Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association
Posted: Oct. 17, 2022
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Oct. 17 announced the members of the new Horsemen’s Advisory Group, members for which selected from more than 250 applications received from across the country. Members of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, which has seven affiliates, are on the committee.
The Horsemen’s Advisory Group beginning in November will meet monthly to provide feedback to HISA’s executive team and standing committees on the implementation and evolution of the HISA Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. Final regulations for the latter should be released soon.
HISA in late August said it would form the advisory committee. Included are trainers, owners and veterinarians, as well as representatives of racing offices, backstretch employees, farriers and aftercare initiatives. Members will serve between one- and two-year terms “to stagger changes in the composition of the group and to maximize the opportunity for participation across the industry in the coming years,” HISA said in the Oct. 17 release.
“I want to thank everyone across the horseracing community who expressed interest in joining the Horsemen’s Advisory Group,” HISA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Lazarus said. “I am particularly grateful to its distinguished and highly qualified new members who have agreed to collaborate with us on an ongoing basis. I know that HISA will benefit immensely from this group’s extensive, hands-on experience in Thoroughbred racing as we continue to work with all industry stakeholders to advance the safety and integrity of our sport.”
The first members of the Horsemen’s Advisory Group, in alphabetical order by last name, are as follows:
Mark Casse is a trainer and the founder of Casse Racing based in Ocala, Fla. He has been inducted into both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
Kelsey Danner is a trainer based at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, Fla., and at Delaware Park.
Tom Drury is a trainer from Louisville, Ky., and a board member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.
Linda Gaudet is Vice President of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, of which she has been a member since its inception in 1994. She will serve as the advisory group’s backstretch worker representative given her history of advocacy on behalf of backstretch workers.
Rick Gold is chair of the Thoroughbred Owners of California Integrity and Safety Committee and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner in California and Australia.
Donnie K. Von Hemel is a trainer based in Piedmont, Okla., who operates Von Hemel Racing, founded by his father Don Von Hemel. He races in, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Fred Hertrich III is the former chairman of the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors and proprietor of Watercress Farm in Paris, Ky. Hertrich, who has been a breeder and owner of Standardbred racehorses for the last 35 years and is also Hambletonian Society Treasurer, will serve as the advisory group’s harness racing representative.
David Ingordo is a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and bloodstock agent.
Frank Jones serves as Vice Chairman of both the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. He is also a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and an avid horseplayer.
Tim Keefe is President of the MTHA and a trainer stabled at Laurel Park in Maryland.
Dr. Sara Langsam is an equine veterinarian with Teigland, Franklin and Brokken who is based at Belmont Park in New York. She is one of the advisory group’s two veterinarian representatives.
Ron Moquett is an Oklahoma native and trainer based in Hot Springs, Ark. He races in Arkansas, Kentucky, New York and Oklahoma.
Maggi Moss is a former chief prosecutor from Des Moines, Iowa and a practicing attorney who is also a Thoroughbred owner with horses racing in Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana and New York.
Graham Motion was born in Newmarket, England and is a trainer based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and the owner of Herringswell Stables.
Dr. John Piehowicz is an equine veterinarian and founder of Cincinnati Equine LLC. He will serve as the second veterinarian representative.
Tom Robbins is Executive Vice President of Racing and Industry Relations at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and will be serving as the advisory group’s racing office representative.
Rick Schosberg is a trainer and Vice President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, President of Take2 Second Career Thoroughbreds, and a member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Board of Directors.
Thomas Trosin is a second-generation farrier and past president of the American Farriers Association. Trosin has been licensed as a farrier in both California and Oklahoma and will serve as the advisory group’s farrier representative.
Kirk Wycoff is a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and the proprietor of Three Diamonds Farm.