Professor, bettor charged with accessing private horse info - ESPN

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) charged Marshall Gramm, a college professor and noted bettor, with accessing confidential horse health information.

HISA accused Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College, of «deliberately and methodically» misappropriating confidential horse health information he accessed on its website during a six-week period, beginning in early May.

Gramm, who is also a horse owner, participated in handicapping contests, engaged in pari-mutuel wagering and claimed multiple registered horses during the six weeks he accessed the confidential information, according to HISA. He faces up to a lifetime ban from the sport.

My statement on HISA Matter
HISA has unfortunately decided to pursue disciplinary proceedings against me regarding data I accessed through the HISA Portal. I made a good-faith effort to resolve this matter with HISA, and we came very close to doing so.

Ultimately, we could not...

In a social media post Monday, Gramm acknowledged accessing the data but wrote that he used his authorized HISA account as a horse owner.

«I used my own account and credentials and never attempted to conceal my identity or circumvent HISA's security,» Gramm wrote on X. «Once logged into my account, I bypassed no security protocols or other safeguards to access the information.»

Gramm added that he plans to «vigorously defend» himself against the charges.

In a written notice of violation, HISA stated that Gramm accessed the unauthorized information on horses he didn't own «for the purpose of gaining, or attempting to gain, an advantage in connection with racing activities, including potential wagering or claiming decisions involving Covered Horses.»

HISA plans to seek restitution for