Jason Servis: Leading US trainer among 27 charged with offences over horse doping scheme
Tuesday 10 March 2020 08:54, UK
Jason Servis, trainer of last month's $20m Saudi Cup winner Maximum Security, is among 27 people who have charged over an alleged international horse doping scheme.
Charges have been brought by federal prosecutors in the United States against a mixture of trainers, veterinarians and drug distributors over their alleged involvement in a scheme to drug horses, and deceive racing officials and the betting public.
Servis, according to prosecutors, covertly administered performance-enhancing drugs to "virtually all of the racehorses under his control".
Most famous of those is Maximum Security, who was first past the post in last year's Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for causing interference, and then went on to win the world's richest race in Saudi Arabia last month.
The 27 defendants were accused of involvement in one or more drug alteration and mis-branding conspiracies to deceive regulators, racing officials and the betting public, with each charge carrying a maximum five-year prison term.
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Two defendants also face smuggling or obstruction charges, each with a maximum 20-year prison term.
Lawyers for Servis and Jorge Navarro, another well-known trainer whose horses ran in more than 1,400 races last year, have already said that their respective clients will plead not guilty to the charges.
Authorities said horses were secretly given adulterated PEDs including blood builders, pain shots, bronchodilators and "red acid" to boost performance by stimulating endurance, deadening nerves, increasing oxygen intake and reducing inflammation.
"What actually happened to the horses amounted to nothing less than abuse," William Sweeney, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI's New York office, said at a news conference.
"[They] experienced cardiac issues, overexertion leading to leg fractures, increased risk of injury, and in some cases death. Conversely, the human beings involved in this scheme continued to line their purses."
