Jason Servis | Horse Racing Free Tips

Op/Ed: A Critical Step Forward for the Sport

When 27 individuals were indicted in March by federal authorities for their alleged involvement in a wide-spread doping scheme the story was about more than Jason Servis or Jorge Navarro or the cocktails of performance-enhancing drugs they were charged with using on their horses. It was about a system that was so hopelessly broken and incapable of effectively policing the sport that it took the federal government to come in and do what racing had continually failed to do–take meaningful steps to clean up the game.

There had to be a better way.

Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, surrounded by industry leaders and Congressman Andy Barr, provided just that. The McConnell bill, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, may not be perfect, but is a vast improvement on what we have now. Passage of the bill would mean the dismantling of a system that involves 38 racing commissions, 38 sets of rules and a long history of getting nothing done and replace it with something that promises to combat the sport’s real problems.

“As I have said many times, this legislative effort is not about more regulation it is about creating a single nationwide set of rules that will result in smarter, more effective and streamlined regulation for the industry,” said Barr, whose district includes Lexington.

It was ironic that McConnell is now the white knight who has come in to save the sport from itself after it was long felt that he was the primary reason previous legislation, the Horseracing Integrity Act, seemed destined to go nowhere. The story was that Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) didn’t want that bill passed and McConnell had promised them to stand in its way. Yet, CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen was among those who spoke out at Keeneland Monday in favor of McConnell’s initiative.

It’s unclear why there was an apparent change of heart somewhere, but it doesn’t really matter. With McConnell behind what is bipartisan legislation and with Barr taking up the cause in the House of Representatives, this bill is likely to sail through. For that to happen would mark major, long overdo and very necessary change for an industry where nothing substantive ever seems to get accomplished.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and the creation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is about more than just doping. It recognizes the very important challenges that must be tackled when it comes to making the sport as safe as possible and keeping racing’s harshest critics off its back.

But it is the ugly issue of doping that this initiative holds the greatest promise. Servis, Navarro and others may be headed to prison and will likely never train a race horse again, but everyone knows that there are many bad apples still out there and that the FBI and Department of Justice will soon move on from horse racing and leave the job of regulating the sport to the racing commissions and the labs that never seem to catch anybody.

McConnell noted that he was moved to act after the Washington Post reacted to the indictments by running an editorial calling for the sport to be abolished. He understood the power of those words.

“When I saw in the Washington Post, of all places, an editorial saying Thoroughbred horse racing should be abolished, I gasped,” McConnell said. “When I got past the initial shock of it, I thought it might be a good time to talk to all the various players and see one more time if it were possible for all of us to get together.”

Under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, the job of catching the bad guys will be turned over to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Having, among other things, brought down Lance Armstrong, USADA has an impressive record of policing the sports that have called on the agency. USADA not only has a will to clean up the sport, it has more tools at its disposal than a state racing commission could ever have and promises to dramatically increase the number of out-of-competition tests that will be performed.

After the indictments were announced in March, USADA CEO Travis Tygart repeated what has become a familiar argument.

“With the horse racing industry at a crossroads, the right thing to do is to remove the fox from guarding the henhouse and ensure there is an independent anti-doping body in place to protect the integrity of the sport and the safety of the horses,” he said in a statement.

Monday’s announcement left many questions unanswered, most notably who will pay for the costs, which include USADA, that passage of the bill will involve. For now, we have to trust that racing’s stewards will be able to figure that out. And the sport still awaits an answer on whether or not this legislation might mean a complete ban of Lasix.

So far as the bigger picture goes, those are not major issues. This is about tearing down a system that has failed miserably and replacing it with something that promises to take the sport in another direction. Racing will never be perfect. Horses will always break down and have to be euthanized and you are never going to stop people from cheating. But racing can and must do better. Passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act is its best chance to do just that.

