NEW YORK — Disgraced horse racing trainer Jason Servis pleaded guilty Friday to charges in a massive drug-doping scandal involving virtually all of his mounts across two years.
The New Jersey-based Servis, whose stable included speedy Saudi Cup winner Maximum Security, entered his plea in Manhattan Federal Court on two counts tied to “adulterated and misbranded drugs” banned from use in the sport.
“Servis’ conduct represents corruption at the highest levels of the racehorse industry,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Servis abdicated his responsibilities to the animals, to regulators and the public.”
The trainer was charged in 2020 after a wide-ranging investigation into doping in the horse racing industry, and faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Servis also agreed to surrender $311,760 linked to the scandal and faces a potential fine of $300,000 at his May 18 sentencing, prosecutors said.
According to authorities, Servis had veterinarians order hundreds of bottles of the performance-enhancing drug SGF-1000 for use on his horses despite its illegal status. He covered up the $300-a-bottle purchases through bogus billings under the line item “Acupuncture & Chiropractic.”
Servis-trained horses were also given an adulterated and misbranded dose of prescription drug clenbuterol, obtained without any valid prescriptions, authorities said.
Prosecutors alleged Servis used the drug on his horses for 1,082 races between February 2018 and February 2020. He was caught on wiretaps discussing whether the drug would turn up in testing, with a crooked veterinarian promising “they don’t even have a test for it,” prosecutors charged.
Maximum Security was perhaps best known for finishing first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, only to lose the Run for the Roses on a disqualification for interference. He went on to capture the $10 million inaugural Saudi Cup in early 2020. Authorities alleged the horse’s second-place finish in the 2019 Pegasus at Monmouth Park involved PEDs.
