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A Look At Seth Fishman’s Client Lists

The Paulick Report, along with other industry publications, has acquired copies of two documents presented during the recently-concluded trial of former veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman which prosecutors say contain lists of clients from Fishman's Equestology business.

Fishman was convicted this week of two counts of conspiring to violate adulteration and misbranding laws and the manufacture of performance-enhancing drugs intended for use in racehorses.

The documents list clients by last name. One is limited to those with New York addresses. (Fishman's trial was held in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.) The other is alphabetized by last name and includes zip codes from a variety of states and a few Canadian postal codes. Street addresses and cities have been redacted, with zip code and state data remaining.

The list includes a number of people who were also indicted in March 2020 for their roles in what prosecutors say was a widespread network of drug suppliers, distributors and end users using adulterated and misbranded products to dope Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. Thomas Guido/Guido Stable, Ross Cohen, Carl Garofalo, Tony Poliseno, Rene Allard, and Richard Banca are all on the list.

Garofalo entered a guilty plea in June 2021 to one count of adulteration and misbranding and was ordered to forfeit $6.7 million. He has yet to be sentenced. The other defendants have pleaded not guilty.

A number of harness trainers and stable names appear on the list, as do the names of several veterinarians, and a few Thoroughbred racing connections.

Jeff Gural, owner of the Meadowlands, indicated to the Paulick Report he is making inquiries with each harness trainer on the list to find out what specifically they were purchasing from Fishman and when.

“Everyone told me I was wasting my time and money trying to clean [racing] up so I just assume everyone thought it was business as usual and there was no risk,” Gural wrote in an email. “Obviously, they were wrong.”

The dates on the lists indicate they were pulled in February 2020, but it's not clear whether they are limited to client accounts that were active or contained historical data. The lists also do not indicate what the clients were purchasing or whether they were the end users of the products. While prosecutors say Fishman was not actively practicing veterinary medicine, he was licensed as a vet and could have provided legitimate, legal treatments in addition to or instead of the illegal products he was found guilty of making and distributing.

See the general list here.

See the New York-specific list here.

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Meadowlands Says It Won’t Scratch Adrienne Hall’s Horses

The Meadowlands released a statement late Thursday saying it will not scratch horses owned by Adrienne Hall, a harness owner and trainer who testified in federal court last week against Seth Fishman while admitting she used his performance-enhancing drugs on her horses.

Fishman was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of conspiring to violate adulteration and misbranding laws and the manufacture of PEDs administered to racehorses, and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The statement stands in contrast to the policy of the United States Trotting Association, which said Tuesday that her USTA membership had been revoked per Article 1, §4 of the Association bylaws. USTA membership is not required to be granted a Pari-Mutuel racing license in New Jersey, thus she remains eligible to race per the New Jersey Racing Commission.

“We disagree with the USTA decision and we applaud Ms. Hall for coming forward,” said Meadowlands president Jeff Gural. “To penalize those who testify for the prosecution will only serve to further the already existing notion that saying something will only lead to problems for yourself. It will discourage the type of participation necessary to convict the indicted persons, as Ms. Hall's testimony has helped on this case.

“The lack of action by the USTA during this five-year effort on our part to get rid of the cheats along with their continued opposition to the HISA [Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act] legislation which, with some changes, is our only hope of keeping the chemists out is dangerous to Harness Racing. We have received no support from USTA or any of their members in trying to eradicate the drugs and those who use them from racing.”

The post Meadowlands Says It Won’t Scratch Adrienne Hall’s Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Study: Racetrack Fatalities In Sweden, Norway Often Result Of Sudden Collapse

A new study reveals that the main cause of racetrack fatalities in horses racing in Norway and Sweden is sudden collapse, not catastrophic injury, as was previously suspected.

Dr. Ingunn Risnes Hellings and a research team looked at fatalities recorded by the Norwegian and Swedish Trotting Associations from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2019; 48 horses died during this period—38 Standardbreds and 10 Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotters. The scientists looked at breed, age, sex, frequency of starts, time of year, and racing distance in an attempt to identify risk factors. They also noted whether the horse competed in a trotting race under saddle or in harness.

Fatalities were included in the study if the horse was euthanized after becoming injured immediately before the race, during the race, or within an hour of racing.

The researchers found that 14.5 percent of fatalities were from traumatic or orthopedic injuries, while the rest were considered “sudden athletic death.” This is a distinct difference from the primary cause of racetrack fatalities in Thoroughbred racehorses, in which most suffer catastrophic orthopedic injuries. Sudden athletic death in Thoroughbreds occurs at a rate of between 9 and 19 percent.

