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HIWU Issues Advisory to Horsemen Regarding Herbal Yunnan Products

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Following up on an advisory distributed in January 2024, HIWU strongly advises horsemen to dispose of any variations of the herbal products that may be identified on the labels as Yunnan Paiyao, Yunnan Baiyao, and/or Baiyao. HIWU continues to find these supplements during searches despite the risks associated with them.

In testing various forms of these products, which are manufactured in the United States and abroad, both banned substances (e.g., boldione, glaucine, higenamine, and adenosine monophosphate) and controlled medications (e.g., ephedrine) have been reported in analyzed samples despite not being listed on the ingredient labels.

Continued use of these products may put horsemen at risk of a positive test.

Supplements manufactured in the United States or elsewhere are not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration; horsemen and veterinarians use them at their own risk.

Additional resources are available on the HIWU website:

Dietary Supplements- What You Should Know

What’s the Scoop on Dietary Supplements?

By applying caution and conducting due diligence before purchasing or using dietary supplements, horsemen can ensure that they are doing their best to minimize the risk of unintentionally exposing their horses to prohibited substances.

For questions or to get in touch with HIWU’s Science team, please contact sciencesupport@hiwu.org.

The post HIWU Issues Advisory to Horsemen Regarding Herbal Yunnan Products appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Charges Against Trainer Dunn Dropped After Pa. Investigators Provide Contradictory Statements

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The charges against Parx trainer Felissa Dunn brought when Pennyslvania State Horse Racing Commission investigators claimed to have found syringes in her barn has been dropped after an internal investigation revealed that one or more of the investigators made material misstatements of fact, according to a ruling posted on the HIWU website.

“While obviously we are pleased that these ill-founded charges were dropped, the chain of custody was always in question and even without this discovery on the eve of the hearing, the fact that Miss Dunn was ever charged is beyond belief,” said Dunn’s attorney, Drew Mollica. “Miss Dunn was facing a career-ending life sentence and the fact that she never had a positive test in her entire career did not play into HIWU’s charging calculus.”

The syringes were allegedly in Dunn’s tack room and on the barn window sill, and were not fitted with needles. Testing later allegedly found traces of two banned substances.

The statement from the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit reads, “As part of its case, HIWU obtained signed witness statements from two of the investigators working on behalf of the PSHRC, who both stated that only one investigator conducted the May 27, 2025 search of Trainer Dunn’s barn area. The relevant chain of custody for the syringes was established through evidence identified by a lone investigator.

“On May 6, 2026, HIWU learned for the first time that one of the investigators who provided a written statement intended to testify at the hearing–contrary to the written statements that were previously provided–that two investigators (not one) were involved in the search and seizure of the syringes.

“The new and contradictory evidence discovered on May 6, 2026 was materially at odds with the chain of custody evidence initially provided by the PSHRC witnesses, which HIWU had relied on in charging Trainer Dunn. Specifically, HIWU had relied on an understanding that all of the syringes were seized by a single investigator who photographed the items as he had found them, and then took the syringes to another investigator who placed the items in evidence bags, sealed the bags, filled out all information on the bags (including the Chain of Custody section), and logged them on a HIWU Evidence Report/Receipt. As a result, HIWU could not rely on an unbroken chain of custody or the earlier statements of these witnesses.”

In light of the evidence, HIWU filed a Notice of Withdrawal of Charge the day the new evidence came to light.

The case began when Dunn’s barn 33 was searched at Parx. Investigators from the PSHRC said that they had found nine syringes “capable of accepting needles,” in the barn. Testing on the syringes at the Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences Laboratory in Lexington, Kentucky reported that the substances in two syringes contained the banned substances Chlorpromazine and Propionylpromazine.

Chlorpromazine is an anti-psychotic medication which helps reduce hallucinations and delusions. Propionylpromazine was developed from an anti-psychotic human medication, now used primarily in dogs for a sedative affect.

Dunn was formally charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations pursuant to ADMC Program Rule 3214(a) based on the identified contents of two of the nine syringes. A hearing was held in November, 2025 and an arbitrator appointed. That arbitrator issued an order closing the case on Wednesday.

The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority released a statement Wednesday.

“The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) today made public its decision to formally withdraw an Equine Anti-Doping charge against a Pennsylvania trainer on the grounds that the investigators working on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, erred in their documentation of the chain of custody related to the seized Banned Substances.

“After a review of the circumstances surrounding this case, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has determined that both investigators engaged in conduct that compromised the integrity of the investigative process and violated the standards expected of those entrusted with supporting HISA’s mission. Given HISA’s unwavering commitment to integrity, HISA and HIWU will no longer accept the participation of these investigators in HISA or HIWU-related cases.

“`Integrity is one of the foundational pillars of HISA’s mission and we have no tolerance for even the slightest deviation from the highest standards of professionalism,’” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. `The integrity of our sport depends on accountability at every level, and HISA will continue to take all necessary steps to identify and sanction those whose misconduct threatens the trust placed in HISA’s programs. And it will do so in a transparent manner, acting in the best interests of the industry.’”

The statement concluded, “HISA remains committed to protecting the integrity of Thoroughbred racing through rigorous oversight, thorough investigations, transparent enforcement and accountability across all aspects of its Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program.”