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The Week in Review: No More Doubts, Maximum Security is Back

When Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) had to fight his way to a narrow victory in the GII San Diego H., it was fair to question whether or not this was the same horse that had been so outstanding throughout his career for trainer Jason Servis. Yes, he won that day, but the dominance and brilliance he had shown on so many occasions for a trainer who was subsequently indicted for allegedly doping his horses was not there.

Then again, it seemed unwise to write him off after one race. His trip in the San Diego was not ideal as he broke on top, led and then was taken back off the pace to avoid a speed duel before coming on again in the stretch to narrowly prevail. It was also his first race in five months and trainer Bob Baffert said after the fact that he only had the horse 80% cranked up.

That’s what made Saturday’s GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar such an important race for Maximum Security, maybe even the most important race of his career. The race was all but certain to answer all the questions that had surrounded the horse over the last three weeks. A defeat or even a hard-pressed victory would be seen as proof positive that he wasn’t the same. An impressive win would be seen as affirmation that he’s just as good now for Baffert as he was for Servis. This time, there would be no gray area.

Maximum Security answered every question and quelled all the doubts. He went to the front, relaxed for jockey Abel Cedillo and drew off to win by three lengths in what was a markedly improved performance over the San Diego. It wasn’t exactly the toughest field he has ever faced, but that didn’t matter. He went out there and left no doubt that no matter who trains him this is a very good horse. The Maximum Security who won the $20-million Saudi Cup, the GI Cigar Mile H., the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S., the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby and crossed the wire first in the GI Kentucky Derby was back.

“I felt pretty good about him,” Baffert said Sunday. “It was a challenge but I knew down deep that he is a race horse, that he is a good horse. I was never worried that he wasn’t going to run because he needed certain medications. When I got him I knew he was a runner.”

Baffert said he saw noticeable improvement in Maximum Security from his prep for the Pacific Classic and the Pacific Classic itself.

“The San Diego woke him up and he was training great,” he said. “We figured him out. I knew going in that he was going to run a big race and that he was the best horse. When I got him he was a very sound, healthy horse and he still is. Unfortunately, he’s been through a lot.”

Baffert’s job from here is to continue to get the best out of Maximum Security through what will be his final year of racing. The major goal, of course, will be the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic and Baffert said he may have one more start between then and now. He’s predicting that Maximum Security will only get better.

“I can see that he is going to get stronger and stronger and better and better and by the Breeders’ Cup he should be doing great,” the trainer said.

Especially when considering the abilities of potential rivals like Tiz the Law (Constitution), Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike) and Improbable (City Zip), Maximum Security will have to bring his A game in order to win. That shouldn’t be a problem. The A game is back.

Gmax, It’s Not Just the Turf

Equibase announced last week that the Gmax system will no longer be used on turf races at Del Mar during the summer meet. Instead, they will be hand timed. While admitting there was a problem timing the turf races, they maintained that everything is going just fine when it comes to dirt races.

“The times produced by the Equibase GPS System for dirt races have proven to be highly accurate and will continue to be provided,” read a statement from Equibase.

Huh?

On one weekend alone at Del Mar, the Gmax system failed badly when it comes to recording dirt times. On the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2, there were six dirt races in which changes had to be made after the original time was posted on the infield board when the horses crossed the wire. The list includes the GI Bing Crosby S. Based on those races alone, how can Equibase claim that the system is “highly accurate?”

Perhaps the problems are worse on the turf, but they have also been cropping up in dirt races and it’s hard to believe that the problems have been limited to Aug. 1 and 2.

For the most part, Equibase has been reluctant to admit that there are any serious problems when it comes to the Gmax system, which relies on GPS technology. But there’s more than enough evidence out there to conclude that Gmax has plenty of bugs and, in its current state, is an inferior way of timing races when compared to the teletimer system. Equibase should not be satisfied with a system that gets it right most of time.

Equibase argues that Gmax is more than a timing system, that it can provide ample benefits for the industry, everything from timing workouts to creating slick looking graphics packages. But to the people whose bets provide the revenue structure that drives the sport, all that really matters is accurate times. Surely, Equibase and its parent company the Jockey Club, must understand that.

