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Jordan Dismissed As Head Starter At Keeneland

Scott Jordan, head starter at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs, has been dismissed from that same position at Keeneland.

Officials at the Lexington, Ky., racetrack and auction company confirmed Jordan's dismissal but did not specify a reason. The following statement from Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin was issued on Friday: ”We aren't in a position to respond with the details of this situation, but we will say that, in every respect, Keeneland is committed to integrity.”

Jordan became head starter at Keeneland for the 2019 fall meet after the death of longtime starter Robert “Spec” Alexander, 80, earlier in the year. Son of trainer Rick Jordan, Scott Jordan was an exercise rider in Ohio before joining the starting gate crew at Beulah Park and old River Downs at the age of 19, then moving to the Kentucky tracks. Jordan has been head starter at Churchill Downs since 2006.

News of Jordan's departure was circulated on Friday morning in an anonymous email sent to media outlets and horsemen that was critical of the move by Keeneland.

“The summer before Scott Jordan started, Keeneland gate schooling had deteriorated into a state of chaos,” a portion of the email states. “Multiple people and horses had accidents due to negligence and impatience. Staffing was a very serious issue. Without the proper amount of staff it is impossible to do any job well. It is especially difficult to teach young races horses what they need to learn in order to have successful futures. The staffing issue was quickly resolved by Mr. Jordan because people want to work with and for him. He is not only respected by the trainers but he is respected by gate crew throughout the country. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a true horseman in charge of the starting gate. Someone with years of equine handling experience and doing that specific job. Especially at a facility like Keeneland where so many young horses build their foundations, a bad experience as a young racehorse can affect him for the rest of his life. It is damaging to the industry.

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“Having the same starter at every Kentucky track has made an unimaginable difference,” the email continued. “Having Mr. Jordan associated with Keeneland, where many of us spend millions of dollars, has made an unimaginable difference.”

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Drug Company Sales Director Michael Kegley Pleads Guilty In Federal Doping Case

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendant Michael Kegley, Jr. pled guilty on Friday to his role in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead, in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Navarro et al., 20 Cr. 160 (MKV). KEGLEY pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, and will be sentenced by Judge Vyskocil on Nov. 22, 2021.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Michael Kegley promoted and sold unregulated performance enhancing substances intended for use by those engaged in fraud and unconscionable animal abuse in the world of professional horseracing. This conviction underscores that our Office and our partners at the FBI are committed to the prosecution and investigation of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, the prior Indictments[1], other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:

The charges in the Navarro case arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, performance-enhancing drug (“PED”) distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses. Trainers who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses' winnings, and by improving their horses' racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. Veterinarians and drug distributors, such as Kegley, who worked as the director of sales for an unregistered distributor of equine drugs, profited from the sale and administration of these medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances.

Among the misbranded and adulterated PEDs marketed and sold by Kegley was the drug “SGF-1000,” which was compounded and manufactured in unregistered facilities. SGF-1000 was an intravenous drug promoted as, among other things, a vasodilator capable of promoting stamina, endurance, and lower heart rates in horses through the purported action of “growth factors” supposedly derived from sheep placenta. Despite marketing, selling, and administering SGF-1000, Kegley acknowledged in intercepted calls that he, along with a co-defendant involved in the sale of SGF-1000, did not know the actual contents of SGF-1000. Nevertheless, Kegley's sales of that drug persisted, aided by the claim that SGF-1000 would be untestable in horses by law enforcement.

According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, Kegley's testimony during Friday's proceedings included the following statement: “Beginning in 2016, I was an independent contractor for a company, MediVet Equine. We sold a variety of products, including SGF-1000. I sold these products to veterinarians, horse trainers. When I did that I knew there was no medical prescription for those products. Also at the time, I knew that the product was not manufactured in an FDA approved facility, nor was it approved for sale by the FDA.”

U.S. Attorney Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office's Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the FBI's Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative.

This case is being handled by the Office's Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi, Andrew C. Adams, Anden Chow, and Benet Kearney are in charge of the prosecution.

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With Loosening Travel Restrictions, Woodbine Readies For U.S. Participants

With lucrative stakes races approaching and travel restrictions loosening, Woodbine Entertainment is ready to welcome participants from the United States to Woodbine Racetrack.

As of Aug. 9, 2021, Canada will begin allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who are currently residing in the United States, and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for non-essential travel.

Fully vaccinated travelers will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada. Any unvaccinated travelers entering Canada will be required to quarantine for 14 days, unless granted a quarantine exemption.

All travelers arriving in Canada are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test conducted within the prior 72 hours. Woodbine will also seek proof of this negative COVID-19 test for its own records.

August and September mark the richest months of racing during the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred season with more than $8 million in stakes to be contested plus additional world-class racing opportunities. A total of 15 graded stakes, including five Grade 1 events, will be contested through August and September. To view the entire stakes schedule, click here.

With this significant part of the racing season nearing, owners, trainers and jockeys from the United States should familiarize with the new Canada border measures ahead of its reopening on Aug. 9. An “Entering Canada Checklist” can be found by clicking here.

Ahead of the Aug. 9 border reopening, any individual coming from outside Canada seeking immediate access to Woodbine Racetrack will be permitted if a quarantine exemption is granted and a negative COVID-19 test is provided. Those individuals will be enrolled in Woodbine's Enhanced Screening Program.

Woodbine Entertainment looks forward to welcoming all members of the racing community over the coming weeks and months. Participants can find all relevant racing information and contact information by visiting www.Woodbine.com/Horsepeople/.

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OwnerView To Host In-Person Thoroughbred Owner Conference Coinciding With Breeders’ Cup

OwnerView announced today that registration is now open for an in-person Thoroughbred Owner Conference, which will be held Wednesday, November 3, in Del Mar, Calif., to coincide with the Breeders' Cup World Championships on November 5-6.

“Our monthly virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference series has been enthusiastically received this year with more than 1,100 registrations, so we are excited to carry this momentum forward and return to hosting a live event during the week of the Breeders' Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. “We are looking forward to again offering existing and prospective Thoroughbred owners the invaluable face-to-face networking opportunities that have made the Thoroughbred Owner Conference such a popular event since its inception.”

This year's conference will include several panels of expert speakers as well as social events to facilitate networking. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase Breeders' Cup tickets with registration.

Registration details can be found at ownerview.com/event/conference, and more information about the conference schedule and host hotel information will be posted on the OwnerView site in the coming weeks.

The virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference series will continue on the first Tuesday of each month through December. The sixth session of the series, “Jockeys,” will be held on Tuesday, August 3, at 2 p.m. ET. It is sponsored by Airdrie Stud, Starlight Racing, and The Green Group. It will be moderated by former track announcer Tom Durkin, and panelists will include retired jockeys Donna Barton Brothers, Chris McCarron, and Gary Stevens. To register for the free virtual series, please contact Gary Falter at gfalter@jockeyclub.com.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.

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