The Week in Review: Just What is Jason Servis Thinking

A Jan. 23 trial date for the Jason Servis case was announced last week, which means in about eight months there will be some closure and Servis will learn his fate. The way he has handled things, it seems that he is at least somewhat optimistic that he will be found not guilty. If so, he is deluding himself. Everything about this case says that he has virtually no chance of being acquitted.

Which raises a question: why is he fighting this when it makes far more sense to go to the government and cut a deal that will result in less prison time?

Has Servis not been paying attention? So far, the government is undefeated, unscored upon and running up the score. They have gotten a number of people to plead guilty, including Jorge Navarro, who is rotting away in prison. Seth Fishman and Lisa Giannelli fought and took their cases to court and in both cases the jury didn't have time to order lunch before convicting them. Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who is one tough cookie, has never shown so much as an ounce of sympathy for the dopers, alleged and otherwise.

Not that any of this should come as a surprise. Going to federal court and winning a criminal case brought by the federal government is nearly impossible. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 90% of those indicted in federal cases in 2018 pled guilty. Eight percent of all cases were dismissed and 2% went to trial. The end result is that in 2018, only 320 of 79,704 total federal defendants went to trial and won their cases, at least in the form of an acquittal.

The government's m.o. is to build cases against defendants that are so solid that a conviction is all but assured. That's the case with Servis. They say they have numerous wiretapped phone conversations in which he talks about drugging his horses. In one, he was allegedly caught saying that he gave the drug SGF-1000 to virtually all of the horses under his care. In court, when pleading guilty, veterinarian Kristian Rhein implicated Servis, testifying that he sold him illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. The prosecution has done an excellent job.

What, then, could possibly be Servis's defense? I can't even begin to think of one. I'm not a lawyer, but isn't this the very definition of being caught red-handed?

Then there's the matter of legal fees. Servis has hired a big-time lawyer in Rita Galvin, who represented former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in his battle over sexual harassment charges. The meter has been running for a long time and there's no doubt that Lawyer Galvin gets a hefty fee for her services.

The longest sentence handed out so far has been the five years given to Navarro. But for Servis, it could be far worse. In a superceding indictment issued in November, 2020, the charges of mail and wire fraud conspiracy were added to the original charges of drug adulteration and misbranding. The maximum sentence for drug adulteration and misbranding is five years. The maximum sentence for wire and mail fraud is 20 years. Now facing a possible sentence of 25 years, the 65-year-old Servis may well spend the rest of his life in prison.

If he takes the case to trial, the government has no incentive to go easy on him. If he loses, he is going to go to prison for a long time. The 25 years, or something close to it, is a possibility. That's why he needs to cut a deal. Why not ask that the mail and wire fraud charges be dropped and agree to plead guilty to the drug adulteration and misbranding charges?

Yes, Servis is innocent until proven guilty. Yes, he is entitled to his day in court. But he's heading down a path that is no doubt going to dead-end in his being convicted. Does he not realize this? Did he, after so many years of allegedly doping horses and not getting caught, come to think he is a bulletproof? This is not going to end well for him.

Short Fields in Stakes Races

Six graded stakes races were conducted Saturday and four of them had five-horse fields. The other two were the GIII Peter Pan S., which featured eight runners, and the GIII Beaugay S., which had a field of seven. The average field size for the six races was 5.83.

The most glaring example was the GI Man o'War S. It had all the elements that normally attract decent sized fields. It's a Grade I, the purse is $700,000 and it's a grass race. Still, after a scratch, only five runners went to the post.

This is an on-going problem and it's getting worse all of the time. You're even seeing a race like the GI Apple Blossom H., worth $1 million, attract only five horses.

The foal crop keeps falling and the top horses have never raced more infrequently. But there's been no adjustment when it comes to stakes racing. We're left with a situation where there are too many stakes races and not enough horses to fill them. It might be a tough ask to ask tracks to eliminate a meaningful number of their stakes races, but that's exactly what needs to happen.

Alabama-Bred Siblings Duke It Out

You probably haven't been paying much attention to the Alabama breeding program, which has been hanging on by a thread since the Birmingham Turf Club closed years ago. But there still is such a thing as an Alabama-bred and with no racing in the state they occasionally show in special races carded just for them in Louisiana. That was the case Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, which produced a racing oddity. Three of the five starters in the $25,000 race were full-siblings. Two Mikes N Doc G, Liken It and Kellys the Boss are all by Doc N Bubba G out of the mare Ausbrook and were bred by Kent and Lisa Gremmels. They finished behind Foolish Steve (Mosquiot). Among the brothers and sisters, Two Mikes N Doc G fared best, finishing third.

