ThomasThomas Tobin (TT), Veterinarian (Dublin 1964), Pharmacologist (Guelph 1966 and Ph.D.,Toronto 1970), and faculty member, Michigan State University until 1975. In 1975, he established the Equine Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology Program at the University of Kentucky. In 1979, he organized the Third International Symposium on Equine Medication Control, and in 1981 published Drugs and the Performance Horse, a 500 page text. In 1983 he testified before Congress on the “Corrupt Horse Racing Practices Act”; thereafter, activity on this bill ceased.

            In 1985, responding to a Commission directive, he began the research that introduced ELISA testing to horse racing.  Commercialization of this technology led to the creation of WTT ELISA TESTS, later sold to Neogen Corporation. Neogen Lexington now employs ~140 people and brings ~$50M/year into Lexington .

 I          In 1988, Tobin became Director of the Graduate Center for Toxicology at UK. He reorganized the Center, developed a minority program and brought in an $800K training grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. When Tobin stepped down in 1993, core faculty and student admissions were up three-fold, extramural funding had increased from 0 to $800K per year, and unique courses on “Ethics in scientific research” and “Risk assessment” had been developed.  When the National Research Council reviewed Kentucky doctoral programs in 1993, only The Graduate Center for Toxicology was rated “extremely effective.”

             In 1994, Tobin organized an international workshop, “Testing for Therapeutic Medications, Environmental and Dietary Substances in Racing Horses,” that brought 70 industry leaders to Lexington. In 1995, Tobin and his colleagues organized “The Commission Veterinarian/Equine Medical Director:  A Short Course.”  In 1995, Tobin and several colleagues founded the Testing Integrity Program (TIP) that serves as a national drug testing Quality Assurance Program. Tobin was named “Man of the Year” in 1995 by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. In 1996, responding to a University directive, Tobin sued the Illinois Hooved Animal Humane Society; thereafter Humane societies have been more respectful of Racing. 

             In 1996, Tobin and David Granstrom investigated new therapeutic approaches to Equine Protozoal Myelitis (EPM) and rapidly established the therapeutic efficacy of diclazuril. A use patent (#5,883,095, 1999) was licensed to Bayer Animal Health and Bayer Marquis® became the first FDA-approved treatment for EPM.

             In 1998 the racing industry focused on clenbuterol. LC-MS-MS based studies led to the publication of a highly sensitive serum test for clenbuterol. This test allows more sensitive and reliable regulatory control of therapeutic medications than previously possible. Tobin also organized and published a Testing Integrity Program (TIP) seminar on furosemide.

            In 2000, following a Commission directive, Tobin developed accredited continuing education short courses for practitioners and regulatory veterinarians in Kentucky . Six short courses had been offered when, in May 2001, the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) hit Kentucky. Tobin chaired the Toxicology Working Group investigating this syndrome and his research laboratory's activities were redirected towards MRLS on an emergency basis. Within weeks the Eastern Tent Caterpillar (ETC) was thought to be associated with MRLS. The following spring ETC were clearly linked to MRLS, and Tobin proposed a unique setal hypothesis of its pathogenesis. In August 2002 David Powell and Tobin organized the first workshop on MRLS, published in May 2003. Recent work has demonstrated unique mathematical characteristics of experimental MRLS that define aspects of the epidemiology and clinical presentations of MRLS and that are consistent with the setal hypothesis. 

             More recently the program has focused on developing validated analytical methods for agents abused in racing horses. In June of 2003 it was decided that it would be in the best interests of the racing industry in Kentucky for the program to become accredited, and the process of becoming A2LA accredited was initiated. In October of 2003 dizocilpine and Inolin® were assigned for method development as probable abused drugs; within five months the program had research papers published or in press on their pharmacodynamics, biotransformation and urinary excretion in the horse.