December, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Former Drug Company Manager Pleads Guilty To Stealing, Reselling Thousands Of Bottles Of Adequan

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York released the following statement Friday, Dec. 4 about a guilty plea entered by Gregory Settino, 58, of Bethpage, N.Y.:

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, Gregory Settino pleaded guilty to theft of medical products from his employer, a drug manufacturer in Suffolk County. When sentenced, Settino faces up to 20 years in prison, restitution to his former employer and a fine of up to $250,000. Today's proceeding took place before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert.

Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent-in-Charge, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office (FDA-OCI), announced the guilty plea.

“With today's guilty plea, Settino has been held accountable for stealing from his then-employer thousands of bottles of an injectable drug administered to horses, which he resold to trainers and vets potentially endangering the health of horses at New York racetracks because the stolen drugs were not handled properly,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office will vigorously prosecute those who jeopardized drug safety.”

“The FDA works to ensure that veterinary drugs are safe and effective so that animals remain healthy. When drugs are taken out of the legitimate supply chain, there is no longer any assurance that they are safe or effective,” stated FDA-OCI Special Agent-in-Charge Ebersole. “The FDA remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who endanger the health of animals.”

As set forth in court filings and facts admitted in court, Settino was the production supervisor of manufacturing at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Shirley, New York. In January 2019, Luitpold was renamed American Regent. One of the products manufactured at Luitpold and American Regent was Adequan, an injectable equine drug administered to horses with degenerative joint disease and sold throughout the United States. Between 2012 and January 2020, Settino stole thousands of bottles of Adequan from Luitpold and American Regent valued at over $1 million and sold those drugs to horse trainers and veterinarians at New York racetracks, including Belmont Park, for more than $600,000. Settino's conduct potentially endangered the health of horses because the drugs were not maintained, stored or transported in accordance with proper procedures for ensuring the safety, effectiveness and efficacy of the drugs. At times, Settino transported the drugs in shoeboxes stored in his car. At all times, the drugs were handled in violation of the FDA regulated supply chain.

The government's case is being handled by the Office's Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution.

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Tom Marquand Excited About International Jockeys’ Championship, Additional Rides In Hong Kong

Rising British star Tom Marquand will use vital experience gleaned on tight-turning tracks in England and Australia to offset a lack of familiarity with Happy Valley's famed contours when he tackles the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Seeking to bookend a phenomenal season, the 22-year-old will partner Very Sweet Orange, Nunchuks, Surrealism and Wind N Grass in the HK$800,000 (about US$103,000) four-race contest and hopes he can share the limelight – and spoils – with partner and fellow jockey Hollie Doyle.

“Fingers crossed we can walk away with a winner or two apiece,” said Marquand, winner of G1 contests in England and Australia this year.

“Some of the tracks in Australia aren't too dissimilar (to Happy Valley) with the tightness and the ground being generally being a little bit quicker than in England.

“But we've got tight tracks in England like Chester. It's on another level to over here perhaps.

“Happy Valley is certainly a different track. It's a test of a jockey and a horse being such a sharp, almost speed-orientated track. So, while it will be a little bit different, very looking forward to tackling it with a great book of rides for both of us.”

Marquand revealed exposure to Hong Kong races via international broadcasts beamed into England provided the framework of his Happy Valley expectations.

“It's (Hong Kong racing) always on our TV and we're lucky to have that understanding of the way the races work, even from England,” Marquand, fresh from a double at Wolverhampton on Saturday, Dec. 5, said.

“(Wolverhampton is) not quite so glamorous as some of the days we've been lucky to have this year but, in all seriousness, it's massive coming into a day's racing like this having your confidence up.

“It's been a busy old year and it's easy to forget the good days I've had at smaller meetings, not just the days at Doncaster and Ascot, for example.”

A former champion apprentice, Marquand has already bettered his previous season-best haul of 136 winners with 141 to date – and he is not finished yet.

Apart from his four LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship mounts, he will also partner Red Majesty in the Class 4 France Handicap (1650m) and PPG (Privately Purchased Griffin) Donc Je Suis in the Class 4 Mauritius Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley.

The Englishman will take three rides at Sha Tin on Sunday (Dec. 13).

“The Hong Kong Jockey Club has gone to great lengths to get us over so it seemed a shame to go home and not have an opportunity to ride at out Sha Tin as well,” he said.

