Bob Baffert, Jena Antonucci Added to HISA’s Horsemen’s Advisory Group

Bob Baffert and Jena Antonucci, two of the most prominent names in Thoroughbred racing, are joining the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Horsemen’s Advisory Group. HISA announced the additions this week, along with the return of longtime Maryland trainer Timothy Keefe, filling seats vacated by outgoing members Kelsey Danner, Gavin Murphy, and Jonathan Sadler.

The Horsemen’s Advisory Group was formed in 2022 to give HISA’s executive team and standing committees direct feedback from industry participants as the authority develops its Racetrack Safety Program and Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. The 18-member body draws from trainers, owners, bloodstock agents, horsemen’s group representatives, and veterinarians across the sport.

A Notable Addition Given Baffert’s History

Baffert’s inclusion carries extra weight given his complicated relationship with regulators over the past several years. The Hall of Fame trainer served a three-year suspension from Churchill Downs stemming from Medina Spirit’s disqualification following the 2021 Kentucky Derby, when the colt tested positive for betamethasone. Churchill Downs lifted that ban in July 2024, and Baffert returned to the Derby field in both 2025 and 2026, most recently saddling Kentucky Derby entrant Potente this spring as he continues chasing a record-extending seventh win in the race.

HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus has previously noted that Baffert has not faced a single violation under HISA’s own rules since the authority began overseeing the sport, distinguishing his ongoing legal history with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from his standing under the newer federal framework. Baffert’s decades-long résumé includes Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify, six Kentucky Derby victories, eight Preakness Stakes wins, three Belmont Stakes wins, and 21 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2009.

Antonucci Brings a Groundbreaking Résumé

Antonucci arrives with her own historic distinction as the first woman to win a Triple Crown race, a milestone she reached when Arcangelo took the 2023 Belmont Stakes. Beyond her training stable, Antonucci serves on the boards of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund. She also co-founded horseOlogy, a women-owned Thoroughbred training and ownership operation based in Ocala, Florida, alongside horseOlogy Encore, a nonprofit focused on Thoroughbred aftercare.

Keefe, meanwhile, returns to the group after previously serving as president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association; he currently sits as the organization’s vice president. He has been a key voice in shaping Maryland racing’s infrastructure redevelopment and serves on the boards of the Maryland Horsemen’s Assistance Fund and Maryland Million.

What It Means for HISA’s Direction

“We are deeply grateful to Kelsey Danner, Gavin Murphy, and Jonathan Sadler for their service and thoughtful contributions to HISA’s work,” Lazarus said in the announcement. “We are also pleased to welcome our new members to the Advisory Group and look forward to the perspectives they will bring as we continue working collaboratively with stakeholders to enhance the sport for horses and participants alike.”

Adding trainers with the profile of Baffert and Antonucci gives HISA direct input from two of the sport’s most visible stables as it continues refining safety and medication policy heading into the next Triple Crown season. Bettors tracking the futures markets for next year’s classics will likely hear both names again well before the first Saturday in May.