If HISA Goes, Honest Horsemen Will Be The Losers

The National HBPA and its affiliates got their wish Friday. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is unconstitutional. As a result, HISA is on life support and very well could be finished. Within hours of the decision being announced, the National HBPA was taking a victory lap, declaring that this was a win for horsemen across the country.

“Today's ruling shows the HISA regulations are not in the best interest of thoroughbred racing's participants and, as Judge Doughty noted, will cause harm to the participants,” National HBPA CEO Eric Hambelback said in a statement.

That's what Hamelback and anti-HISA forces have been saying all along, while never really clarifying what potential harm would be caused by HISA. They fail to acknowledge that horse racing has a serious integrity problem and the cheaters are winning. HISA is designed not to hurt horsemen, but to rid the sport of its worst actors and in the process protect the overwhelming majority of owners and trainers who play by the rules.

Have we learned nothing from the FBI investigation and the subsequent arrests of Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and more than two dozen others?  According to the indictments, Servis and Navarro gave virtually every horse in their barns performance-enhancing drugs and did so for years. They won with 30% of their starters not because they were superior horsemen but because they, allegedly, had potent drugs at their disposal.

Servis and Navarro operated under a system where state racing commissions were in charge. They were never caught and never were going to be. It's been proven that the racing commissions do an inadequate job and are helpless to catch the bad guys. That's because with most, the primary tool at their disposal is post-race drug tests. The same tests that never come up with anything more serious than overages of therapeutic medications. With hundreds of undetectable drugs available, it's far too easy to beat the system. Yet, the National HBPA is essentially saying they are fine with the status quo.

HISA was set to replace the old system with a new one under the watch of the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit, which was going to go well beyond drug testing and have some actual teeth. The plan includes working with 5 Stones Intelligence, which played a large role in the investigation that caught Servis and Navarro.

“The Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit is also building their own internal capability, their own internal investigations team, which is very strong and is going to include some well-known and well-established faces,” HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said. “I think probably why you ask the question, and it really resonates with me, is that you want to know if the new program is going to be very much intelligence and investigations based. It's not going to be based solely on conducting a whole lot of tests. If you look at all the top-end programs in the world, equine and otherwise, you'll see that the successful ones that really deliver integrity to their sports rely heavily on investigations. That's great. What 5 Stones has uncovered over the past couple of years has really changed this industry for the better. They truly have. They have certainly done a terrific job and we're lucky to have them as part of the sport.”

If HISA can't find a way to reverse the decision that declared it unconstitutional, we will go back to the old way of doing things, with state racing commissions leading the way while failing to do job of adequately policing the sport.

HISA was never going to wipe out all cheating in the sport, but it represented a huge step in the right direction and was sure to make it a lot tougher to break the rules. HISA was going to look out for the same people, HBPA members, who were robbed of purse money every time Jorge Navarro won a race, cheating hundreds of owners and trainers. Who's looking out for them now?

“It is the duty of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to protect horsemen across the country and that is not a responsibility I take lightly,” Hamelback said after the court decision.

He's right. But that means doing everything possible to ensure there is a level playing field and that HBPA members who play by the rules are never at a competitive disadvantage. That should be priority No. 1. If the National HBPA truly wanted to “protect horsemen across the country” then it would be backing HISA, not trying to undermine it.

Why Flightline Has My Horse of the Year Vote

Turf writer Gary West sent in a blistering letter to the editor to the TDN last week in which he wrote that he would not vote for Flightline (Tapit) for Horse of the Year because he did not want to reward his owners after they had retired him after just six career starts.

He wrote: “Whenever owners yield to avarice and whenever they focus on the sales ring rather than the racetrack, the sport shrinks a little more. And horse racing will continue to shrink into insignificance if its leaders, or so-called leaders, will not sacrifice their personal interests for the sport's good. That's why I cannot and will not vote for Flightline.”

West makes a valid point and the rush to retire racing's stars is bad for the sport. That means you can be unhappy with the ownership group but not that you should penalize the horse.

