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Month: March 2021
Robinson Gets 18 Months in Prison in First Sentencing from 2020 Indictments
One year to the day that the bombshell indictments against 27 individuals allegedly involved in a scheme to use performance-enhancing drugs on racehorses were announced, Scott Robinson became the first of those involved in the scandal to be sentenced to prison. In a decision handed down Tuesday by Judge J. Paul Oetken in U. S. District Court in Lower Manhattan, Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison plus an additional three years of supervised release. Robinson is required to surrender himself to authorities on Sept. 7, 2021.
Robinson, a drug manufacturer and distributor, had pled guilty to one count of drug adulteration and misbranding. The maximum sentence for that offense is five years.
According to the sentencing memo filed by the U.S. Department of Justice by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the drugs Robinson distributed “included anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs ('PEDs') marketed to racehorse trainers, veterinarians, and others. These drugs were not manufactured in sanitary, government-approved facilities; they had not been tested and approved for use in humans or animals by the Food and Drug Administration ('FDA'); they were not distributed pursuant to lawful prescriptions; nor were they properly labeled.”
The judgment against Robinson also included a forfeiture of $3,832,318.90, which he must pay to the government. The total represents the value of the drugs he illegally sold.
The government also charged that Robinson was dishonorably discharged from the Navy for selling steroids.
“I want to apologize to the horse racing industry,” Robinson said when given a chance to address the court. “Horse racing is the only thing in my life that I have ever truly loved. From the first time I went to the racetrack, I fell in deep love with horse racing and this negative attention is not what I am about, and I sincerely apologize for that. For the last 15 years plus, I have promoted horse racing and tried to increase its popularity. I take full responsibility for the actions I have taken.”
Sarah Mortazavi, the attorney representing the government, argued for a harsh sentence.
“Unfortunately, his conduct up to this point illustrates that he is not contrite or remorseful and that he viewed his conduct as, really, no big deal and believed that no consequences would follow,” she said. “We ask the court to send a different message, both to Mr. Robinson and members of the community, that this type of conduct can lead to ill effects, that this type of conduct will not be tolerated and that it is taken seriously by the government and the court.”
Before announcing his sentence, Oetken said he took into consideration the fact that Robinson had no prior record and the many letters he received in support of the defendant, but in the end concluded that a prison sentence was warranted. Robinson's attorney, William Butler, asked the court to issue a non-custodial sentence that would not include any prison time
“The criminal conduct here was serious, the defendant engaged in a scheme to market and sell misbranded and adulterated drugs across the country, including performance-enhancing drugs to racehorse trainers and others,” Oetken said.
He continued: “I do conclude that this is a sufficiently serious crime extended over a lengthy period of time such that serious punishment is warranted…I don't think a five-year sentence is needed to serve the purposes that I have mentioned. I also think that a 36-month sentence is greater than necessary to serve those purposes. Weighing everything I have mentioned, I believe that a sentence of 18 months imprisonment is an appropriate sentence and is sufficient to meet the characteristics while taking into account the positive factors that I have mentioned.”
Robinson pled guilty on Sept. 16, 2020, making him among the first to end their fight against the government. That he did so at the time raised speculation that Robinson was cooperating with the government, which would result in a lenient sentence. During Tuesday's proceedings, it remained unclear whether or not Robinson had in fact made a deal to cooperate.
The original indictment included 27 individuals, most notably trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro. Robinson was indicted along with his former business partner, Scott Mangini. The government charged that Robinson and Mangini engaged in a scheme to “create, manufacture, sell and ship adulterated and misbranded PEDs intended to be secretly administered to racehorses for the purpose of improving those horse's race performance…”
The only other person involved in the case to enter a plea is Sarah Izhaki, who has also been charged with illegally distributing adulterated and misbranded drugs.” She is set to be sentenced May 19.
Tuesday's hearing was conducted via Skype and Robinson was in Florida. His attorney asked that he be sent to a prison near his home in the Tampa area. There are four minimum-security federal prisons in the state.
The post Robinson Gets 18 Months in Prison in First Sentencing from 2020 Indictments appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Complexity Hype Carries on to Stud Career
 “He was one of those horses that there was a buzz about before he ever stepped foot on a racetrack,” Airdrie Stud's Bret Jones said of their new addition, Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Complexity (Maclean's Music–Goldfield, Yes It's True).
A Stonestreet-bred half-brother to a Breeders' Cup runner-up and a $375,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Mike Ryan, Complexity was the talk of the Saratoga backstretch in the summer of his juvenile season. Horseplayers anticipated the Chad Brown pupil's unveiling after a stretch of speedy breezes, including a five-furlong move in 1:00 2/5 work Aug. 26, but they had to wait until closing day at the Spa for the colt to reach the starting gate.
Sent off as the heavy favorite, the bay took the lead early over a salty maiden field that included eventual graded winner Harvey Wallbanger (Congrats) and dual stakes winner King for a Day (Uncle Mo). He coasted home to win by over four lengths, becoming the third 'Rising Star' of the 2018 Saratoga meet for Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown.
