Horse-doping ring exposed

Authorities on Monday charged more than two dozen people in an international scheme to give racehorses performance-enhancing drugs. William F. Sweeney, assistant director of the FBI’s New York office, said the drugging “amounted to nothing less than abuse.” Horse racing is a $100 billion global industry.

Did it hurt the horses? According to the indictment in a Manhattan federal court, trainer Jason Servis gave a drug called SGF-1000 to “virtually all the racehorses under his control,” including the champion Maximum Security. The 3-year-old horse was among the fastest at the 2019 Kentucky Derby and on Feb. 29 won the world’s richest race, the $10 million Saudi Cup. The drugs can lead to heart problems and even death, authorities say.

Dig deeper: It’s not the first time Maximum Security’s human colleagues have gotten in trouble. Read about his disqualification from the Kentucky Derby in WORLD’s 2019 News of the Year.