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Harvey’s Lil Goil Holds Off European Import Lemista In Beaugay

Following a wildly successful sophomore campaign that saw her finish third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Harvey's Lil Goil made a successful return to the races on Saturday, holding off European import Lemista to take the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., by a half-length in her seasonal debut.

Winner of last year's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, Harvey's Lil Goil hadn't run since her surprise third-place finish in the 2020 edition of the Filly & Mare Turf in November at Keeneland, where she missed by just a neck to Audarya. As a 3-year-old, the daughter of American Pharoah also took the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs and finished second in the Dueling Ground Oaks at Kentucky Downs in a productive year that commenced on dirt for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Breaking from the rail in the Beaugay, run at 1 1/16 miles on Belmont's inner turf course, Harvey's Lil Goil was clearly fresh as she bounded out of the gate under Junior Alvarado, who reined her in to sit in second while longshot Platinum Paynter assumed control of the early lead and proceeded to set glacial splits of 26 seconds flat for the opening quarter-mile, 50.93 for the half, and 1:15.28 for three-quarters over the turf listed as good.

The tempo quickened appreciably as the compact field of six rounded the far turn, with the stalking Harvey's Lil Goil putting her neck in front of Platinum Paynter by the time they completed the bend, as Nay Lady Nay and Civil Union, fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, lined up to take their shots on the outside.

Lemista emerged from cover along the inside and threatened to spoil Harvey's Lil Goil's comeback party in the stretch. With an eighth of a mile to go Harvey's Lil Goil had inched away to establish a sizable advantage, but Lemista cut into that margin with every stride, making incremental progress throughout the final furlong before she ran out of ground late and had to settle for second behind her classy foe.

“There was a point around the half-mile pole where I checked to see where I was with my filly,” said Alvarado. “At that point, I figured out when I was going to pick it up. If I was going to be worried, it was going to be from someone from behind. This was a nice race for her comeback.

“She's one of those fillies that I've been waiting for this whole winter,” added the winning rider. “I'm glad she's back and that she pulled out the win today. I still feel that she wasn't 100 percent, but she was good enough to beat this group today. She's an awesome filly to have back again and I'm looking forward to this year with her.”

Owned by the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman, Harvey's Lil Goil notched her fifth win from 10 career starts, in the process bumping her bankroll over the $800,000 mark. She returned $4.30 on a $2 win wager as the favorite and completed the distance in 1:43.44, an effort that could set her up nicely for a prospective start in the Grade 2, $750,000 New York on the week of the Belmont Stakes, Mott said.

“It's the way we thought it would play out on paper,” said Mott. “The horse that was on the lead figured to be on the lead. When she felt those horses coming from behind her, she held them safe. It looked like she still had something in the tank.”

Making her North American debut for Brown and owner Peter Brant, Lemista ran lights-out in defeat as she nearly overcame a dawdling early pace beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. to add to her growing trophy case, which already includes a pair of graded wins in Ireland. She finished three lengths to the good of Platinum Paynter, who continued her good run on the NYRA circuit with another on-the-board finish at long odds, this time in a graded stake.

Platinum Paynter checked in a nose ahead of Nay Lady Nay on the wire, who was followed home by Civil Union and Thankful.

Claimed for just $12,500 last fall by trainer Juan Vazquez and owner Just In Time Racing, Platinum Paynter missed by a length when fourth in the Forever Together at 82-1 to close out her 2020 campaign at Aqueduct, then came back with a second-place finish at 21-1 in the Plenty of Grace on April 11 at the Big A before she outran her odds yet again in the Beaugay.

“She always tries hard,” said Luis Rodriguez Castro, jockey aboard Platinum Paynter. “We got a good second last time and now she finished third. I thought she did everything right. The other horses just fired up. I'm really happy with the way she ran. The trainer did a great job with her. She's running really well and I think she can win one of these races.”

Live racing continues Sunday at Belmont with a nine-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Gold Fever for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. First post is 1 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Versatile Harvey’s Lil Goil Tops Field Of Six In Beaugay

Multiple Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf participants will make their first respective starts of 2021, with Harvey's Lil Goil, Civil Union and Nay Lady Nay comprising a six-horse field in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay at Belmont Park.

