A champion, and possibly champions, will surely be determined on Saturday at Del Mar when 11 talented fillies and mares face off in the $2 million Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Month: November 2021
Trial Groupings Reset for Defendants in Alleged Doping Conspiracy
In the wake of nine defendants in the alleged nationwide horse-doping conspiracy case having changed their pleas to “guilty” in recent months, a Nov. 4 status hearing reset the trial groupings for the remaining defendants, with those trials all now anticipated to commence in the first half of 2022.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of United States District Court (Southern District of New York) also ordered that all remaining motions to suppress evidence that are pending on the docket are to be considered denied, noting that her written opinion on that decision is forthcoming.
Trial Group I shall now consist of defendants Seth Fishman and Lisa Gianelli. They had been previously advised their trial will commence on or about Jan. 19, 2022.
Group II shall consist of defendants Rick Dane Jr. and Rebecca Linke. On Thursday, the judge told them to expect to face a trial in the latter part of the first quarter of 2022.
Group III defendants Jason Servis, Erica Garcia, Michael Tannuzzo and Alexander Chan will be tried together at a date that has not yet been set. On Thursday, the judge ordered the prosecution and defense attorneys to get together over the next week to hash out a proposed schedule for the filing of related briefs, after which a trial date can be established by the court.
The now-barred trainers Servis and Jorge Navarro are the two highest-profile defendants in the case.
Navarro has already pled guilty to one count of conspiring to administer non-FDA-approved, misbranded and adulterated drugs, including PEDs that Navarro believed would be untestable and undetectable.
Navarro faces five years in prison at his December sentencing, and has admitted in open court that he doped the now-deceased elite sprinter X Y Jet and other graded stakes stars of his stable over a period of years. Navarro's plea deal also stipulates that he must pay $25.8 million to a list of victims that has not yet been made public.
Servis was the trainer of the former $16,000 maiden-claimer Maximum Security, who crossed the wire first in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference.
As evidence against Servis's alleged felonies, the feds have purportedly recorded him in numerous wiretapped phone conversations discussing with Navarro the doping regimens of top horses in his care, including administering injections of PEDs to Maximum Security.
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Domestic Spending and United Out of Breeders’ Cup
MGISW Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and MGSW United (Giant's Causeway) have both been scratched from the Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar, according to tweets from the Breeders' Cup. This moves GISW Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and champion Channel Maker (English Channel) into the field off the also eligible list.
The 4-1 second choice on the morning line, Domestic Spending was withdrawn by trainer Chad Brown after developing swelling in his left, front leg.
“When I came in this morning, he unfortunately had some new and acute inflammation in his left fore,” Brown said. “He's sound, but I'm not comfortable with it and I want to do more diagnostics on this horse and it's just unfortunate timing. We want to get him back to Kentucky and do some evaluation on this limb and see what's causing it and how much time we need. The more I looked at it, the more I didn't like where the inflammation is.”
Trainer Richard Mandella reported that United was out of the race due to a swollen suspensory.
“He'd shown a little swelling over the past four or five days, so we scanned the leg as a precaution and the result was negative,” the Hall of Famer said. “Today, we gave him a good, strong gallop and the swelling returned. We scanned him again and it was clean. We're not going to take any chances with him.”
Mandella continued, “He's been going pretty steadily for the past two and a half years. The good news is that we'll just give him a rest and bring him back next year.”
United's owner, Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods, tweeted, “At times a brutal sport. Devastated most for United and the [Richard] Mandella barn, but also for my family and his fans/supporters. I can confidently say United was going to fire a huge race. His last work one mile in 1:37.20 was phenomenal, one of the best of his career. Trying my best to be positive and focus on amazing race moments we've been lucky enough to enjoy. Love you big boy, you'll be back soon.”
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Friday’s Insights: Tapit Rising Star Returns at Del Mar
1st-DMR, $100K, Opt. Cl. ($40k), 3yo/up, 6f, 2:55 p.m. ET
Summer Wind Equine's TRIPLE TAP (Tapit) marks his return to the races for the first time since his impressive 4 1/4-length TDN Rising Star-earning win at Santa Anita Mar. 13. The chestnut is a half-brother to Triple Crown hero and Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). His prolific dam, Litteprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman), was purchased by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind for $2.1 million carrying a full sibling to Pharoah–the subsequently Group 3-placed St Patricks Day–at Fasig-Tipton November in 2014. She is also responsible for GI Starlet S. heroine Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) and GISP American Cleopatra (Pioneerof the Nile). In his latest work, the Bob Baffert trainee covered five furlongs in :59 2/5 (2/23) at Santa Anita Oct. 29. TJCIS PPs
MGISW WEDDING TOAST SON DEBUTS AT CHURCHILL
10th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6.5f, 7:23 p.m. ET
Godolphin's WORDS OF WISDOM (Tapit) kicks off for trainer Brad Cox following a string of workmanlike moves, including the latest a five-furlong work in 1:01 4/5 (20/42) at Churchill Oct. 29. The homebred is the second foal out of Wedding Toast (Street Sense), winner of four graded stakes, including the GI Beldame Invitational S. and GI Ogden Phipps S. while banking over $1.4 million under the care of Kiaran McLaughlin. Also getting his start is Willis Horton Racing's Rider's Special (Union Rags), a $425,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale buy–the second-highest priced colt by the sire this season. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the April foal is out of unraced Fastbridled (Unbridled's Song), a great-granddaughter of undefeated champion older mare and blue-hen mare Personal Ensign. Lori Gervais and West Point Thoroughbred's Keen Heir (Keen Ice) is unveiled by Dallas Stewart. A $225,000 purchase at last spring's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale, the chestnut is the highest-priced offspring by the freshman stallion this season. Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner), a $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling grad, returns after being disqualified from an apparent debut victory going a sixteenth shorter over this track Sept. 25. The Brad Cox trainee loses the blinkers for this return. TJCIS PPs
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