The post Charges Against Trainer Dunn Dropped After Pa. Investigators Provide Contradictory Statements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

HIWU Issues Advisory to Horsemen Regarding Herbal Yunnan Products

---

Following up on an advisory distributed in January 2024, HIWU strongly advises horsemen to dispose of any variations of the herbal products that may be identified on the labels as Yunnan Paiyao, Yunnan Baiyao, and/or Baiyao. HIWU continues to find these supplements during searches despite the risks associated with them.

In testing various forms of these products, which are manufactured in the United States and abroad, both banned substances (e.g., boldione, glaucine, higenamine, and adenosine monophosphate) and controlled medications (e.g., ephedrine) have been reported in analyzed samples despite not being listed on the ingredient labels.

Continued use of these products may put horsemen at risk of a positive test.

Supplements manufactured in the United States or elsewhere are not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration; horsemen and veterinarians use them at their own risk.

Additional resources are available on the HIWU website:

Dietary Supplements- What You Should Know

What’s the Scoop on Dietary Supplements?

By applying caution and conducting due diligence before purchasing or using dietary supplements, horsemen can ensure that they are doing their best to minimize the risk of unintentionally exposing their horses to prohibited substances.

For questions or to get in touch with HIWU’s Science team, please contact sciencesupport@hiwu.org.

The post HIWU Issues Advisory to Horsemen Regarding Herbal Yunnan Products appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Charges Against Trainer Dunn Dropped After Pa. Investigators Provide Contradictory Statements

---

The charges against Parx trainer Felissa Dunn brought when Pennyslvania State Horse Racing Commission investigators claimed to have found syringes in her barn has been dropped after an internal investigation revealed that one or more of the investigators made material misstatements of fact, according to a ruling posted on the HIWU website.

“While obviously we are pleased that these ill-founded charges were dropped, the chain of custody was always in question and even without this discovery on the eve of the hearing, the fact that Miss Dunn was ever charged is beyond belief,” said Dunn’s attorney, Drew Mollica. “Miss Dunn was facing a career-ending life sentence and the fact that she never had a positive test in her entire career did not play into HIWU’s charging calculus.”

The syringes were allegedly in Dunn’s tack room and on the barn window sill, and were not fitted with needles. Testing later allegedly found traces of two banned substances.

The statement from the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit reads, “As part of its case, HIWU obtained signed witness statements from two of the investigators working on behalf of the PSHRC, who both stated that only one investigator conducted the May 27, 2025 search of Trainer Dunn’s barn area. The relevant chain of custody for the syringes was established through evidence identified by a lone investigator.

“On May 6, 2026, HIWU learned for the first time that one of the investigators who provided a written statement intended to testify at the hearing–contrary to the written statements that were previously provided–that two investigators (not one) were involved in the search and seizure of the syringes.

“The new and contradictory evidence discovered on May 6, 2026 was materially at odds with the chain of custody evidence initially provided by the PSHRC witnesses, which HIWU had relied on in charging Trainer Dunn. Specifically, HIWU had relied on an understanding that all of the syringes were seized by a single investigator who photographed the items as he had found them, and then took the syringes to another investigator who placed the items in evidence bags, sealed the bags, filled out all information on the bags (including the Chain of Custody section), and logged them on a HIWU Evidence Report/Receipt. As a result, HIWU could not rely on an unbroken chain of custody or the earlier statements of these witnesses.”

In light of the evidence, HIWU filed a Notice of Withdrawal of Charge the day the new evidence came to light.

The case began when Dunn’s barn 33 was searched at Parx. Investigators from the PSHRC said that they had found nine syringes “capable of accepting needles,” in the barn. Testing on the syringes at the Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences Laboratory in Lexington, Kentucky reported that the substances in two syringes contained the banned substances Chlorpromazine and Propionylpromazine.

Chlorpromazine is an anti-psychotic medication which helps reduce hallucinations and delusions. Propionylpromazine was developed from an anti-psychotic human medication, now used primarily in dogs for a sedative affect.

Dunn was formally charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations pursuant to ADMC Program Rule 3214(a) based on the identified contents of two of the nine syringes. A hearing was held in November, 2025 and an arbitrator appointed. That arbitrator issued an order closing the case on Wednesday.

The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority released a statement Wednesday.

“The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) today made public its decision to formally withdraw an Equine Anti-Doping charge against a Pennsylvania trainer on the grounds that the investigators working on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, erred in their documentation of the chain of custody related to the seized Banned Substances.

“After a review of the circumstances surrounding this case, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has determined that both investigators engaged in conduct that compromised the integrity of the investigative process and violated the standards expected of those entrusted with supporting HISA’s mission. Given HISA’s unwavering commitment to integrity, HISA and HIWU will no longer accept the participation of these investigators in HISA or HIWU-related cases.

“`Integrity is one of the foundational pillars of HISA’s mission and we have no tolerance for even the slightest deviation from the highest standards of professionalism,’” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. `The integrity of our sport depends on accountability at every level, and HISA will continue to take all necessary steps to identify and sanction those whose misconduct threatens the trust placed in HISA’s programs. And it will do so in a transparent manner, acting in the best interests of the industry.’”

The statement concluded, “HISA remains committed to protecting the integrity of Thoroughbred racing through rigorous oversight, thorough investigations, transparent enforcement and accountability across all aspects of its Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program.”

The post Charges Against Trainer Dunn Dropped After Pa. Investigators Provide Contradictory Statements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.