Though he raced just three times during the year, Flightline's accomplishments embody what it means to be the Horse of the Year. He was brilliant and dominating and he captivated the sport like no horse has done since Secretariat. As most would have done if they were in the same position, the owners opted to cash in on the millions coming their way from a stallion career. That's a shame but it is also the reality of what horse racing has become in the modern era. And it takes nothing away from what Flightline accomplished. He will be a very deserving Horse of the Year.

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Giannelli Gets Three and a Half Years in Prison

Lisa Giannelli was sentenced Sept. 8 to 3 1/2 years in prison as part of the federal government's sweeping investigation into horse doping at race tracks across the country.

Giannelli, 56, was found guilty of peddling illegal performance-enhancing drugs to trainers to dope horses and faced a maximum of five years in prison. Her lawyers appealed for a no-jail sentence of probation.

“This was not a one-time thing,” Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said in U.S. District Court in New York. “For 18 years, Ms. Giannelli marketed and sold what she knew were illegal and powerful performance-enhancing drugs.”

Vyskocil said that with its verdict, the jury had rejected Giannelli's argument that she didn't know that what she was doing was illegal when she worked for Equestology, a Florida company owned by veterinarian Seth Fishman.

Giannelli, of Dalton, DE, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release after she gets out of prison. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 and to forfeit $900,000.

The government's investigation into the illegal use of PEDs to dope horses led to charges against 31 individuals. Since the charges were announced 30 months ago, Giannelli and Fishman have been convicted by juries, and 22 others have pleaded guilty. Fishman was sentenced in July to an 11-year prison sentence.

Those who have pleaded guilty include trainer Jorge Navarro. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Trainer Jason Servis was also charged and is awaiting a trial scheduled to begin in New York in January.

Prosecutors said Fishman had designed PED to increase a horse's performance and endurance by building red blood cells and masking pain. The substances were designed to avoid showing up in post-race tests conducted by racing regulators.

At the sentencing, Prosecutor Sarah Mortazavi said Giannelli's actions on behalf of Fishman's company warranted the maximum sentence.

“Her criminal conduct touched hundreds of trainers and led to the doping of thousands of horses,” she said.

She said Giannelli has yet to really accept responsibility for her actions and that it was only after the jury's verdict that Giannell offered a “mealy-mouthed explanation for her conduct.”

Giannelli came to court with 13 supporters. Among them was a man she married while under indictment and his mother.

“It was never my intention to break the law,” Giannelli said.

She said that her arrest and conviction have left her life shattered.

“It was never my intention to hurt anyone or to hurt any animal,” Giannelli said. “Everything in my world now is upside down.”

“At this point I wish I had never met Fishman,” she said.

“I thought I was doing good,” she added. “I never knew it was not legal.”

Defense lawyers pleaded for a sentence of probation in court papers that detailed Giannelli's troubled upbringing and her abusive relationships with men. She said she obtained a license to train horses at harness tracks. She said she met Fishman in 2004 and became his sales representative.

Lawyer Alex Huot said Giannelli was not doing anything she wasn't instructed to do by the doctor.

“She took Dr. Fishman at his word,” Huot said.

But Vyskocil told Giannelli she should have known better because the conduct she engaged in occurred when she was an adult.

The judge said Equestology's PEDs were powerful substances that she believed could have and did kill horses.

Vyskocil said that in fashioning her sentence took into account Giannelli's background, her character, and more than 50 letters from Giannelli's family and friends.

“The letters all reflect that you are a kind person, and have a passion to make things better,” the judge said.

At the end, she told Giannelli that she was sorry for her, for the situation that brought her to court.

“I do believe you are a good person,” the judge said. “You have your whole life ahead of you.”

Giannelli's surrender date is Jan. 9, 2023.

The Thoroughbred industry's leading publications are working together to cover this key trial.

