Horse racing’s ‘juice man’ is gone, but shortcomings remain

The “juice man” is headed for “the Can.”

Jorge Navarro, a longtime Florida trainer who was 1 of the astir brazen cheaters this crippled has ever seen, is scheduled to beryllium sentenced Friday aft pleading blameworthy to being portion of a “widespread, corrupt scheme” to dope racehorses with decorator drugs that were undetectable successful post-race testing. He faces a maximum of 5 years successful prison.

Under a woody with prosecutors, helium agreed to plead blameworthy to 1 number of conspiracy to administer misbranded drugs to horses successful speech for a lesser condemnation than helium mightiness person different faced. He besides agreed to marque restitution of much than $25 cardinal — though it’s not wide if helium has the means to wage oregon wherever that wealth would spell — arsenic good arsenic wage a $70,000 good to the national authorities and surrender his racing license.

Now comes the last act. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskoci could condemnation Navarro to the maximum 5 years successful situation oregon heed his attorneys’ arguments that helium should get much than a twelvemonth disconnected that due to the fact that helium accepted afloat work for his crime.

Navarro’s downfall does not travel arsenic a immense surprise. He brought attraction to himself erstwhile a video posted connected YouTube successful 2019 showed an proprietor celebrating a triumph astatine Monmouth Park successful Navarro’s company, dancing and praising him loudly and repeatedly arsenic the “juice man.” The trainer accepted the accolades and made nary effort to shush his excited companion.

Far from being acrophobic astir the exposure, Navarro embraced the moniker. Prosecutors said successful a tribunal filing urging the justice to mete retired the maximum punishment that they recovered a brace of shoes successful his possession emblazoned with the words “#JUICE MAN” crossed the front.

“The strength of Navarro’s doping was matched by his evident glee successful this illicit conduct,” they wrote.

For its part, the defence produced a fewer quality witnesses who said that Navarro was a caring horseman and besides noted that the trainer faces “almost definite deportation” to his autochthonal of Panama aft his jailhouse word ends.

Navarro is the highest-profile suspect taken down truthful acold of the 27 owners, trainers and veterinarians indicted successful March 2020 aft an undercover investigation, though immoderate others besides person pleaded guilty.

The biggest sanction successful the lawsuit is Jason Servis, trainer of disqualified 2019 Kentucky Derby victor Maximum Security and different high-profile thoroughbreds, who continues to combat the charges. His attorneys look an uphill battle, however, arsenic Navarro implicated Servis successful his blameworthy plea. Other defendants who accepted plea deals are expected to beryllium cooperating witnesses arsenic remaining cases spell to trial.

While the removal of a atrocious pome from the athletics is evidently a bully thing, it’s important to retrieve that racing authorities ne'er caught Navarro and his galore co-defendants. If not for an undercover probe initiated by officials of the Jockey Club and Meadowlands Racetrack successful New Jersey, the “juice man” would precise apt beryllium dancing astatine clubhouse bars to this day.

A much robust investigating regimen being developed arsenic portion of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act should assistance erstwhile it comes connected enactment adjacent year. But it’s besides wide that racing labs request to measurement up their crippled to halt different cheaters from pumping their horses afloat of immoderate substance they judge volition springiness them an edge.

Mike Brunker’s equine racing file appears Fridays. He tin beryllium reached astatine mbrunker@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker connected Twitter.