The 44th running of the Beaugay, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares, will see Harvey's Lil Goil, the third-place finisher of the Breeders' Cup contest going 1 3/16 miles on the Keeneland turf in November, make her 4-year-old debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Owned by the Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman, the daughter of 2015 Triple Crown-winning Hall of Famer American Pharoah won a pair of graded stakes in her sophomore campaign, capturing the Grade 3 Regret in June at Churchill Downs going 1 1/8 miles in just her second career turf start.

Next-out, Mott returned her to the main track, where she had run her three previous starts [including a win the Busanda in February 2020 at Aqueduct Racetrack], and she ran third in the Grade 1 Alabama in August at Saratoga Race Course.

The versatile Harvey's Lil Goil was then switched back to grass, where she found a comfort zone in running second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks in September at Kentucky Downs before besting next-out winner Micheline to win the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland. That preceded her Breeders' Cup effort, where she ran just a neck and a head behind the winner Audarya and runner-up Rushing Fall in a blanket finish, registering a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mott said her success on both surfaces keeps options open, though a strong Beaugay effort could facilitate a start in the Grade 2, $750,000 New York going 1 1/4 miles on the turf on June 4.

“She's been doing fine. We're happy with her,” Mott said. “Interestingly enough, we think she's one that can do both. First things first, if she runs well in the Beaugay we could come back in the New York.”

Junior Alvarado, aboard for the Breeders' Cup effort, will have the return call from the inside post.

Allen Stable's Civil Union is also making her way back to the track after a successful 2020 that saw her win 4-of-6 starts, with all victories coming consecutively. Civil Union posted back-to-back graded scores, with a one-length win in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Glens Falls in September at Saratoga and the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Flower Bowl in October at Belmont.

In nine career starts, Civil Union has never posted a Beyer Figure that was less than her previous start, commencing with a 78 for her first-out win in August 2018 and culminating with a personal-best 99 for a competitive fifth-place effort in Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Civil Union, who had been training at Payson Park in Florida, shipped to Belmont and recorded two works. The 6-year-old War Front mare first worked four furlongs on the main track on April 18 and then posted a half-mile breeze in 47.88 seconds on the inner turf course on Sunday.
“She's been doing real good and we're excited to get her out there,” McGaughey said. “I think she likes Belmont. The distance, going a mile and a sixteenth, might not be the perfect spot, but we just need to get her going.”

Joel Rosario will ride from post 5.

Nay Lady Nay will be making her first start at Belmont since running third in the Flower Bowl in October. After running eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the Irish-bred 5-year-old will look to record a fourth consecutive Beaugay victory for trainer Chad Brown, who won the 2018-20 editions with A Raving Beauty, Homerique and Rushing Fall. Brown has won this race four times in total, starting with Waterway Run in 2014.

Nay Lady Nay won the Grade 3 Matchmaker going 1 1/8 miles in July at Monmouth Park, adding to her first graded stakes score in the 2019 Grade 2 Mrs. Revere.

“She certainly seems like she's training well,” Brown said of her recent works at Belmont including a five-furlong breeze Sunday in 1:02.54 over the inner turf.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons from post 3.

Peter Brant's Lemista a dual group stakes-winner in her native Ireland will be making her North American debut after winning four of seven races for previous trainer G.M. Lyons. Brown has taken over the conditioning responsibilities for the 4-year-old Raven's Pass filly, who spent the winter training at Payson Park before shipping to New York and working twice at Belmont in preparation for her first start since September.

“She wouldn't mind some cut in the ground,” Brown said. “She shows some turn-of-foot during her training in the morning. We're really just excited to get the season underway.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 2.

Bass Stables' Thankful will be trying a surface change after going 3-1-1 in eight main track starts in her career. Trained by newly named Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Thankful started her 4-year-old campaign strong with a win in the Ladies Handicap going 1 1/8 miles over the Aqueduct main track before finishing out of the money in the Heavenly Prize and the Top Flight Invitational.

Luis Saez will have the call in Thankful's turf debut, departing from post 6.

Just In Time Racing's Platinum Paynter, second last out in the one-mile Plenty of Grace over the Aqueduct turf on April 11, will make her first start at Belmont for trainer Juan Vazquez. Luis Rodriguez Castro will ride from post 4.

The Beaugay, listed as Race 6 on the 11-race card, is one of five graded stakes on the Saturday program. The day will be highlighted by the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o' War for 4-year-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles on the turf; the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan for sophomores going 1 1/8 miles in a prep race for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes; the Grade 3, $150,000 Runhappy for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy for older fillies and mares competing at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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