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Weekly Rulings: Aug. 8-14

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.California
Track: Del Mar
Date: 08/11/2022
Licensee:  Derrick Brown, owner
Penalty: Suspension
Violation: Financial responsibility
Explainer: Owner Derrick Brown having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards at Del Mar Race Track on August 7, 2022, is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear) pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility – $1,474.00 to KC Horse Transport). Suspension to commence on August 18, 2022. During the term of this suspension, all licenses and license privileges of DERRICK BROWN are suspended and pursuit to California Horse Racing Board rule #1528 (Jurisdiction of Stewards), subject is denied access to all premises in this jurisdiction.Track: Del Mar
Date: 08/11/2022
Licensee:  Joe Bravo, jockey
Penalty:  One-day suspension, $876 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: Having violated the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2280 (Use of Riding Crop) and pursuant to Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2282 (Riding Crop Violations and Penalties – Class 3), Jockey Joe Bravo, who rode CABO SPIRIT in the fifth race (La Jolla Handicap) at Del Mar Race Track Aug. 7, is suspended for one (1) day (Aug. 18), and fined $876.00 for two (2) strikes over the limit. Furthermore, Jockey Joe Bravo is assigned three (3) violation points that will be expunged on February 11, 2023, six (6) months from the date of final adjudication pursuant to Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2282 (Riding Crop Violations and Penalties). Pursuant to California Horse Racing Board rule #1766 (Designated Races), the term of suspension shall not prohibit participation in designated races.

Track: Del Mar
Date: 08/12/2022
Licensee: Tyler Baze, jockey
Penalty: $1,000 fine
Violation: Failure to fulfil jockey agreement
Explainer: Jockey Tyler Baze who was scheduled to ride six races on August 11, 2022 at Del Mar Race Track is fined $1,000.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1872 (Failure to Fulfill Jockey Agreement).

Track: Del Mar
Date: 08/13/2022
Licensee:  Abdul Alsagoor, jockey
Penalty: Two-day suspension, $250 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: Having violated the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2280 (Use of Riding Crop) and pursuant to Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2282 (Riding Crop Violations and Penalties – Class 3), Apprentice Jockey Abdul Alsagoor, who rode I'M NO BALLERINA in the fifth race at Del Mar Racetrack Aug. 12, is suspended for TWO (2) days (Aug. 20 & 21, 2022), and fined $250.00 for one (1) strike over the limit and using the crop persistently even though the horse is not responding.
Furthermore, Apprentice Jockey Abdul Alsagoor is assigned three (3) violation points that will be expunged Feb. 13, 2023, six (6) months from the date of final adjudication pursuant to Horseracing Integrity and Safety AuthorityRule #2282 (Riding Crop Violations and Penalties- second offense since July 3, 2022). Pursuant to California Horse Racing Board rule #1766 (Designated Races), the term of suspension shall not prohibit participation in designated races.

Florida
The following were only recently posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International's “Recent Rulings” website and are not timely.

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 07/12/2022
Licensee: Jose Francisco D'Angelo
Penalty: $1,000 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: STEWARD'S RULING FINAL ORDER # 2022-001835 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = DRUG: 5-HYDROXYDANTROLENE. “BRODY'S HONOR” 7/29/2022 – $1000 FINE PAID TO GULFSTREAM PARK BOARD OF RELIEF.

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 06/30/2022
Licensee: Jorge Navarro, trainer
Penalty: License revocation
Violation: Trainer responsibility
Explainer: STIPULATION AND CONSENT ORDER # 2018-011133 – F.A.C. RULE 61D-2.023(7)(C) VIOLATION = FAILURE TO TIMELY NOTIFY THE DIVISION OF THE DEATH OF A RACEHORSE. LICENSE REVOKED AND INELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR LICENSE FOR 3 YEARS. “SISTINE SISTA”

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 05/31/2022
Licensee: Larry Rivelli, trainer
Penalty: $100 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: STEWARD'S RULING FINAL ORDER # 2022-012195 – F.S. 550.2415 VIOLATION = XYLAZINE. $100 FINE IMPOSED AND PAYABLE TO THE GSP/BOR. “SENOR JOBIM”

New York
Track: Saratoga
Date: 08/10/2022
Licensee: Javier Castellano, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey Mr. Javier Castellano is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days, this for careless riding during the running of the eight race Aug. 3, having appealed a stay has been granted.

