extra set of eyes as we continually bridge security and safety every day at Keeneland, so knowing what to look for, especially in the unlikely places is great training for me.” Members of her group were given an SUV to search by seasoned investigators and ORI board members Jason Klouser of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission and Mike Kilpack with Breeders' Cup. Creed discovered a syringe that was made to look like an air freshener in one of the vents.

“What we are trying to illustrate are real-world situations that many of us have experienced time and time again,” said Klouser. “Best practices are only cutting edge if they work under extreme duress and that is why these searches help investigators develop their senses.”

Those 'senses' must be honed, especially when it comes to the backside of a racetrack, which as a world unto itself is a place seldom seen or understood by the public. There is a constant shifting of personnel during a meet, so investigators must know their territory. Tracking and tracing bad behavior comes with the job, and sometimes even the most minute tips can help.

Since COVID, ORI has expanded its membership, especially when it comes to international participation. Investigators stateside are realizing that if a problem exists somewhere else, chances are that it might not be far off.

John Burgess, the Head of Integrity for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is in Tucson for that exact reason. “We have challenges that are very similar and when we impart what we know to the Americans and then it is reciprocated, we are getting out in front. In other words, threats here are going to become threats there-it's inevitable.” In Europe, there is not an organization like ORI that ties all horse racing investigative units together. “I am thinking that we need to start one because ORI has such an incredible network,” said Burgess.

Working as the Head of Security and Investigations at the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Chris Gordon, who also serves as the international representative for ORI said, “We are seeing today how practical applications directly relate to issues of integrity, and that is what this organization is all about. People are always excited to come because the energy, like it is today, is something we will be directly using in our own stable yards and horse boxes.”

Back at the Rillito mock vehicle search station, Kassie Creed discovered two more planted pieces of evidence in the SUV. “I'm on a roll,” she said with a big smile. Afterwards, Klouser took the group through a debriefing session by explaining techniques and showing the group other hidden compartments.

With attendance climbing, the future looks bright for the Organization of Racing Investigators, who plan to meet next year at Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA. They are expecting an even larger contingent in the coming years, which could include Asian and South American participation.

In the meantime, once the conference wraps up its sessions on Tuesday afternoon, it will be time to pack up those heightened senses from the experience in Tucson and head home. These investigators know that if they need help there is a network behind them, which is probably the best practice of all.

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According to a press release from the Organization of Racing Investigators, investigators from multiple jurisdictions assembled the week of Sept. 19 and conducted barn searches and stopped cars at the backstretch gates at all three of Pennsylvania's thoroughbred tracks. The effort was led by Jason Klouser, director of enforcement, Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission. The investigators came from Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Arizona, Florida and Kentucky.

The search at Parx that caught the three individuals took place on Sept. 23, the day before the running of the GI Pennsylvania Derby. The Organization of Racing Investigators dubbed the team sent to Parx the “Pennsylvania Derby Racing Integrity Team.”

“By establishing a strong presence, the Racing Integrity Teams at each site protected Thoroughbreds, ensuring that equine safety and integrity were the top priorities,” the press release read. “The investigations at Parx produced some important results, after sweeps at the gate and stable areas.”

According to the ruling posted on the Pennsylvania Racing Commission's website, a search of Penaloza's barn and tack room uncovered two loaded syringes and a needle. Under Pennsylvania rules, no person, except a commission veterinarian, racetrack veterinarian or veterinarian licensed by the commission, may possess or use a hypodermic needle, hypodermic syringe capable of accepting a needle and injectable substances of any kind, type or description on the licensed racetrack grounds, in that person's custody, control or possession.

Penaloza has been training since 2015 and has 172 winners from 1,360 starters for a winning rate of 13%. He is 15-for-107 on the year at Parx. He had a positive for dexamethosone during the 2021 Monmouth meet and received a 15-day suspension. That same year he had a positive for Methocarbamol at Parx and was fined $1,000.

According to the ruling, Marquez was found to be in possession of multiple loaded needles and syringes. Represented by attorney Alan Pincus, Marquez appeared at a hearing before the board of stewards on Sept. 26, where the ruling was affirmed.

Marquez is in his first year of training and is 3-for-73 on the year for a winning rate of 4%.

According to the commission's ruling, after his car was stopped at the backstretch gate, Rivera was found to be in possession of two electrical devices. A hearing for Rivera was held Sept. 26, but, according to the press release, he refused to testify. The press release also noted that under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority regulations a jockey found with an electrical device faces a ban of up to 10 years.

Rivera has been riding since 2007 and has 847 career winners. He has 42 winners on the year at Parx and is in tenth place in the standings.

According to its website, the Organization of Racing Investigators, Inc. is “comprised of professionals responsible for investigations associated with professional horse racing” and its members “are employed by government, police, and regulatory entities as well as private security firms and racetracks.” The description on the website continues: “ORI members actively investigate race fixing, horse doping, animal abuse, drug abuse, money laundering, cyber crime, fraud, conspiracy, and a host of other infractions of the laws and rules that govern professional horse racing and pari-mutuel activity. ORI members assist with the most expansive and aggressive drug testing program in professional sports, conduct background investigations, and cooperate with law enforcement agencies at all levels of government.”

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