More convicted of illicit drugging

Investigation spawned four cases focused on corrupt trainers who abused racehorses

The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that a longtime New York standardbred trainer and a veterinarian both pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the largest horse racing drug investigation on record.

Last week, a woman who distributed adulterated drugs to horse racing participants in New York was found guilty by a jury.

The recent convictions are the fallout of the sweeping investigation that broke open two years ago and netted trainers, veterinarians and distributors who were allegedly involved in lucrative schemes to improperly drug race horses, some over a period of decades. Of the dozens of individuals charged, 15 have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury. At least 13 of the defendants had ties to New York racing and many face prison sentences.

“These latest convictions demonstrate the commitment of this office and of our partners at the FBI to hold accountable individuals seeking to profit from animal abuse and deceit,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Wednesday.

The multiyear investigation by federal authorities based in the Southern District of New York spawned four cases that focused on corrupt trainers who abused racehorses through the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Louis Grasso, who pleaded guilty Wednesday, gave race horse trainers prescriptions for medications their horses didn’t need and created and distributed custom “performance-enhancing drugs” for his clients, according to the Justice Department.

In 1992, Grasso was convicted of selling anabolic steroids, and his license to practice equine medicine at racetracks was stripped by the state of New York. But for years Grasso went on to supply drugs to standardbred trainers and assistant trainers Richard Banca, Conor Flynn, Thomas Guido and Rene Allard, all of whom were involved with horse racing in New York.

Banca, who ran a training center in Middletown, where federal authorities said they found performance-enhancing drugs, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday. “As a result of his crimes, his horses earned over $16 million in purse winnings,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Flynn, Guido and Allard have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to go to trial in June. Flynn worked for Banca.

Lisa Gianelli, who was convicted by a jury last week, distributed adulterated medications in New York for Seth Fishman, a Floridabased veterinarian and performance-enhancing drug manufacturer. A jury found Fishman guilty in February on charges related to manufacturing and distributing drugs in violation of Food and Drug Administration rules.

Fishman’s client list included about 2,000 businesses and individuals — many of them trainers — around the country, including 265 in New York, according to evidence revealed by prosecutors during Fishman’s trial and later obtained by the Times Union.

Ross Cohen, a standardbred trainer who lived in Orange County, testified that he purchased drugs for horses from Gianelli and Fishman. He pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Famed thoroughbred trainer Jorge Navarro, who raced at Saratoga Race Course and other tracks in the state, also allegedly purchased substances for his horses from Fishman. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit drug adulteration and misbranding in December.

Federal investigators had used wiretaps to monitor the communications of trainers and their suppliers and found Navarro would text Fishman requests like “1,000 pills ASAP,” according to his indictment.

Thoroughbred trainer Jason Servis was also accused of administering performance-enhancing substances to his horses, including Maximum Security, who placed first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference. Servis is scheduled to go to trial next year along with Alexander Chan, a veterinarian who treated Servis’ horses and worked for the New York Racing Association about a decade ago.

Another thoroughbred veterinarian who worked with Servis, Kristian Rhein, said he and Servis would hide their doping of race horses from owners by billing them for other services and items. Rhein, who lived on Long Island, pleaded guilty in January.

Veterinarian Erica Garcia and thoroughbred trainer Michael Tannuzzo are scheduled to stand trial in September.