Track: Saratoga
Date: 08/10/2022
Licensee: Trevor McCarthy, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: Jockey Mr. Trevor McCarthy is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days. This for careless riding during the twelfth race at Saratoga Racecourse on Aug. 6, having appealed a stay has been granted.

Track: Saratoga
Date: 08/12/2022
Licensee: Dylan Davis, jockey
Penalty: Nine-day suspension
Violation: Careless riding
Explainer: For having waived his right to appeal Jockey Mr. Dylan Davis is hereby suspended seven (7) NYRA racing days. Effective Aug, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, inclusive. This for careless riding during the running of the 7th race at Saratoga Racecourse on Aug. 10.

Kentucky
Track: Ellis Park
Date: 08/07/2022
Licensee: Norman Cash, trainer and owner
Penalty: Forty-five day suspension, $500 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Upon receipt of notification from Industrial Laboratories, the official testing laboratory for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and confirmed at Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, sample number E496505 taken from Matt's Honey, who finished third in the third race at Churchill Downs Nov. 5, 2021 contained D-Methamphetamine in blood (Class A). After a formal hearing before the Board of Stewards and after consideration of testimony and evidence presented, Norman Cash is hereby suspended 45 days and fined $500. Twenty days are to be served Aug. 27, 2022, through Sept. 15, 2022 (inclusive). The remaining 25 days are stayed on condition no Class A or Class B medication violations occur in any racing jurisdiction within 365 days from the date of this ruling.

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

Note: While HISA has shared these rulings over the past week, some of them originate from prior weeks.

Violations of Crop Rule
Gulfstream Park
Edgar Perez – ruling date August 7, 2022
Edgar Perez – ruling date August 13, 2022

Arapahoe
Adrian Ramos – ruling date August 14, 2022

California State Fair
Elvin Roman – ruling date July 24, 2022

Penn National
Ricardo Chiappe – ruling date August 11, 2022
Pedro Requena – ruling date August 12, 2022

Ellis Park
Martin Garcia – ruling date August 7, 2022

Arizona Downs
Francisco Garla – ruling date August 8, 2022
Devon Ellis – ruling date August 6, 2022

Evangeline Downs
Louis Stokes – ruling date August 11, 2022

Delaware Park
Augusto Marin – ruling date August 6, 2022
John Bisono – ruling date August 9, 2022
John Bisono – ruling date August 12, 2022
Carol Cedeno – ruling date August 12, 2022
Xavier Perez – ruling date August 12, 2022
Everton Smith – ruling date August 12, 2022

Prairie Meadows
Glenn Corbett – ruling date August 12, 2022
Glenn Corbett – ruling date August 12, 2022
Wilmer Garcia – ruling date August 13, 2022
Kevin Roman – ruling date August 13, 2022

Albuquerque Downs (New Mexico)
Oscar Cebollas – ruling date August 10, 2022
Kelsi Purcell – ruling date August 10, 2022
Luis Ramon Rodriguez – ruling date August 10, 2022

Mountaineer Park
Eric Barbaran – ruling date August 6, 2022
Andrew Ramgeet – ruling date August 7, 2022
Luciano Hernandez – ruling date August 8, 2022
Luciano Hernandez – ruling date August 14, 2022
Marco Camaque – ruling date August 14, 2022
Alex Gonzalez – ruling date August 14, 2022

Horseshoe Indianapolis
Santo Sanjur – ruling date August 9, 2022
(NOTE: This marks Sanjur's 4th ruling, resulting in an accumulation of 12 points and a 7-day suspension)
Marcelino Pedroza – ruling date August 9, 2022
Edgar Morales – ruling date August 10, 2022

Saratoga
Kendrick Carmouche – ruling date August 12, 2022
Jose Gomez – ruling date August 12, 2022
Nazario Alvarado – ruling date August 13, 2022
Nazario Alvarado – ruling date August 13, 2022
Luis Cardenas – ruling date August 13, 2022
Luis Cardenas – ruling date August 14, 2022
Dylan Davis – ruling date August 14, 2022