The solution to this problem seems obvious. Equibase doesn’t have to throw its own product under the bus, but it should acknowledge that there are problems with Gmax. Do that and then go back to the teletimer system at the Gmax tracks with a promise that the GPS technology won’t be put back in until its flaws can be fixed. At the same time, continue to use Gmax for all else that it does. Just not to time races.

In New Jersey, No Transparency

Not everyone agreed with NYRA’s decision to let trainer Wayne Potts race at Saratoga on Sunday, but everyone should applaud them for how they handled the situation. Transparency matters, and they get that.

Potts was the subject of a recent story in the Paulick Report, which reported that he had been told to leave Laurel because of allegations that he was acting as a front for trainer Marcus Vitali.

NYRA got ahead of the story and released a statement that explained why Potts was allowed to race there. It was explained that since no regulatory body had taken action against Potts and since he was licensed in New York, NYRA did not feel there were any grounds for not allowing him to run.

Compare that to how New Jersey handled the same situation. On the same day that Potts competed at Saratoga and won with his lone starter on the card, he had two horses in on the program at Monmouth. One was scratched and one was not. Why was that the case and was Monmouth taking any action against Potts?

That question was directed by the TDN to steward Steve Pagano, who politely explained that the Monmouth stewards are not allowed to talk to the press. Pagano supplied a number for the New Jersey Racing Commission. Calls were made to that number but no one there even answered the phone.

Potts started one horse per day on both Saturday and Sunday at Monmouth, so he obviously hasn’t been banned there, but the public has every right to know just what his status is and why one of his horses was scratched on Friday. Muzzling the stewards is ridiculous.

This is the same racing commission that can’t get it right when it comes to paying out purses at Monmouth. The payments have been on hold for a month and a half while waiting for Truesdail Laboratories to report back to the commission on the drug tests that have been administered.

The New Jersey Racing Commission needs to do a better job.

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Maximum Security Proves Best In Pacific Classic

There was no drama this time for Maximum Security, the 2019 champion 3-year-old male who's been in the headlines more than once for all the wrong reasons.

Under Abel Cedillo and making his second start for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Gary and Mary West and the Coolmore partners' 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day took an early lead in the Grade 1, $500,000 Pacific Classic and never looked back, winning by three lengths over Sharp Samurai, who dogged him throughout the 1 1/4-mile contest.

Midcourt, the John Shirreffs-trained gelding who nearly upset Maximum Security in the G2 San Diego Handicap last out, finished third. Defending champion Higher Power was fourth, with Argentine runner Mirinaque fifth and Dark Vader last in the field of six older runners.

Maximum Security was the 2-5 favorite and covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.24 after setting fractions of :23.92, :47.98, 1:12.37 and 1:36.50.

The victory in the “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race earned Maximum Security an automatic, fees-paid berth for the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

This was the 10th time in 12 career starts that Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in a race. However, he suffered the indignity of being the first horse to be disqualified from an apparent victory for interference in the G1 Kentucky Derby in 2019. Then, earlier this year, Maximum Security finished first in the inaugural running of the $20-million Saudi Cup, but the winner's share of the purse has been held up after his previous trainer, Jason Servis, was arrested on federal charges of misbranding of drugs as part of an FBI probe into doping of racehorses.

One of the allegations against Servis is that he illegally gave Maximum Security a compounded substance prior to a race at New Jersey's Monmouth Park in 2019. Servis has pleaded not guilty in federal court.

“I've got tears in my eyes; I'm so happy,” said Gary West. “He looked so comfortable out there. There were a lot of good horses in that race, especially last year's winner (Higher Power). Sharp Samurai stuck with us. But we were best. I'm really proud of him.”

