Saudi Cup purse being withheld pending investigation

Saudi Arabia’s racing authority announced Monday it is withholding the distribution of the purse from the $20 million Saudi Cup due to the indictment of the trainer of the winning horse on charges related to administering illegal substances to horses.

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said that it would not distribute the purse payments until its own investigation is concluded, and that it would have no further statement until the probe is wrapped up.

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The Feb. 29 Saudi Cup was won by Maximum Security, trained by Jason Servis and owned by Gary and Mary West. Just eight days after the race, Servis and 26 other individuals involved in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing were indicted by federal authorities on charges related to doping horses. Servis has entered a not guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit drug adulteration and misbranding.

The statement from the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said the withholding “has been communicated privately to connections of Saudi Cup runners.”

In addition to Maximum Security, four other U.S.-based horses ran in the Saudi Cup, with Midnight Bisou finishing second, Mucho Gusto finishing fourth, and Tacitus finishing fifth. The purse for the winning horse was $10 million, with Midnight Bisou earning $3.5 million, Mucho Gusto earning $1.5 million, and Tacitus earning $1 million.

In the indictment, Servis was alleged to have said that Maximum Security received a dose of a substance called SGF-1000 approximately two weeks prior to a race in New Jersey in June of last year. Regulators in New Jersey had pulled an out-of-competition sample from the horse, but a drug test did not detect anything illegal in the sample.

Servis was also alleged to have said that he had been using the substance “on everything almost” in his barn, in a call recorded by federal authorities several months before the horse was disqualified from first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby for interference.

In an emailed response to a request for comment, Gary West said: “I agree it is appropriate for them to conduct their own investigation.”

West has said that he knew nothing about any illegal substances given to Maximum Security, and he has asked racing regulators to re-test any post-race samples from the horse that are still in storage from races held throughout the horse’s career.

West moved Maximum Security to the barn of Bob Baffert after the indictment was released.