NEW YORK – Disgraced Thoroughbred trainer Jorge Navarro, who went from claiming trainer to conditioner of multiple graded stakes winners who sometimes gave hard-to-believe performances, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit drug adulteration or misbranding. Navarro’s imprisonment is expected to begin sometime in mid-to-late February at a yet-to-be-determined facility in Florida in order for him to be close to his family. Following his imprisonment, Navarro, 46, will be on three years of supervised release. It is also likely that Navarro, who is not a naturalized U.S. citizen, will be deported to his native Panama, according to his attorney, Jason Kreiss. Navarro’s penalty – the maximum allowed in this case – was handed down by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. During an 83-minute hearing Friday in federal court, with members of Navarro’s family scattered throughout the courtroom, Vyskocil rejected Navarro’s attempt to reduce the penalty to 48 months and said she would have “imposed a harsher sentence if the law allowed.” The judge ordered that Navarro also pay restitution in the amount of $25,860,514, akin to purse money his horses earned from 2016 to March 8, 2020, the period of time the U.S. government alleged he was engaged in illegal practices. Later, the judge agreed to the government’s recommendation to put the onus on retrieving that money on the racetracks at which Navarro competed, something that would seem most difficult to do. Navarro has already paid $70,000 in what was deemed by the government to be the value of unadulterated and/or misbranded drugs he transported via interstate commerce. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures.  On March 9, 2020, Navarro was one of more than two dozen individuals connected to Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing – a list that includes fellow Thoroughbred trainer Jason Servis who has thus far pleaded not guilty – that were indicted and accused of having participated in a wide-ranging scheme to manufacture, distribute, and administer illegal substances to racehorses. In the initial indictment, Navarro was specifically alleged to have administered illegal substances marketed as pain blockers to the horse X Y Jet in 2019, including prior to two wins. X Y Jet died in January 2020, and his connections said that the cause of death was a heart attack. Navarro also was recorded on wiretaps discussing the procurement and administration of a substance called SGF-1000 with Servis from a Kentucky distributor known as MediVet. SGF-1000, an injectable, was marketed as a growth stimulant that also could help repair damaged tissue and act as a vasodilator, though those claims were dubious, at best, according to racing officials. The government also has claimed that Navarro illegally administered clenbuterol, a regulated bronchodilator that can have steroid-like effects on horses, and that he hid administrations of both clenbuterol and SGF-1000 from owners of horses by altering or conspiring to alter vet bills. The prosecutors have claimed that both Navarro and Servis used “regular” clenbuterol on horses and also a different formulation from a source in Mexico. After initially pleading not guilty, Navarro changed his plea to guilty on Aug. 11, at which time a second conspiracy charge – which could have brought another five-year penalty – against Navarro was dropped. Citing that guilty plea, which alleviated the need for a lengthy trial, as well as hundreds of letters sent to the judge on Navarro’s behalf painting him in a positive light, Kreiss argued for a lighter sentence. Vyskocil rejected the first argument noting that dropping a second count of conspiracy was enough of a benefit for Navarro. Second, Vyskocil rejected the sentiment expressed in those letters that Navarro “loved horses and the sport of horse racing.” Vyskocil said Navarro “demonstrated callous disregard for the well-being of horses entrusted in your care. Bottom line, you likely killed or certainly endangered horses in your care.” Vyskocil listed by name several horses – X Y Jet, War Story, Shancelot, Sharp Azteca, and Nanoosh – who won major races while presumably racing on illegal drugs. “The crimes that Mr. Navarro committed were serious, dangerous, cold, and calculating,” Vyskocil said. “For years, you effectively stole millions of dollars from other trainers, jockeys, and owners against whom you competed.” :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analytics, and expert picks. Navarro, given the opportunity to address the court, read prepared remarks apologizing to the court and the government “and most of all to my family and racetrack family.” He grew emotional as he talked about how he succumbed to pressure to become a top trainer because “I thought I had to win to become respected in the horse racing industry. I wanted to train top-quality horses and I lost my way and betrayed the horse business I loved so much. “I should have quit when I couldn’t handle the pressure,” Navarro added. Outside the court as he left with his family – including his wife, Jennifer, who sobbed often during the proceedings – Navarro was asked by Daily Racing Form if he had any comment on the sentencing. “The day they catch everyone, we’ll talk,” he said. Vyskocil said she hopes the sentencing “sends a strong message to people in the horse racing industry that abuse of animals entered in your care will not be tolerated and will result in serious consequences.” Jim Gagliano, president and CEO of The Jockey Club, attended Friday’s sentencing. “I’m grateful to the prosecutors and the government for their diligence in sticking with the case and pleased to hear the judge’s comments where she hopes that this is a wake-up call for all participants in the sport,” Gagliano said. – additional reporting by Matt Hegarty