Gramm Accepts Provisional Suspension from HISA

Marshall Gramm, who has admitted that he improperly accessed confidential veterinary records on horses that he did not own, has voluntarily accepted a Provisional Suspension from HISA that went into effect Sunday. Charges against him remain pending.

Under the agreement, Gramm, who, is the managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, stated he understands that he “cannot directly or indirectly, own, hold any beneficial interest in, exercise control over, or have any financial interest in a Covered Horse.” In addition, he agreed that any horse he owns cannot participate in a timed workout, that he cannot claim horses and that he cannot be present at any racetrack.

Any time served under the Provisional Suspension will be credited against any permanent suspension that may ultimately be imposed over charges HISA has levied against Gramm.

Horses that Gramm owns outright must be transferred to another owner before being allowed to race or have a recorded workout. Regarding horses Gramm owns in partnership, he must give up his share in those horses before they will be allowed to race or workout. All transfers will need to be approved by the stewards and registered with HISA.

It is specified in the agreement that even though Gramm has agreed to a Provisional Suspension it still may be determined that he was not guilty of any violations of HISA rules.

In another development, the NTRA announced that Gramm has withdrawn from the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Pending further investigation by HISA, he will not be allowed to participate in any contests linked to the NHC or retain his NHC Tour membership.

The website for Ten Strike Racing is no longer active. The stable has not started a horse since it was announced that Gramm had been charged with multiple violations.

In response to a request from TDN, Gramm sent the following statement Monday afternoon.

“I continue to work in good faith to address this matter with HISA. As part of that effort, I have agreed to a temporary suspension of my ownership privileges while the process moves forward. Prior to the agreement, I returned contest earnings. I am also working to return the purse money and horses at issue and am awaiting instructions to ensure those steps are completed properly. I remain willing to work constructively with HISA while preserving my right to defend myself. 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.”

On Aug. 17, HISA announced that it had charged Gramm with multiple rule violations, including fraud. A HISA investigation revealed that Gramm had improperly gained access to the HISA portal to obtain confidential health information on horses he did not own. According to HISA, Gramm acquired the information over a six-week period from early May to mid-June.

After the news of the HISA charges against Gramm broke, he posted a long tweet on X that was less than conciliatory. It read in part: “I intend to vigorously defend myself in the HISA proceedings. I am a college professor and data analyst, and gathering and analyzing large datasets is something I have done throughout my career, including extensive work with horse racing data. The information at issue was available through my authorized HISA account. It was a large dataset, and at the time I accessed it, I had not fully reviewed its contents or understood the scope of the information it contained.”

In addition to being an owner, Gramm has a reputation for being a serious horseplayer and he has participated in numerous handicapping contests. He is also an economics professor at Rhodes College.

It was at one of those handicapping contest where a participant apparently saw that Gramm was using past performances that contained veterinary records on horses that were running in races in the contest. That information went public when horse owner Michael Imperio posted two sets of those past performances on X which had been sent to him by someone playing in the contest.