Two more Penn-based trainers charged with HISA injection violations
The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit has charged two more trainers based at Penn National with violations of rules covering the intra-articular administration of corticosteroids, according to records posted on the group’s website on Wednesday afternoon.
Javier Morzan and Naoise Agnew are the 12th and 13th trainers to be identified as having participated in a scheme involving the work of one Penn National veterinarian, Dr. Allen Bonnell, who has been summarily suspended. Ten of the trainers have so far been charged with racing or training horses within a prohibited stand-down period following intra-articular injections of corticosteroids, which are long-lasting anti-inflammatory and painkilling medications.
Officials at HIWU, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, and the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission had said that 13 trainers would be eventually charged as a result of Bonnell’s work.
Morzan, who has a career record of 23 wins from 354 starts over six years, was charged with four violations. Agnew, who has a record of 47 wins from 389 starts, mostly during the years of 2020-24, was also charged with four violations.
Investigators have alleged that Bonnell administered the injections and covered up the administrations by either listing the treatments as “draining” the joints or failing to file records of the treatments completely. Investigative documents released by the PSHRC included testimony from trainers indicating that they were aware that Bonnell would not properly report the treatments to HISA, in violation of its rules.
Despite the fact that most of the trainers have been charged with multiple violations, many have not been suspended. Under HIWU’s rules, the charges are considered violations of controlled medications, and because the trainers were not notified of the rule violations until they had racked up several charges, the violations will be considered one offense.
The maximum sentence for a violation of the corticosteroid rule is a suspension of 60 days, absent mitigating or aggravating circumstances. The minimum penalty is 30 days.
Adjudications of the cases are ongoing.
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