Violations of Horseshoe Rule
Saratoga
Empress Isabel – ruling date August 7, 2022

Violations Involving Forfeiture of Purse
Delaware Park: John Marceda – owner – purse redistribution (owner of horse ridden by Augusto Marin)
Delaware Park: Augusto Marin – 10 strikes – $500 fine, three-day suspension, five points, purse redistribution (jockey of horse owned by John Marceda)
Delaware Park: John Bisono – t10 strikes – $500 fine; three-day suspension; five points, horse disqualified from third-place purse (jockey of horse owned by Everton Smith)
Delaware Park: Everton Smith – 10 strikes – Redistribute purse money from third place purse (owner of horse ridden by John Bisono)
Appeal Request Updates

Delaware Park:
Owner John A. Marceda
Crop rule violation August 6, 2022
Appeal for purse disqualification
Appeal filed August 9, 2022

Gulfstream Park:
Ailsa Morrison
Crop rule violation July 29, 2022
Appeal filed August 9, 2022

Gulfstream Park:
Edwin Gonzalez
Crop rule violation July 31, 2022
Appeal filed August 9, 2022

Gulfstream Park: Alisa Morrison
Crop rule violation July 29, 2022
Appeal filed August 9, 2022
Stay granted August 12, 2022

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Taking Stock: Sharp as a Tack

Pan the camera away from Saratoga and Del Mar, where the glamorous juveniles debut one after another, and focus for a moment on two lower-profile tracks that hosted two eye-popping performances this weekend.

On Saturday at Prairie Meadows, Tyler's Tribe, a 2-year-old Iowa-bred gelding by Sharp Azteca (Freud), won the 5 1/2-furlong Iowa Stallion Futurity by 12 1/2 lengths in 1:04:18 to remain undefeated in three starts. He earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure–you read that correctly–for the easy score. It wasn't a fluke, either, because in his previous start Tyler's Tribe won the Prairie Gold Juvenile S. at the same track and distance by 8 1/2 lengths in 1:03.64, earning an 86 Beyer.

Now shift to Monmouth, where the 2-year-old colt Sharp Aza Tack, also by Sharp Azteca, won the 5-furlong Tyro S. Saturday on turf by 7 1/2 lengths in :55.71, his second win in as many starts. He was given an 85 Beyer.

Those speed figures are amongst the highest earned by juveniles males this year, and they were delivered by two first-crop runners of a stallion who started off for $10,000 at Three Chimneys but is surprisingly among the leading freshman sires and is as sharp as a tack on the lesser circuits.

Through Monday, Coolmore America's Justify (Scat Daddy) led all first-crop sires by progeny earnings with $558,021. The Triple Crown winner was unraced at two but is already represented by two group/graded winners, both fillies, one in Europe and the other at Saratoga. At Del Mar Sunday, another promising filly, Justique, won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special in her first start by going from last to first in a visually stunning race, and she was promptly named a 'TDN Rising Star.' A $725,000 Keeneland September purchase, Justique was given a 72 Beyer for her win. Her sire stood for $150,000 in his first year at stud and obviously attracted some of the best mares around. Justique, for example, is a half-sister to Grade l winner Mo Town.

The same can't be said for the first book of Sharp Azteca, a Grade l winner of $2.4 million, but he is nevertheless second to Justify by earnings with $521,940 and tied with him as co-leader of black-type winners. And Sharp Azteca leads all freshmen sires with 13 winners, which is seven more than Justify has so far. This is surprising because the stallion raced only once at two, in December at that, and he didn't win his first start until late February at three, like Justify. What this suggests is that perhaps the Sharp Aztecas will have improvement in them with age, and perhaps he won't end up as a flash in the pan, as most inexpensive stallions who strike early but fail to sustain momentum do. Only time will tell, of course, but at the moment, Sharp Azteca is a revelation and another success story for Three Chimneys, which hit the lottery last year when Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) surpassed already lofty expectations with his first crop to land the freshman sires' championship. He has since gone on to even greater glory with his 3-year-olds.