“By the look of it, I've got three rides – none in the international races, all in the local races as such – but really looking to getting out there on Sunday as well.”

Doyle best's chance in the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship is the David Hayes-trained Harmony N Blessed in the fourth leg of the series, a Class 3 contest over 1200m.

Hayes is confident the last-start debut winner can again contend.

“He's very professional and he did everything right at Sha Tin,” he said.

“He looks like he likes the Valley. I know he hasn't raced there but his trials have been excellent.

“You never know until they race, but he's a pretty straight-forward horse. He should be OK.

“He's probably eating better now than he was before the first run, so that's a good sign.

“It's a nice competitive race. Good step up, light weight so hopefully he can handle it.”

The dual champion trainer has full confidence in Doyle's ability.

“Her record overseas is too good to be concerned about having her on the horse. I think she'll do a good job,” he said.

Doyle's other jockey championship mounts are Happily Friends, Universal Go Go and Sunny Lad.

Wednesday's LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship meeting at Happy Valley starts at 6.30pm with the running of the Class 5 Australia Handicap (1650m).

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Longines HKIR Notebook: Inferno Out of the Sprint

Barree Stable’s Singapore-based Inferno (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has been scratched from Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin after being found to be lame in his left front leg by Hong Kong Jockey Club veterinarians Tuesday.

Very little went as planned for Inferno on his trip over to Hong Kong. The air conditioning in the horse float that transported Inferno from Kranji Racecourse to Changi Airport about 30 minutes away broke down and the horse was subjected to the heat for three hours. He then had to endure the four-hour flight up to Hong Kong and making matters worse, connections were dealing with a foot issue in the 24 hours prior to departure. Inferno galloped well over the Sha Tin all-weather Monday morning, but the decision to come out of the Sprint was not a difficult one for trainer Cliff Brown.

“Inferno became distressed after the air-conditioning in his box broke down. He was melting in the heat at the airport for three hours,” Brown told the Singapore Turf Club’s Michael Lee. “Luckily, [Singapore Turf Club veterinary surgeon] Dr Dan Shaw and [assistant-trainer] Tony Lane were able to hose him down and sedate him as he was getting so upset.

“From the way the trip has unfolded, it was a really bad start, and once he arrived in Hong Kong, things got worse when he didn’t eat properly for three nights. To top all that, the day before he left, he had a small foot issue. I thought it would get right, and he actually cantered fine yesterday, his work was fine.

“But all in all, he was not coming right, and as I needed him to gallop tomorrow, I’ve decided to pull the pin early. We’re coming home. The horse already had this foot issue, and in hindsight, maybe I could have pulled the pin there and then,” Brown concluded.

Inferno is the winner of eight of his nine starts in Singapore, including an impressive score in the Lion City Cup Oct. 25. Hong Kong’s second leading rider Zac Purton now picks up the mount on Amazing Star (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who moved off the reserve list and into the field when Perfect Match (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) was taken out Monday. Also joining the field is Stronger (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), who gives trainer Douglas Whyte a first runner at the HKIR.

Fast Work for Golden Sixty, Classique Legend…

A pair of locally based runners that will carry favourtism in their respective races put in some fast work over the turf course Tuesday.

Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro), who figures a warm choice in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, went five furlongs on the turf and was allowed to roll through the final 400 metres, clocking a final sectional of :23.2 with regular rider Vincent Ho in the saddle.

“Both Vincent and me are pleased with his trackwork performance this morning,” said trainer Francis Lui, who saddled Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) to a runner-up effort in the 2016 Sprint, but is still in search of a maiden HKIR winner. “We will arrange him another gallop this Friday and that will be an easy work.”

Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), last-out winner of The Everest at Randwick Oct. 17 and the likely choice in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, was a modest third in a 1000-metre barrier trial last week, but looked to have improved from that after finishing 800 metres of work in :23.1 Tuesday morning.

“He had a nice half-mile gallop, he had a companion lead him out and he quickened up nice, he ran home in 23 (seconds) and he did it nice and easily,” said trainer Caspar Fownes. “Vincent Ho, who galloped him this morning, was very happy with him– he’s getting there now, he looks good–I can’t do any more with him.”

