According to an Oct. 22 ruling from the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, owner/trainer Marvin Johnson and his wife/assistant trainer Christy Johnson have been suspended for a year and fined $5,000. The news was first reported by bloodhorse.com.
The ruling comes after a summary suspension the IHRC issued against Marvin Johnson and veterinarian Dr. Cynthia Loomis on July 4 of this year, “for actions not in the best interests of racing and which compromise the integrity of operations at a racetrack.”
After the summary suspension was issued, Johnson told Thoroughbred Daily News that Loomis, his regular veterinarian throughout the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet, was “observed treating a horse that was in that day, which is obviously against the rules.” Johnson said recent surgery on his pelvis limited his involvement at the stable.
“All I do is hire my vet to be responsible for me. I trusted her fully with the horses and the times that my horses get treated,” he told Thoroughbred Daily News, adding that “this is not a cheating matter” and that he was cooperating fully with the commission.
Christy Johnson was summarily suspended three months later, on Oct. 4, for matters “related to” the suspension of her husband.
In the Oct. 22 ruling, the IHRC alleges that the Johnsons allowed Loomis to administer adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to two of their horses entered later that day: Justa Doll and Overthetopjustice.
Loomis has denied that she treated any of Johnson's horses on race day.
Beyond the suspensions and fine, stewards have referred the case to the full IHRC commission for “review and consideration of additional penalties that may exceed the statutory limitations of the Stewards' authority.”
Marvin Johnson has been training horses since 1974 and was the top trainer at Horseshoe Indianapolis at the time of his suspension.
Last week, the Paulick Report received documents that show the summary suspension of Loomis expired after the Indiana commission failed to take any additional action against her between the summary suspension start on July 3 and the slated end date of the summary suspension on Oct. 3. The commission had indicated to an administrative law judge in October that its investigation was ongoing.
The post Indiana Stewards Suspend Marvin, Christy Johnson For One Year, Refer Case To Commission For Additional Sanctions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
