The licenses of owner/trainer/authorized agent Marvin A. Johnson and veterinarian Dr. Cynthia Loomis have been summarily suspended by the stewards of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, according to rulings dated July 4, the same day as the alleged violations.
Neither ruling details what the licensees are alleged to have done. Both include language indicating the summary suspensions are “for actions not in the best interests of racing and which compromise the integrity of operations at a racetrack.”
Johnson told Thoroughbred Daily News that Loomis, his regular veterinarian throughout the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet, was “observed treating a horse that was in that day, which is obviously against the rules.” Johnson said recent surgery on his pelvis limited his involvement at the stable.
“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,” he told Thoroughbred Daily News, adding that “this is not a cheating matter” and that he was cooperating fully with the commission.
Typically, summary suspensions are put in place when a licensee is believed to have committed serious regulatory offenses and run until such time as a stewards' hearing can be held. Licensees under summary suspension are entitled to a hearing to determine whether summary suspension should continue until a disciplinary hearing may be conducted.
Horses in the Johnson stable are unable to race for 60 days from the time of the infraction, even after being transferred to another trainer, according to one owner who spoke to the Paulick Report on the condition of anonymity.
It remains unclear whether the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) would have any involvement in the case, depending on the nature of the rule violations.
Johnson is currently leading trainer at Horseshoe Indianapolis by money won and is second by wins, with 18 victories from 94 starts and earnings of $724,707. A member of the Nebraska Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Johnson won a pair of $100,000 stakes on the June 29 card at Horseshoe Indianapolis, taking a division of the Checkered Flag Stakes with Hungarian Princess and winning the Brickyard Stakes with Nobody Listens. Since taking out his trainer's license in 1974, he has won 2,133 races from 13,999 starts.
Loomis is a practitioner with Kentucky Equine Medical Associates. According to the company's website, she has practiced at Canterbury, Oaklawn, and Delaware Park.
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