Arabians Appear Targets of Probe

A leading trainer of Arabian horses has been questioned by the FBI in its investigation of racing in Southern California.

The trainer, Danny Garrett, said in a telephone interview that he had cooperated with authorities but had no information about the possibility of fixed races last year at Los Alamitos, the Orange County track where Arabian racing was part of a mixed-breed meet.

“[The FBI] told me that they were looking at some races and looking at some jockeys,” Garrett said.

The federal investigation appears to be focused on Arabian races at Los Alamitos. Last week, Ed Allred, the president of the track, said he talked to an owner of Arabians who had been interviewed for four or five hours by the FBI. Allred did not identify the owner.

Although the FBI has not confirmed that it is conducting an inquiry, Garrett said that he was questioned by the agency at his home.

“I want to win all my races,” Garrett said. “It would be a shame if two or three jockeys did something and cost us all our jobs. That could take a young industry down.”

Garrett set a record for Los Alamitos, since broken, when he saddled 36 Arabian winners in 1995. Last year, Garrett’s horses earned $219,489, which ranked him fourth nationally.

One of Garrett’s biggest wins last year was scored by Pierrots Shadow, who won the $50,000 California Arabian Cup International at Los Alamitos.

Pierrots Shadow, who had won only two of 11 previous starts in 1996, running in the $5,000 claiming ranks during the summer, paid $80.80 for a $2 win ticket. A $2 trifecta bet on Pierrots Shadow and the second- and third-place finishers was worth $674.90. Strikke A Pose, the 1-5 favorite who was also trained by Garrett, finished third.

“A lot of races are not won by favorites,” Garrett said. “Sometimes you’ll get bad rides. But when you ask a jockey about what he did, he’ll tell you that a horse took a bad step or wasn’t feeling right. You can’t convict someone for being stupid.”