With a view to pulling the veil back on the whys and wherefores of their operations, a representative of either the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority or the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) will every week answer a question of industry importance posed by the TDN.If you have any questions you'd like to ask HISA or HIWU, please feel free to send them over to us at the following email address: danross@thetdn.comThe following was submitted by trainer Michael Lerman.Q: My question involves your methodology for selecting horses for Out of Competition testing. I have a mare named Denver's Alley who raced at Gulfstream Park this past Sunday (June 7th). She was in the 8th race, Post Time 4:52pm. She finished fourth, and as a result, wasn't post-race tested. The following morning (before 7:00am on Monday), however, a regulatory veterinarian appeared at my Palm Meadows barn to draw Denver's Alley's blood at HIWU's behest. Why would you choose to Out of Competition test a horse that had competed less than 14 hours before? Additionally, HIWU has requested a half dozen or so blood tests on horses of mine over the last year which have had recently published workouts. I question this because at the time, none of the tested horses had as yet ever raced. Can you justify the need to expend resources to Out of Competition Test a horse that has NEVER been IN Competition? A: From Kate Mittelstadt, HIWU Chief of Operations.One of the benefits of HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program is that it allows for a national, unified strategy in selecting horses for testing under the oversight of HIWU. Horses are selected for testing as part of HIWU's formal Test Distribution Plan, or TDP. As part of a national TDP, HIWU's decision to put resources toward testing a specific horse at a specific time for a specific reason is not made randomly and is informed by what we call a Risk Assessment. In other words, what facts about that horse may suggest that there is a greater chance of Prohibited Substances being present at the time it is tested? Examples of factors that may be considered in a Risk Assessment for any given horse include:The horse's past performancesThe horse's prior test historyThe horse's affiliation with trainers or owners who have previously committed or been suspected of committing rule violationsInformation received or acquired by HIWU's Investigations Unit about the horseThe Risk Assessment is considered for all testing that HIWU conducts, whether it's Post-Race, TCO2, or Out-of-Competition. We are also now using computer models to analyze these Risk Assessment factors and convert them into actionable recommendations for strategic test selections.When it comes to Out-of-Competition Testing's role in the national TDP, the unpredictability and lack of notice for this kind of testing is what makes it especially valuable in catching and deterring Rule violations.Once a horse becomes covered under HISA, HIWU may select it for testing at any time. There is no time as a Covered Horse during which HIWU considers the horse to be at zero risk of violating the ADMC Program Rules and therefore exempt from being tested. As Mr. Lerman has experienced, this could mean testing horses the morning after a race or before the horse has ever raced.It should be noted that there are certain substances that are most effective in affecting performance or post-race recovery when administered during certain periods before or after a race, so the timing of sample collection for Out-of-Competition Testing is intentional and targeted to find these kinds of substances.HIWU does not publicly discuss the test history of a specific horse or a trainer's stable of horses, but a trainer may contact the HIWU Support Line at (816) 285-1425 with specific questions about their test history. HIWU has been in touch with Mr. Lerman directly.For all the attention that testing gets, the industry should be aware that the ADMC Program is more than the number of samples collected each year. While HIWU is confident in the range of testing we conduct to detect and deter prohibited activities, the work of our investigators and collaboration with our laboratories are just as important in running an effective Program. Our multi-pronged approach protects safety, welfare, and integrity for the benefit of all participants.The post Ask HIWU: Out of Competition Testing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.