Sharp Azteca–a son of a full brother to Giant's Causeway–won eight of 17 starts but didn't become a Grade l winner until late at four, when he won the Cigar Mile by 5 1/4 lengths from Grade l winner Mind Your Biscuits, with another Grade l winner, Practical Joke, 2 3/4 lengths away in third. Gun Runner, by the way, didn't become a Grade l winner until he was four as well.

Sharp Azteca's first yearlings weren't particularly in demand, averaging $36,228, with a median of $30,000 last year. Tyler's Tribe made $34,000 as an Iowa yearling. Sharp Aza Tack sold for twice the average, $72,000, at Keeneland September and then again for $100,000 at OBS March this year. He's been his sire's only maiden winner at a top track so far. Before the Tyro, the colt won a five-furlong maiden special on turf at Santa Anita.

Sharp Azteca's other winners have come at places like Ellis Park, Lone Star, Canterbury, Louisiana Downs, Colonial, Finger Lakes, Puerto Rico, Mexico, etc., so he's bringing the fight to Justify and other higher profile first-crop sires from the bottom up and doing an admirable job of it. For instance, the filly Alma Rose won a six-furlong maiden special at Colonial Downs July 19 by 10 1/2 lengths; a day earlier, another filly, Cuz Ur Pretty, won a five-furlong maiden special at Finger Lakes by 9 3/4 lengths; Mister Sharpie won a five-furlong maiden special at Louisiana Downs July 10 by 5 lengths.; and Tyler's Trible won his debut June 20 at Prairie Meadows in a 4 1/2-furlong race by 16 3/4 lengths. You get the picture.

Both Tyler's Tribe and Sharp Aza Tack have run fast enough to suggest they will be competitive at places like Saratoga and Del Mar, and if they take after their sire, they should improve with age, too. If and when that happens, Sharp Azteca's profile will get a huge boost.

Other Factors

The camera loves Sharp Azteca. He's an exceptionally well conformed and attractive stallion. See for yourself in the embedded video. He's also a grandson of Storm Cat, and his first four dams are by such sires as Saint Liam, Conquistador Cielo, Danzig, and Forli. His dam is a half-sister to the dams of Firing Line, who was second in the Gl Kentucky Derby, and multiple Grade l winner Bowies Hero. His fifth dam is Canadian champion filly and Broodmare of the Year Kamar, a daughter of Key to the Mint who was a foundation mare for Three Chimneys, producing millionaire Gorgeous for then Three Chimneys owner Robert Clay (she was bred by Hermitage Farm, A.G. Clay, and R.N. Clay), as well as Gl Kentucky Oaks winner Seaside Attraction (bred by the same partnership as Gorgeous) for W.T. Young's Overbrook.

What's not to like, then, about Sharp Azteca?

In two words, Jorge Navarro.

The disgraced trainer, who's now behind bars, handled Sharp Azteca throughout his career. In March of 2020, Navarro, with others, was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District (SDNY) of New York with two counts of misbranding and adulterating drugs and “doping” horses within his care.

In 2019, Sharp Azteca covered 195 mares in his first year at stud, according to figures from The Jockey Club. In 2020, the number dropped to 101–something that's common for second-year horses. In 2021, the horse covered only 36 mares, and this year the number was 32, at $5,000 live foal, according to Three Chimneys (The Jockey Club figures haven't been published yet).

These numbers aren't entirely out of line in the commercial marketplace, but Navarro's association with the horse undoubtedly depressed them further and more than likely took a bunch of bidders out of the ring for his first sales yearlings as well.

In August of 2021, one month before the Keeneland September sale, Navarro cut a deal with SDNY and pled guilty to one charge of misbranding and adulterating drugs and admitted in court he'd administered PEDs to Sharp Azteca among others.

That's a stain that's not easy to wipe away, but Sharp Azteca is sure making an effort to do so in his second career as a stallion.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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