The team also found:

A higher number of starts in the last 30 days increased risk of sudden death
30 horses died of acute circulatory collapse due to cardiac or pulmonary failure
10 horses died from hemorrhaging after blood vessel rupture
Seven of the 48 study horses were euthanized because of catastrophic injury
70 percent of the 40 horses in the sudden athletic death category had marked bleeding in the lungs
The rate of sudden athletic death was similar between both breeds

The scientists determined that the rate of catastrophic injury fatalities was comparatively low and that suspected or confirmed cardiopulmonary causes of death were similar to previous studies. They note that additional investigation into the pathologies causing the cardiopulmonary events is warranted.

Read the full study here.

Keeneland, Kentucky Downs Break Ground On Cumberland Run Harness Track

Bringing horse racing back to Eastern Kentucky took another step forward today with the groundbreaking for Cumberland Run harness track.

Cumberland Run and Cumberland Mint, a satellite historical horse racing venue in nearby Williamsburg, are a joint venture between Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone's ECL Racing Management and Keeneland Association. Winchell and Falcone are the majority owners and managing partners in Kentucky Downs and The Mint Gaming Hall in Franklin in south-central Kentucky between Bowling Green and Nashville.

Projections call for construction to be done in time for Cumberland Run to conduct its Oct. 16-Nov. 8 meet on the Corbin property at 75 Buchanan Blvd. off the Corbin Bypass. Combined investment in both enterprises will be about $80 million with more than 200 year-round jobs expected to be created.

“Cumberland Run and Cumberland Mint represent an $80 million investment in Kentucky's tourism and horseracing industries and serve as another example of how the economic momentum that we are experiencing is reaching every community in the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “These exciting new attractions will create good paying jobs for Kentuckians and attract new travel markets to Southeastern Kentucky.”

Gov. Beshear was joined by Senate President Robert Stivers, Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer and Rep. Tom O'Dell Smith for the ceremony signifying the start of construction that will provide the Commonwealth with a third Standardbred track.

“Harness racing has a long, storied history in Kentucky: Think Dan Patch, Greyhound and Niatross at Red Mile,” said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, whose district includes Corbin. “After being on the ropes, there has been a substantial rebound in the Standardbred industry. We added historical horse racing, a natural addition and attractive tourism draw to the Commonwealth, and Cumberland Run will be an important cog in getting a harness circuit back in Kentucky to revitalize the region.”

Cumberland Run will be the first horse track in Eastern Kentucky since Thunder Ridge, also a harness track, in Prestonsburg closed in 2017.

“Cumberland Run would not have become a reality without the leadership of our state and local officials,” Falcone said. “Our sincerest thanks to Gov. Beshear, President Stivers, Leader Thayer and Rep. Tom Smith for their strong support of this project and racing throughout the Commonwealth. We also are grateful for the guidance of Corbin Mayor Suzy Razmus, Knox County Judge-Executive Mike Mitchell and Economic Director Bruce Carpenter, without whom this project would not be possible.”

Last year, the Corbin dates were held at Red Mile harness track in Lexington with the meet funded by the new track's owners. Winchell said then that they wanted to show their commitment to harness racing and didn't want to sit out the year while the facility was being built. Now it's important for the 2022 meet to be in Corbin, he said.

“We want to bring these jobs and out-of-state tourism dollars to Corbin, Williamsburg and Southeastern Kentucky as soon as possible,” Winchell said. “We want Cumberland Run and Cumberland Mint to be economic engines for the tourism industry in Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties. While the region is well-known for its spectacular natural beauty, we think we'll fill an underserved need for additional year-round entertainment options during the day and into the night.”

Keeneland has worked to bring horse racing to Corbin for a decade, teaming with Winchell and Falcone in the project in September 2020.

“Keeneland is proud to work with Corbin and our friends at Kentucky Downs on the continued growth of racing in Kentucky,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are especially appreciative of the support shown by the local community. Cumberland Run, which has been several years in the making, will strengthen the horse industry, generate millions in tourism dollars for the region and create a destination that makes us all proud.”

Construction already has begun on the Williamsburg project, set to open in July.

“It's exciting times for the 86th district and Southern Kentucky,” said Rep. Tom O'Dell Smith, who represents Knox County. “I want to thank the Governor for his leadership in the Thoroughbred industry and look forward to the investment from Keeneland and Kentucky Downs of millions of dollars into our local area. Also, I want to thank Speaker David Osborne for sponsorship of the legislation and Senator Stivers' leadership that made this possible.”

Cumberland Run will feature a five-eighths mile limestone track, similar to that at Oak Grove Racing near Hopkinsville but with a longer stretch. There will be 150 historical horse racing terminals at Cumberland Run when that facility is completed, including a restaurant, targeted for January 2023. The Cumberland Mint is scheduled to have 450 historical horse racing machines.

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