Navarro Pleads Guilty in Horse Doping Scheme

Trainer Jorge Navarro Aug. 11 changed a plea from not guilty to guilty on charges involving the use of performance-enhancing drugs in racehorses and faces up to five years in prison and substantial penalties.

As part of a plea agreement on a felony count, the federal government agreed to drop other charges at the time of sentencing.

Other defendants among roughly two dozen other individuals charged by prosecutors in the long-running racehorse doping scheme either have pled guilty or have indicated plans to do so. Navarro and trainer Jason Servis are among the most prominent of the defendants in the case. Servis has not altered his initial plea of not guilty.

Servis and Navarro were overheard on federal wiretaps discussing the drugs conspiracy, according to the indictment. The scheme, conducted over several years, included distribution and administration of mislabeled substances not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

"Count 1 of the indictment charges the defendant with participation in a conspiracy to commit drug adulteration and misbranding of drugs in violation of (federal law)," U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said Wednesday.

"In particular, the government alleges that Mr. Navarro administered and directed others, including others working at his direction, to administer non-FDA-approved, misbranded, and adulterated drugs, including drugs intended to increase the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses under his custody and care.

"The government alleged that, in doing so, Mr. Navarro took action to avoid detection of his actions, including by using drugs that he believed would be undetectable by racing officials and by working with others to hide that conspiracy."

She led Navarro and his attorney through the details of the charges, asking Navarro if, in fact, he was guilty. Throughout the litany, Navarro repeatedly replied, "Yes, your honor."

After more than an hour of legal detail-shuffling, Vyskocil accepted the plea and said sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of up to five years with a requirement that at least 85% of the eventual sentence be served, followed by up to three years of probation. Navarro also admitted a "loss to victims" resulting from his action of more than $25 million in purse money and agreed to make restitution.

Navarro's defense agreed to provide a restitution schedule toward affected parties at the time of sentencing, but there was no discussion of the likelihood of actual recovery. 

In speaking with Vyskocil, Navarro acknowledged he was guilty of illegal actions.

"Mr. Navarro, you have agreed that from in or about 2016 through on or about March 9, 2020, you administered and directed others, including veterinarians working at your direction, to administer non-FDA-approved, misbranded, and adulterated drugs, including drugs intended to increase the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses under your direction and care. Is that accurate and true?" Vyskocil asked.

"Yes, your honor," he replied.

Navarro also confirmed that drugs he used on his horses included blood-building substances, vasodilators, "bleeder" pills, and other substances. 

"All right, Mr. Navarro," Vyskocil continued. "You've also agreed that among the horses to which you administered such drugs were the horses X Y Jet , War Story , Shancelot  , Sharp Azteca  , and Nanoosh . Is that, in fact, true and accurate, Mr. Navarro?"

Navarro: "Yes, your honor."

Later, following another question, Navarro confirmed that he and one of the owners of Nanoosh, who was left unidentified, agreed to continue administering such drugs to that horse in order to improve Nanoosh's racing performance.

Nanoosh made the final three starts of his racing career for Navarro in 2019 for owners Rockingham Ranch, Zayat Stables, and David Bernsen. Twice the horse was unplaced, and once he ran third.

Navarro admitted at the hearing that the scheme included administration of various adulterated and misbranded performance-enhancing drugs to the sprinter X Y Jet, including a substance he referred to as "monkey," to "enhance his performance" in a Feb. 13, 2019, race at Gulfstream Park and in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1) in March 2019 at Meydan.

The indictment charged the trainer personally administered the drugs while in Dubai.

X Y Jet was campaigned by Gelfenstein Farm throughout his 26-race career and Rockingham Ranch took part ownership of the horse in 2016. Bernsen assumed a 10% interest of X Y Jet in early December 2019 as part of a partial restructuring and dispersal of horses he owned in partnership with Rockingham Ranch.

Navarro reported in January 2020 that X Y Jet had died of a heart attack.

Navarro also implicated Servis by responding affirmatively when Vyskocil asked him if he had "provided and imported misbranded bronchodilator drugs" to Servis, among others. 

Navarro is a citizen of Panama and the judge said his plea "may have adverse effects on your immigration status, including deportation," after he serves his time.

Navarro's guilty plea follows one from veterinarian Kristian Rhein earlier this month in the doping scheme.

MITCHELL: Rhein Enters Guilty Plea on Federal Doping Charges

"Kristian Rhein and Jorge Navarro represent the supply side and the customer side of the market in performance-enhancing substances that have corrupted much of the horse racing industry," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release issued after the guilty plea. "As he admitted today, Navarro, a licensed trainer and the purported 'winner' of major races across the world was, in fact, a reckless fraudster whose veneer of success relied on the systematic abuse of the animals under his control.

"Rhein previously admitted that he flouted his oath as a veterinarian to protect the animals under his care, choosing instead to pursue money through the sale and administration of unregulated substances used by trainers engaged in fraud and animal abuse. These latest convictions demonstrate the continued commitment of this office and our partners at the FBI to the investigation and prosecution of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry."

According to prosecutors, Navarro operated his doping scheme covertly, importing misbranded clenbuterol that he both used and distributed to others. They noted he avoided explicit discussion of PEDs during telephone calls and worked with others to coordinate the administration of PEDs at times that racing officials would not detect such cheating.  

The plea from Navarro represents a stunning fall from grace of one of racing's top-level trainers. Before the indictment and subsequent bans by regulators, Navarro won seven straight training titles at Monmouth Park and led the 2018-19 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.

The judge set a Dec. 17 sentencing date with in-person representation.

Vyskocil said the decision to hold the change of plea hearing remotely, with audio and video participation, was due to concerns about the pandemic, case backlogs, and the fact that long delays "impose stress on the defendant and his family."