27 horse-racing professionals charged in doping scheme

Twenty-seven people were charged in Manhattan federal court Monday for allegedly operating an international drug scheme to make horses race faster, according to court documents obtained by ESPN.

Maximum Security's trainer, Jason Servis, is accused of administering performance-enhancing drugs to "virtually all the racehorses under his control." Maximum Security initially won the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for interference.

More recently, Maximum Security won $10 million for his victory at the Saudi Cup on Feb. 29 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In addition to Servis and other trainers, several veterinarians were also charged.

Authorities said those responsible for the scheme "routinely defrauded and misled government agencies, including federal and state drug regulators, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, various state horse racing regulators, and the betting public." The indictment alleges that the defendants distributed and administered "customized PEDs designed and intended to be difficult or impossible to detect."

In addition to boosting a horse's performance, some of the PEDs in question were intended to "(mask) a horse's ability to feel pain, thereby causing the horse to overexert itself during periods of intense exercise, which can lead to accidents, broken limbs, or death," the indictment said. Other PEDs, called "blood builders," can lead to cardiac issues or death.

The specific counts laid out in the indictment include charges of obstruction, as well as drug adulteration and misbranding conspiracy.