Stronach Group imposes stand-down period for horses formerly in the barns of indicted trainers

The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, and Gulfstream Park, among other tracks, will not permit horses that were formerly trained by any of the individuals indicted earlier this week to enter races until they have gone through a mandatory 60-day “stand-down” period, the company announced on Thursday.

The 60-day stand-down period will begin on the day the horses arrive in their new barns. The company said that the policy was being put in place to ensure that the horses did not have any substances in their bodies that would impact their racing performances or health.

“Our goal is to keep these horses safe and from competing if there is any possibility that they may have performance-enhancing drugs in their systems,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, the chief veterinary officer for the company, in a release. “This is being done not only to first and foremost protect the horse, but also to protect the majority of the trainers and owners who are doing things properly.”

The indictments, unsealed earlier this week, allege that a network of 27 individuals manufactured, distributed, and administered illegal substances to racehorses, including Maximum Security, the winner of the recent Saudi Cup and last year’s 3-year-old champion. Maximum Security is in the process of being transferred to the barn of Bob Baffert, who is stabled at Santa Anita.

The two most prominent trainers named in the indictment were Jason Servis, the trainer of Maximum Security, and Jorge Navarro. Owners of horses trained by the two have been scrambling to line up other trainers since the indictments were unsealed on Monday and the trainers were arrested. The New York-based trainer Michael Tannuzzo was also indicted, as well as Servis’s New York-based assistant, Henry Argueta.

Both Servis and Navarro were operating out of Florida at the time the indictments were unsealed, at operations owned by The Stronach Group.

Technically, the horses have all been placed on the official veterinarian’s list maintained by the company’s tracks, which means that any horse that made its last start at one of the company’s tracks or is stabled at one of the tracks or a training facility owned by The Stronach Group will be affected. A horse that is placed on an official veterinarian’s list cannot race at other tracks unless the horse is removed from the list by the entity that placed the horse on the list, Benson said in an interview.

In order to be removed from the list, a horse must have a hair sample submitted for testing within 30 days of being transferred. The horse must test clean for prohibited substances to be removed from the list after the 60-day period.

The Stronach Group will also implement a stand-down period for any horses that have recently been claimed from any of the indicted trainers, the company said, effective from the date the horse was claimed. The same requirements for being removed from the list will apply to the claimed horses.

In addition to its California and Florida tracks, The Stronach Group owns Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course in Maryland, plus a training facility in Florida.