Jason Servis trained one of 2019’s best horses
On Monday, U.S. authorities unwrapped indictments in Manhattan federal court, charging 27 people with drugging thoroughbred horses to improve their performances on the racetrack.
Among those charged were veterinarians and horse trainers, including trainer Jason Servis. Servis trains Maximum Security, one of the most successful horses of 2019.
Trainer Graham Motion tweeted that, though it was a sad day for racing, it was: “A good day for those who try to play by the rules, we will all be better for it.”
PEDs used to push horses past their limits
Servis specifically is alleged to have given Maximum Security a performance-enhancing drug (PED) called SGF-1000. According to BloodHorse.com, SGF-1000 is used to accelerate tissue repair and “increase a horse’s stamina and endurance beyond its natural capability.”
Federal officials allege that Servis gave these tainted and misbranded PEDs to all of his horses. For just over the past two years, Servis entered horses in nearly 1,100 races.
Doping leads to irreversible harm
Not only is the use of PEDs cheating, but it is also extremely harmful to the horses. While on drugs, the animals can exert themselves past a reasonable threshold to the point of developing heart problems or even dying. Some drugs make the horses less sensitive to pain, which can result in catastrophic injuries when the horses don’t stop because they can’t feel something is wrong.
William F. Sweeney Jr, assistant director at the FBI New York Office, said at a press conference:
What actually happened to the horses amounted to nothing less than abuse.”
He added: “They experienced cardiac issues, overexertion leading to leg fractures, increased risk of injury, and, in some cases, death. Conversely, the human being involved in the scheme continued to line their purses as they manipulated this multibillion-dollar horse racing industry across the globe.”
Maximum Security won almost all of his races in 2019
Maximum Security is best known for finishing ahead of the pack at the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but then getting disqualified for interfering with another horse. The three-year-old colt had a very successful 2019, running eight races with six first-place finishes and one second-place finish. The horse won $1,791,100 last year, good for ninth on the 2019 North American money list.
Maximum Security’s purse for the victory was $10 million
He is one-for-one this year, winning the $20 million Saudi Cup, the richest horse race in the world. Maximum Security’s purse for the victory was $10 million.
Servis ranked eighth on the North American money list last year with $11,089,040 in race earnings. His 29% win rate was best among the top 60 money winners.