“More than two dozen people involved in the horse racing industry have been indicted for taking part in a scheme to give racehorses performance-enhancing drugs to help them win races around the world, federal prosecutors announced Monday [Mar. 9, 2020].
One of the defendants is trainer Jason Servis, who prosecutors say ‘doped virtually all horses under his control,’ including Maximum Security, the colt that crossed the finish line first at last year’s Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference. Last month, Maximum Security won $10 million in the inaugural Saudi Cup.”
Prosecutors indicted 27 horse trainers, veterinarians, and drug distributors for their roles in doping racehorses with the goal of improving their performances in races to win prize money.
Editors’ note: Trainer Jason Servis was sentenced to four years in federal prison on July 26, 2023 after pleading guilty to participation in a horse-doping scheme. He is also sentenced to pay $163,932 in restitution and a $30,000 fine. Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said he had “put the lives of the horses and the jockeys who rode them at risk…. You did endanger the horses in your care. Luckily, they didn’t break down. You tried to gain an unfair advantage. I hope you accept that, but I don’t think that you do. At the end of the day, unquestionably, you undermined the integrity of horse racing.”