Deadline for Motions in Servis-Navarro Case Pushed Back
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Photo: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia/Mahoud Khaled
Jason Servis in 2020 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack
A deadline for defense motions in the federal race-doping trial of Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro has been pushed back to June 28, further delaying the anticipated start of the court proceedings against individuals who were two of Thoroughbred racing's most successful trainers at the time of their March 9, 2020 indictments.
The delay is likely to push the start of the trial back into September at the earliest.
In a March 12 ruling, United States District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil granted a request from attorney Rita Glavin, who represents Servis, to extend the deadline for Phase Two Motions due to an excess amount of discovery evidence.
The previous deadline was May 24.
Vyskocil also approved deadlines of July 28 for a government response and Aug. 11 for defense replies.
Counsel for all of the 13 other co-defendants in a superseding indictment joined in Glavin's request.
Besides Servis and Navarro, the defendants in the superseding indictment are Erica Garcia, Kristian Rhein, Alexander Chan, Marcos Zulueta, Michael Tannuzzo, Christopher Oakes, Seth Fishman, Jordan Fishman, Lisa Giannelli, Rick Dane Jr., Rebecca Linke, and Michael Kegley Jr.
The superseding indictment alleged that race doping by Servis and Navarro dates back to 2016. During that period, Servis, who trained 2019 3-year-old champion male Maximum Security , and Navarro, a seven-time leading trainer at Monmouth Park, had a combined 1,282 wins and more than $52 million in earnings through March 8, 2020.