It was almost two years ago when former harness trainer Ross Cohen was among 27 trainers, veterinarians and others entangled in the largest equine doping prosecution in US history.
In a New York courtroom January 26, Cohen appeared on the stand as a key government witness against Dr. Seth Fishman — the first of those arrested in the case on Jan. March 2020 to go to trial on charges of conspiracy to commit adultery and misrepresentation.
As Fishman observed from the defense desk, Cohen testified that when he was training horses at Yonkers Raceway years earlier, he had purchased performance-enhancing drugs from Lisa Giannelli, who worked as a distributor. for Fishman and a veterinarian’s Florida-based Equestology drug business.
Cohen, 50, who lives in upstate New York, testified that he discussed with Fishman a product called “Frozen Pain”.
He said: “He says it helps with pain and keeps the horse from getting tired during the race. “It has a performance-enhancing effect.”
Cohen testified of another conversation with Fishman in which he complained that Frozen Pain worked well on some horses when they were racing in his stable but not too many others. .
Cohen said the drug’s inconsistency made him uncomfortable.
“He said it was hard to keep it steady and get the best people to make it,” the witness said of Fishman. “He said he would stop doing it.”
In his testimony, Cohen said that he agreed to expose in June 2020. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and agreed to testify on behalf of the government in exchange for leniency in sentencing. Prosecutors kept the plea agreement private until Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Fishman manufactured performance drugs that trainers use on horses to increase their chances of winning races. They say doping puts racehorses at risk of damage and death. They say Fishman managed to make the drug undetectable during post-race testing.
Dr. Seth Fishman arrives at the U.S. Court of Justice Daniel Patrick Moynihan on January 21
While questioning Cohen, prosecutor Andrew Adams showed photographs of six of the accused in the case and let witnesses identify them. One of the photos is of former top coach Jorge Navarro, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy. He was sentenced to five years in prison in December.
After Cohen identified Navarro, Adams broadcast to the judges a video of the late XY Jet sprinter coached by Navarro winning the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen by Gulf News ( G1) sponsors in Dubai in 2019. Video shows a Navarro celebrating winning a paddle contest.
Next, Adams asked the jury to read a text Fishman sent to Navarro and the response he received.
“Congratulations, just saw the race,” reads the mermaid’s text.
“Thanks boss. You’re a big part of it,” Navarro replied.
Cohen has admitted to a past of praise when he was a harness trainer. He was previously suspended for drugs and banned from racing at the Monticello and Yonkers Circuit. He was finally allowed to return to Yonkers.
In the plea agreement, Cohen admitted to fixing the races.
“I paid drivers to have someone keep their horses in races,” he testified.
Maurice Sercarz, on cross-examination, managed to suggest that Cohen activated Fish-Man to save his own skin.
“Who decides if you tell the truth?” lawyer asked.
Cohen replied: “I assume the government.
The sixth day of the trial in US District Court in Manhattan also featured testimony from Dr Cynthia Cole, director of the racing lab at the University of Florida, where she oversaw drug testing of the animals. Horses compete at racetracks in Florida.
Cole was called in as an expert witness to determine the drugs Mermaids peddled and whether they would be performance enhancers if administered to horses when they were racing. In her opinion, Fishman products are PED.
During his time in the stands, Cole was asked to comment on a Mermaid production called Serenity. She said it appeared to be a sedative.
It was her testimony that sedating horses before a race might seem counterintuitive, but she explained that some horses, especially young horses, can be stressed.
“The ability to produce a mild sedative can offer an advantage that, if you will, can help a horse perform better in a race,” she told the jury.
The trial will resume on January 27.