Complexity returned to the starting gate again as the favorite in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont and didn't disappoint as he passed the wire three lengths ahead of Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}).
“Honestly, we would put the Champagne up against any race there is when you're talking about what can make a potential stallion,” Jones said. “He went in 1:34 and change. You look at the honor roll of Champagne winners, it's incredible. It shows what a precocious horse you are and can do it going a mile, which I think is a great indicator of talent.”
The colt failed to fire in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was sidelined until the summer of his 3-year-old season due to a quarter crack. But he eventually bounced back with a 7 1/4-length win over older horses in November of his sophomore year, earning a three on the Ragozin sheets.
As a 4-year-old last year, he returned to the winner's circle in an allowance at Belmont, besting Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}), and then got caught by the same rival in the final strides of the GI Forego S.
In his next start, he bested MGISW Code of Honor in the one-mile GII Kelso H.
“He beats an exceptionally-talented horse in Code of Honor and really does it the right way, wins it going away,” Jones noted. “He does it in 1:33 and change. There aren't many exceptional 2-year-olds that can come back and be a top 4-year-old, but that's what this horse did. He ran one of the highest Beyers of any horse last year, running a 110.”
After a fourth-place finish in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Complexity took up stud duty at Airdrie.
“I'm very grateful that we got the opportunity to stay on this horse because everybody who watched the Champagne, I think, was very interested in him as a stallion,” Jones said. “We're very, very grateful to Chad [Brown] and Seth Klarman for giving us the chance. We just always thought he was special and we're going to try hard to make sure he's a special name in this business for a long time.”
Jones said many breeders have been sold on the new stallion prospect upon seeing him in person.
“One of the obvious attractions of Complexity is just how beautiful of a horse he is,” he said. “That's very evident in the price tag and the purchaser. We'd put Mike Ryan's eye above just about anybody who has every looked at a horse. So that was very attractive commercially. $375,000 was the highest price of any Maclean's Music of that crop and he looks every bit the part.”
He continued, “When you combine that with the race record, you have not only what we think is a very commercial sire, we actually have a stallion prospect that we think can get fast horses, which at the end of the day is a lot more important than anything else.”
Complexity joins fellow Klaravich Stables Grade I winner Cloud Computing–who stands at Spendthrift Farm–as the first two sons of Maclean's Music at stud. The Hill 'n' Dale sire entered stud in 2013 with a $6,500 stud fee and has quietly made his way up the general sire's list to earn a nearly quadrupled fee.
“You have to love the start he's gotten off to,” Jones said of Maclean's Music. “He's really making his own way from a humble stud fee to really one of the more exciting young stallions in the industry. So to have a really talented son of his is certainly something that attracted us to him.”
Complexity is out of the three-time stakes-producing mare Goldfield (Yes It's True) and is a half-brother to Stonestreet homebred Valadorna (Curlin), who was runner up in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and winner of the 2018 GIII Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland.
“It's really brilliance on brilliance,” Jones said of the pedigree. “And with a Stonestreet family, we know the kind of quality they have. It's the type of talent, both top and bottom, that makes you feel really good about putting him in the barn.”
Jones added that with his breeding, Complexity is an easy match for many mares.
“He really goes so well with so many of the important sire lines that you'd like to get as a young stallion,” he said. “He crosses beautifully with A.P. Indy, Storm Cat and so many of the Deputy Minister horses. So he's a very easy horse to breed and we're doing what we really think is important and that's giving him every chance by supporting him.”
Jones reported that 24 Airdrie mares are slated to visit the new addition including Grade I producers Don't Trick Her (Mazel Trick) and Kittery Point (Include), as well as two-time champion producer Ms. Cornstalk (Indian Charlie).
Complexity kicks off his stud career at Airdrie fully booked off a $12,500 initial fee.
“Everything is in place to have a very successful horse,” Jones said. “He's been exceptionally popular. He was booked full almost immediately. He's got every opportunity and I think we've got him priced to where he'll still get those mares in the next couples years. Then after that, it's up to him.”
The post Complexity Hype Carries on to Stud Career appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Velazquez Plans To Appeal Three-Day Suspension Issued By California Stewards
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will appeal the three-day suspension he was issued by stewards in Southern California, his agent, Ron Anderson, told Horse Racing Nation.
Velazquez' suspension was due to his ride in Santa Anita's 11th race on Saturday, in which his mount, favorite Following Sea, was disqualified from second to third for interference.
The dates of his suspension are scheduled for March 14, 19, and 20.
“We would miss the races at the Fair Grounds, of which there's eight stakes — he rides a horse called Proxy for a million dollars (Louisiana Derby),” Anderson told HRN. “If we do ride that day, we would have to give another day back, which would be Florida Derby day (March 28). So we can't really do that. So the circumstances of all this were just to appeal.”
Read more at Horse Racing Nation.
The post Velazquez Plans To Appeal Three-Day Suspension Issued By California Stewards appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
