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Indiana-based Trainer Marvin Johnson, Vet Suspended

Trainer Marvin Johnson, tied for second in the standings at Horseshoe Indianapolis, has been summarily suspended by track stewards pending the outcome of an investigation.

In a related development, veterinarian Cynthia Diane Loomis has also been summarily suspended. The suspensions for both Johnson and Loomis began July 4.

Horses that Johnson entered on the July 4 and 5 cards at the track were ordered scratched.

When reached by the TDN, Johnson said “this is not a cheating matter.”

“On May 24, I had pelvic surgery that limited my participation at the barn,” Johnson said. “On July 4, as I understand, the vet that I had used for the entire meet was observed treating a horse that was in that day, which is obviously against the rules. Whether she did that or not, that's what the investigators are saying. I am cooperating fully with the commission on this matter.”

When asked if he knew why Loomis had treated the horse, Johnson replied, “All I do is hire my vet to be responsible for me. I trusted her fully with the horses and the times that my horses get treated. All the naysayers will say he is cheating, he is cheating. This was not a cheating matter and I'm not hiding behind some lawyer.”

Senior State Steward Eric Smith said that, with an investigation on going, he could not divulge any details regarding the Johnson and Loomis suspensions.

“It's an on-going investigation, so there is nothing I can share at this point,” Smith said. “His horses have been scratched and he has been summarily suspended. The next step is for the investigation to conclude and then there will be a hearing in front of the board of stewards or in front of the racing commission, depending on what the investigation finds. Hopefully, this will be wrapped up soon and there will be more details. But at this point the investigation is on-going.”

The Indiana Racing Commission has posted rulings regarding Johnson and Loomis which states that the individuals were “summarily suspended for actions not in the best interests of racing and which compromise the integrity of operations at a racetrack.” The ruling also states that “at a hearing on a summary suspension, the sole issue is whether the licensee's license should remain suspended pending a final disciplinary proceeding and order.”

Johnson has been training since 1974 and is a member of the Nebraska Horse Racing Hall of Fame. According to Equibase, he has 2,133 career wins. He is 18-for-94 at the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet.

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Report: Geroux Heading to Del Mar This Summer

Florent Geroux, who currently sits seventh in the national earnings rankings for jockeys in 2022, will ride in California full-time for the first time this summer at Del Mar, according to a report in Blood-Horse. Geroux, perennially one of the leading rider in Kentucky in the spring and fall, used to spend summers in Saratoga, but had moved his tack to Ellis the past few years.

Geroux's agent, Doug Bredar, told Blood-Horse his client will ride for “almost everybody at the top of the standings” at Del Mar and that the move could serve as a trial run for Geroux to move to California for the long run.

“This is short-term for the moment,” Bredar said. “We just wanted to test the waters. We've had a lot of people, a lot of horsemen out there have asked us to go in the past. We feel that now is the right time.”

The California jockey standings, dominated by Flavien Prat for the better part of the past six years, suddenly have an opening at the top after Prat decided to move his tack to New York full-time in a quest to win his first Eclipse Award. The move has paid off for Prat, who is winning at 21% at the Belmont Park meet and has surged to second nationally in earnings, behind only Irad Ortiz, Jr. The current leading rider in California, Juan Hernandez, is 10th in the country in earnings.

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Barred Trainer Tannuzzo Poised to Change Plea in Doping Case

The barred trainer Michael Tannuzzo appears poised to join the parade of indicted defendants in the 2020 racehorse doping conspiracy case who have changed their pleas to guilty in order to keep felony charges against them from getting decided at trial.

On Tuesday a federal judge granted Tannuzzo a swift July 7 hearing to explain his reasons for wanting to change his initial “not guilty” plea.

Tannuzzo, 50, who had 11 horses under his care and had been racing at Aqueduct at the time of his March 9, 2020, arrest, made headlines 24 hours later by steadfastly declaring his innocence and maintaining that the New York State Gaming Commission shouldn't have suspended his license after learning he had been booked by the feds on two felony charges related to conspiracies and drug misbranding.

Tannuzzo told Daily Racing Form at that time that he was being targeted by the feds because his “best friend” was the trainer and high-profile defendant Jorge Navarro. His two conspiracy charges were related to Tannuzzo picking up a package of purported performance-enhancing drugs from Navarro's residence and delivering it to him at Monmouth Park. Tannuzzo said that equated to “guilt by association.”

But since Tannuzzo made those initial statements in the press nearly 2 1/2 years ago, Navarro has admitted to doping his horses, changed his own plea to guilty, and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. Tannuzzo's trial had been set to start Sept. 12.

According to a trove of wiretapped calls made public by federal prosecutors, on March 3, 2019, Navarro and Tannuzzo discussed modeling a doping program based on one Navarro had used on his elite-level stakes sprinter, X Y Jet.

A key takeaway from this discussion is that neither trainer seems sure of the name of the substance that would be administered.

Navarro: What I'm going to do is tap his ankles, put him in a series every week with SGF. I'm just trying [to get] my vet to give me a good price, man, because I want to [expletive] tap every week.

Tannuzzo: You're going to tap him every week?

Navarro: Yeah, with SGF. That's what I did with X Y Jet. I'm going to call my vet up north, my surgeon, to see how he did it to X Y Jet and that's it. Don't worry man, you're in good hands. Don't worry.

Tannuzzo: You're talking about the HGF, not the SGF.

Navarro: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. The SGF whatever. The thing that you sent me the syringe.

Tannuzzo: Yeah.

Navarro: Yeah, yeah. And [this undisclosed horse] is getting one of those SGF-1000 whatever. He's getting one today.

Within 10 months of that conversation, X Y Jet would die suddenly under Navarro's care, allegedly from cardiac distress that has never been fully documented or explained.

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Fasig-Tipton Adds 27 Supplemental Entries to July Horses of All Ages Catalogue

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 27 supplemental entries of horses of racing and breeding stock to its upcoming July Selected Horses of All Ages sale.

These latest entries are catalogued as hips 584-610 and may now be viewed online. These newest entries include:

First Constitution (Chi) (Hip 587): A Group 1 stakes winner in his native Chile, this son of Constitution is a multiple stakes winner in New York this year. Consigned by WinStar Racing, agent.
Miss Costa Rica (Hit It a Bomb) (Hip 590): Four-year-old filly was Grade II placed at two and is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief). Consigned by Highgate Sales, agent.
One Step Ahead (Hip 591): Three-year-old daughter of Upstart was a stakes winner last year at year at two. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
Moretti (Hip 595): Son of Medaglia d'Oro was a multiple stakes winner in New York that notched graded stakes placings in the GII Suburban S. and GII Brooklyn S. on his way to career earnings of $367,520. He is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle of Midway (Smart Strike). Consigned as a stallion prospect by Highgate Sales, Agent.
Song Parody (Hip 609): Two-year-old New York-bred daughter of Practical Joke won her debut by 5 1/2 lengths June 25 at Belmont. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Also included are mares in foal to Bolt d'Oro, current leading first-crop sire by winners; Higher Power, Grade I winner whose first foals arrived this year; and Upstart a leading third-crop sire.

The July Selected Horses of All Ages sale will take place this coming Monday, July 11, beginning at 3 p.m. ET. On the following day–Tuesday, July 12–Fasig-Tipton will conduct The July Sale of Selected Yearlings beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

Online bidding and phone bidding will be available for all sales.

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