HIWU Reveals More Injection Charges at Penn National

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit posted six pending violations on its website March 7 that appear related to the alleged conspiracy in Pennsylvania to perform intra-articular injections on horses within 14 days of a race or workout, a practice that is prohibited. HIWU is the enforcement and investigative arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. HISA announced Feb. 21 that one vet and 13 trainers based at Penn National Race Course near Grantville, Pa., conducted an organized effort to inject horses with corticosteroids, used to treat inflammation, during the 14-day stand-down period and hide the veterinary work from track officials and regulators. Most of the horses ran at Penn National after being injected, but nine other tracks under HISA oversight also had races affected. HISA officials said injections during the stand-down period occurred more than 200 times from May 2023 to November 2024. According to HISA, three horses that received those injections died in the race that followed. The allegations made public Friday were against trainers Jose Salinas and David Geist. Neither was mentioned in the Feb. 21 announcement, although HISA officials said at that time more charges and names would be released. It appears Salinas was in the first report, but his name was redacted in the version released to the public. Salinas took over the training of Zoomster—a 5-year-old Bal a Bali (BRZ) gelding—from trainer Bonnie Lucas, who was named in HISA's initial report, when Lucas was suspended for 30 days during a portion of May and June of 2023. According to the HISA investigation, Lucas had 39 horses under her care that received 60 prohibited injections from Dr. Allen Post Bonnell. One of Lucas' horses that received an injection suffered a catastrophic injury and was euthanized in the race following the injection, according to HISA. The violation released Friday was for Zoomster's June 9, 2023, performance in a starter optional claiming race at Penn National when Salinas was his trainer. Zoomster broke in the air and finished sixth, beaten 11 1/4 lengths. Salinas' training record dates back to 1991, according to Equibase. He has 988 starts, with 54 wins and stable earnings of $1,050,677. The five alleged violations against Geist were for three horses who ran at Penn National from November 2023 through June 2024. Three of them were for Harvey Specter, a 5-year-old Broad Rule gelding. The affected race dates were March 1, May 10, and June 27, all in 2024. Harvey Specter finished sixth, beaten 23 lengths, in the June 27 $5,000 claiming race and has not run again. The two other alleged infractions against Geist were related to Diggers Diamond's seventh-place finish in a $4,000 claiming race Nov. 2, 2023, and Romantic Gamble's sixth-place performance in a $10,000 claiming race June 27, 2024. Geist has been training since 1986, according to Equibase, and has 10,018 career starts, 1,452 wins, and earnings of $15,340,126. BloodHorse was unable to reach either trainer March 8. HIWU officials were not immediately available for comment. The cases against Salinas and Geist have not been fully adjudicated. Another 18 Alleged Injection Violations HIWU previously reported an additional 18 alleged injection violations March 6 against trainers Marlin Arthur "Joe" Miller (8), Erin Carpio (7), and Fernando Ferreira (3). Miller was the only one of the three mentioned in the initial report. All eight of Miller's charges were for Highway Queen, a 7-year-old Super Saver mare who won two of 54 starts and earned $141,783. Miller was Highway Queen's trainer when she was injured and taken away in an ambulance following a $4,000 claiming race Aug. 28, 2024, at Penn National. The HISA report stated Miller "had one horse... that received numerous injections and was unfortunately euthanized." The horse was not identified in the report. Highway Queen has not run again.