Starting gate at illegal horse racing operation shut down in October in Springtown, Texas, 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth
Nine people were indicted on Dec. 19 by a Parker County grand jury for operating an illegal horse racing meet in Springtown, Texas, located 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Racing Commission and other agencies discovered the illegal operation in October. Dozens of horses were involved, some racing more than twice during the same weekend. Police confiscated an unspecified amount of cash and also recovered a number of syringes, drug paraphernalia and electrical shocking devices used to stimulate horses to run faster.
“Some of the syringes were empty and some were full,” said Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler. “The substances are being tested for illegal substances, potentially harmful to equines. It allows a horse to be pushed to the limits under a race, but can cause serious health conditions and even result in the death of a horse.”
Police estimated more than 1,000 people were in attendance during the illegal races. No spectators were arrested. Some of those indicted are facing detainers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Read more at the Weatherford Democrat.
New to the Paulick Report? Click here to sign up for our daily email newsletter to keep up on this and other stories happening in the Thoroughbred industry.
Copyright © 2019 Paulick Report.
