‘A lot of damage can be done’ – $1.5 million trans-Atlantic betting sting prompts flurry of investigations

In what may amount to the largest global betting sting in many years, at least five separate investigations have been launched into a string of unusual results involving horses all connected to the same American training facility.

Four of the six horses under scrutiny won their races, either at Monmouth Park or Saratoga. They all won coming off lengthy layoffs, showing only modest workouts at Fair Hill and most were sent off at relatively long odds.

The Great Amira won by nine lengths at odds of 17-1 at Monmouth Park ($37 for a $2 win bet), and one race later Tepeyac, also trained by Angel Quiroz, won at odds of 4-1 ($9.20 for a $2 win bet).

Suspicions of a betting sting were raised when the $1 Daily Double on the two horses paid just $12.80, despite an equivalent all-up return being approximately $68.

Then at Saratoga, two horses formerly trained by Quiroz, but now prepared by Ernesto Ochoa, also produced upset results.

Classic Rock won by eight-and-a-half lengths at odds of 8-1, while M Bs Melanie Cares also won at Saratoga at 12-1.  

Meanwhile, a Quiroz-trained horse, Scootaloo, was well-supported at Saratoga, and finished fourth after missing the start, while another connected horse ran second at Colonial Downs.

As rumours started swirling on social media about the sting, racing authorities got wind of it, and connected horses entered in races on Monday were subsequently scratched.

As well as an investigation launched by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), the unusual string of results also triggered probes by NYRA (New York Racing Association), HIWU (Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit), the TRPB (Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau), the New Jersey Racing Commission and Fair Hill Training Center management.

“HISA is aware of information circulating on social media and concerns raised directly to HISA personnel regarding events at multiple races on Aug. 9 and is actively investigating those concerns,” a HISA statement said.

“We take any potential violations of HISA rules extremely seriously.”

It said all horses that won the races were immediately selected for post-race testing.

“HISA and HIWU will continue to carefully review the available information and testing results and will take any appropriate action if the investigation determines that HISA rules have been violated,” it said.

“At this stage, HISA will not speculate on the outcome of the investigation or testing process.”

Executive Director of the National Thoroughbred Alliance, Pat Cummings revealed to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, that much of the betting sting had been orchestrated out of Great Britain, with the total collect possibly amounting to over 800,000 pounds, or AU$1.5 million.

“Our understanding is that this was executed physically in betting shops in England,” Cummins said.

“I’m told it was on the order of more than 10 shops that may have gotten hit on Sunday.”

Cummings said the degree of advanced planning and coordination to orchestrate such a coup in the United States from Great Britain was significant.

“Then what we don’t really know and have not heard from is what did they execute parimutuelly here in the States.,” he said. 

“I can tell you that there were two pick fives at Saratoga that included these races yesterday. One paid $300,000 for a 50 cent base bet. The other paid $453,000 for a base 50 cent bet.”

Cummings described the plan to continue the sting across two days of racing as “probably a bridge too far”.

“But to get six races, with four wins and a second, if you’re playing each way, parlays, you’re playing trebles. There’s a lot of damage that can be done there.”

Speaking to TDN after Sunday’s races, Quiroz has denied anything nefarious was at play.

“It’s very simple. I took my horses and ran them at Monmouth Park and won the races and I took one horse to Saratoga and she ran fourth. Everybody is shocked. I don’t see what the big deal is or what the problem is,” he said.

“I’m supposed to run all the time and not try to win the race?”

He said the Ochoa-trained horses had been previously under his care but had been transferred by their owner.

“I’ve known Ochoa for a long time,” he said. “My owner made a deal with him. The horses were ready to run and in good condition.”