May/June 2025 Issue

Page 28 May/June 2025 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Penn National Veterinarian at Center of Vast Conspiracy By Suzanne Bush “Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medi- cine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.” That is the oath veterinar- ians take—sort of their version of physicians’ Hippocratic Oath. It hints at all the kind, compas- sionate and selfless attributes most people routinely associate with veterinarians. And this: “I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.” One day long ago, Dr. Allen Post Bonnell swore to be that ideal veterinarian. Somewhere in his 45-year career, Bonnell, who has been a veterinarian at Penn National Racetrack in Grantville, PA, drifted off The scope of the conspiracy was jaw-dropping, impacting 139 horses at 10 different racetracks in six states. Photo credit: Suzanne Bush course. Way off course. In February 2025 the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Author- ity (HISA) announced they were going to charge Bonnell and 13 trainers with violating regulations aimed at protecting racehorses and jockeys. The scope of the conspiracy forged by Bonnell and the 13 trainers is jaw-dropping, impact- ing 139 horses at 10 different racetracks in six states, according to HISA. Injecting a Horse in a Wash Stall Pennsylvania’s Horse Racing Commission conducted an extensive investigation of veterinary billing records, and questioned Bonnell and sever- al trainers with whom he was involved. At a Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission meeting last October, Dr. David Marshall, the commission’s chief state veterinarian, testified that he had witnessed Bonnell injecting a horse in a wash stall near one of the racetrack barns on October 21. The horse was scheduled for a race four days later. Bonnell initially denied that he was in- jecting the horse and said he was actually draining fluid from the horse’s knee. After some back- and-forth, Bonnell admitted that he was injecting hyaluronic acid. While hyaluronic acid is not an illegal substance, the timing of the injection broke the rules. And Bonnell admitted that the injection included a corticoste- roid. HISA regulations prohibit any horse from racing for 14 days following intra-articular injection, which is what Bonnell did. Ultimately Bonnell admit- ted that the incident was not a one-off. He said he had been injecting horses at the request of trainers with the hyaluronic acid/corticosteroid combina- tion for months, even though these injections clearly violated HISA regulations. He said that during those months, he had been violating HISA rules and treating horses within days of their scheduled races. The treat- ments were, he said, at trainers’ requests. On more than one oc- casion he administered multiple joint injections. These treatments were either not reported or they were misreported. According to the Paulick Report, HISA’s investigation revealed that Bonnell and his co-conspirators had administered injections 245 times to 139 horses between May 2023 and October 2024. Protecting Horses? The injections within 14 days of a race have been prohibited since 2023, when the anti-doping regulations in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act were implemented; but such injec- tions were once routine even on race days. HISA prohibits them because often they were used to mask a horse’s pain. When a horse runs while his pain is arti- ficially masked, the likelihood of catastrophic injury to both horse and rider increases. In detailing the case against Bonnell, HISA pointed to the impact the injections had on the horses in Bonnell’s care. “HISA has verified that of the more than 100 unique horses alleged to have breezed or raced in vio- lation of HISA’s intra-articular stand down times, 30% never raced again, strongly suggesting these injections were used to mask pain. Approximately 10% were observed to be lame post- race by a regulatory veterinari- an.” HISA’s press release of February 21, 2025 indicated that penalties would go beyond Bonnell and his co-conspirators. “HISA and Horseracing Integ- rity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will pursue sanctions against these Covered Persons as de- scribed in HISA’s rules, includ- ing the disqualification of more than 100 horses from previous race results and subsequent forfeiture of purses…While all horses were allegedly injected at Penn National Race Course, they participated in races at 10 different racetracks subject to HISA’s rules, across six differ- ent states.” This reality is a sad contrast to Bonnell’s belief that he was helping horses. In a statement to the Paulick Report, he was incredulous about how he was being treated. “I love these ani- mals; I love horses. I would nev- er give horses anything illegal.” He questioned the rationale and logic of HISA’s regulations. “I think it’s pretty terrible they are making rules that are detrimental to the horse,” he said. “Their rules are you can’t do ankles closer than 30 days from a race and you can’t do knees, hocks, and stifles closer than 14 days. I’m there for the horse. These HISA rules are a nightmare because they came up with rules that just don’t make any sense. Don’t make any sense at all. It’s one thing to do something that’s cheating, but this is not cheat- ing. This is taking care of the animal.” Protecting Horses, Protecting the Industry HISA’s statistics show that Bonnell and the trainers with whom he worked did not protect horses or fulfill their obligations to the law or—in Bonnell’s case—to the Vet- erinarian’s oath. HISA was a controversial law and there are groups still trying to find ways to thwart it. But if the horserac- ing industry is to survive and prosper, the health and safety of the horses and riders must be paramount.