Marshall Gramm, a horse racing owner and handicapper, has agreed to a temporary suspension following allegations of fraud and unauthorized access to horse data by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
Gramm, along with his legal representative, signed a four-page document on Sunday, just before HISA's deadline for his response to the charges announced a week earlier.
HISA oversees a database containing sensitive health information about racehorses, accessible only to primary owners, HISA-approved veterinarians, and state racing regulators. The authority claims that during a six-week period this spring, Gramm accessed records of horses he did not own while participating in various handicapping contests and purchasing horses through claiming races. Furthermore, confidential performance charts for some horses were reportedly shared on social media.
As part of the voluntary suspension, which Gramm can revoke at any time, he has agreed to transfer his ownership of the horses to another designated owner. Until this transfer is completed, none of his horses are allowed to compete in sanctioned races or official workouts. Additionally, Gramm is prohibited from claiming any horses or visiting racetracks.
In a statement to Gambling Insider, Gramm expressed his commitment to cooperating with HISA, which was established by federal law to standardize regulations in horse racing. He mentioned that he has already returned earnings from handicapping contests and is working on returning the purse money and horses involved, pending further instructions.
As of Monday, HISA's portal indicates that the two charges against Gramm have been accepted, with hearings scheduled for September 14 and 16 regarding the fraud and unauthorized access allegations, respectively. The outcomes of these hearings could lead to sanctions approved by HISA's nine-member board, with any time served during the provisional suspension counting towards any future penalties.
Gramm hopes to resolve the outstanding issues amicably, stating, “I hope we can resolve the remaining issues fairly and put this matter behind us so that everyone can refocus on the sport we care about.”
In related developments, The Jockey Club has announced plans to revoke Gramm's membership, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association confirmed that he has withdrawn from next year's handicapping championship, a significant event with a prize pool of $5.5 million scheduled for March 5-7 in Las Vegas.