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For Just $5,000, Owner May Have Bought His Ticket to Kentucky Derby

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2-year-old sales attract all the heavyweights in the business, people who are ready to spend millions and have proven records of picking out future stars. Then there is Mark Schwartz. Schwartz arrived at this year’s OBS Spring sale with a modest budget and ready to buy a horse at a sale for the first time. A Brooklyn-born retiree living in Florida, he knew the odds were not in his favor.

“I did my research, but this was kind of like playing the lottery,” he said.

And sometimes you buy the winning ticket.

In a story that should give hope to anyone who has ever gone to the sales with big dreams and a small bankroll, Schwartz paid just $5,000 for a horse that is now in the mix for next year’s GI Kentucky Derby. That’s what he paid for Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong), the New York-bred gelding who won Saturday’s GII Remsen S. in the slop at Aqueduct. Of the 779 2-year-olds sold at the sale, only one went for less money.

“I was there looking for bargains,” he said. “I’m not one of those guys who can spend $100,000 for a horse. There was no way in my wildest dreams I could have expected this. You hope maybe he could get to the allowance races. Maybe I would have a good claimer. But this proves that with a lot of horses you sometimes can get lucky. Look at what happened with California Chrome.”

According to Equibase, Schwartz was 0 for 24 as an owner before Brooklyn Strong came around, but he says he has owned some winners that were part of partnerships. Part of the problem was obvious: he didn’t have much money to spend. That was still the case entering the Ocala sale when he showed up without his trainer, Danny Velazquez, who stayed behind at Delaware Park because of the coronavirus.

That left Schwartz to go it alone. He did his homework, studying the catalogue and watching the works. He made a list of horses he liked, realizing most would be out of his price range. He hoped to not pay more than $15,000 for a horse. With Brooklyn Strong, Schwartz liked the horse’s work, which went in :10 2/5, and was impressed by the pedigree on the dam’s side. The dam is Riviera Chic, who is by Medaglia d’Oro and had two winners from her first three foals.

Schwartz said the bidding began at $1,000 and stopped with his bid of $5,000. He does not understand why there was not more interest in the horse.

“Maybe there wasn’t much respect for his sire, Wicked Strong,” said Schwartz, who also brought a Will Take Charge filly (hip 474) at the sale for $10,000. “But I don’t really know what turned other people off. It couldn’t have been the workout, it was good. He had a little knot on his knee, but that was nothing serious. I was kind of shocked. I never thought I’d get him for $5,000.”

Brooklyn Strong, who was bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan sold originally as a weanling for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Fall Mixed sale. He later RNA’d at two yearling sales, one time for $42,000, another for $6,000

After the sale, Schwartz called Velazquez to ask what he thought of the purchase. Velazquez told him he really didn’t have anything to lose.

“He asked me what I thought and I said, ‘He looks good to me. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You only paid $5,000 for him.'” Velazquez said.

Brooklyn Strong made his debut Sept. 12 at Delaware Park, winning a $40,000 maiden claimer. He then ran third in the Bertram Bongard S. and followed that up with a win in the Sleepy Hollow S. Both races are for New York-breds. The gelding had proven he could compete at a high level against state-breds, but the Remsen loomed as a much bigger challenge. The competition included Known Agenda, a homebred by Curlin, Ten for Ten (Frosted), who cost $410,000 at Keeneland September, and GIII Nashua S. winner Pickin’ Time (Stay Thirsty).

“We knew going in that he would have to show his class and that open company is a lot different than New York-breds,” Velazquez said “There were a couple of horses in there that they paid a lot of money for. We knew we were going against the big boys. I knew we were extremely ready. I told Mark that if we lose we lose, but that we were going in there 1000% ready, well trained, well prepared and healthy.”

The Remsen turned into a two-horse race, with Brooklyn Strong prevailing by a neck over Ten for Ten. It was the start of a huge weekend for Velazquez. The Remsen was his first graded stakes win and the next day he won the New York Stallion Series S. with Laobanonaprayer (Laoban).

“Danny is a terrific young trainer,” Schwartz said.

Velazquez has yet to pick out another start for Brooklyn Strong, but said the Feb. 6 GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct is a possibility.

Considering his success on the track and that he is owned by someone of modest means, Brooklyn Strong would seem like the type of horse that someone looking for a Derby contender would swoop in and try to buy. But Schwartz said he hasn’t had any serious offers. For now, that’s fine with him. It lets him focus on trying to make it to the Derby.

“I’m an optimistic person and a dreamer,” he said.

And, maybe, just a little but lucky.

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