Unlike the San Diego Handicap, when Cedillo got into a tight spot early with Maximum Security, the Pacific Classic was smooth as silk. He glided to the early lead, maintained a half-length advantage over Sharp Samurai for the opening mile, then gradually pulled away down the stretch under intermittent urging. Higher Power tried to challenge the top pair in the run down the backstretch under Flavien Prat but could never get closer than a length behind the eventual winner.

Midcourt, who set the pace in the San Diego only to lose by a nose, was pocketed behind the top pair along the rail for much of the way but was never able to mount a serious rally, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Sharp Samurai.

“Bob told me to keep him off the rail,” said Cedillo, “because the speed was inside. If someone wanted to run up inside of us, I would have let them. He just galloped around the track. … He still had a little left at the end. I have to say this is probably the best horse I've ever ridden.”

“We mapped it out that he's the quickest horse,” Baffert said, “he's ready now and you can ride him with a lot more confidence. Once he took the lead I figured he'd be fine. I just didn't want any quarters in 22 (seconds). 'Max' was relaxing really nice. He was a totally different horse today. (Cedillo) got to know 'Max' last time and I'm happy for him. (Maximum Security) just does things effortlessly. He wasn't even blowing when he came back. I'm just so happy for this horse. It's not his fault what he went through. Today he showed that he is a great horse.”

The victory was Baffert's sixth in the Pacific Classic, putting him on even terms with the late Hall of Famer, Robert Frankel. The Pacific Classic was first run in 1991.

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‘Max’ Back On Big Stage in Pacific Classic

The last time Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) traveled 10 furlongs, he crossed the wire first before the disqualification heard around the world in the GI Kentucky Derby. A ton has happened with the colt in the year-and-change since then: an Eclipse championship, a buy-in from Coolmore, a trip across the world to win the G1 Saudi Cup, doping allegations, a barn switch. Through it all, the horse who controversy seems to follow like a shadow will return to 1 1/4 miles and Grade I company with questions to answer in Saturday’s GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

Following his Derby demotion with a runner-up effort at 1-20 in last summer’s TVG.com Pegasus S. at Monmouth, the bay found redemption by annexing the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. on the Jersey Shore. After being forced to miss several months with a minor injury, he scored victories in the GIII Bold Ruler H. and GI Cigar Mile H. to wrap up his divisional title.

Just nine days after he notched a hard-fought triumph in the inaugural Saudi Cup in his 4-year-old debut, Maximum Security’s trainer Jason Servis was indicted by federal prosecutors for alleged doping of horses including Maximum Security himself, prompting a move to the Bob Baffert barn. Making his much-anticipated return in the July 25 GII San Diego H., he ground out a nose victory at 2-5, the 10th time in 11 career races he crossed the wire first, earning a 101 Beyer, 10 points shy of his top effort.

C R K Stable’s Midcourt (Midnight Lute), who nearly dueled Maximum Security into defeat, returns to take another crack at the champion. Lightly raced at five years old, the gelding reeled off four straight victories last year culminating in a 5 3/4-length conquest of the GIII Native Diver S. at this oval in November and picked up another open-length graded tally in the GII San Pasqual S. two starts later Feb. 1 at Santa Anita. A narrow third in the GI Santa Anita H., his initial 10-furlong try, Mar. 7, he bounced back from a badly-beaten fifth in the GI Gold Cup S. June 6 in Arcadia to stretch Maximum Security all the way to the wire in the San Diego.

Hronis Racing’s Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro), a surprise runaway winner of last year’s Pacific Classic, tries to recapture that top form. Going turf to dirt for a 5 1/2-length score in the Del Mar meet centerpiece, the bay failed to build on that run when a distant third in both the GI Awesome Again S. and GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic before finishing last as the favorite in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Bouncing back a bit to be runner-up in the Gold Cup, he proved no match for the top pair in the San Diego, finishing 6 1/4 lengths back in third.

Sharp Samurai (First Samurai), a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, will make his first dirt start since running sixth in a Santa Anita optional claimer in March of 2017. He was last seen finishing a close runner-up in the GII Eddie Read S. on the local lawn July 26.

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