Yonker‘ Free Pre‘‘ SATURDAY MARCH 14, 2020 - BRIAN HARROD PUBLISHER Yonkers harness racing trainer Rene Allard has joined the long list of those indicted for their role in a massive horse doping scheme that has rocked Thoroughbred and harness racing. The number of individuals who are known to have been involved is now 29. Yonkers Horseman Rene Allard Arrested By Feds In A Doping Scheme By BRIAN HARROD MGM ’ s racetrack at the Empire City Casio is still closed, because of COVID -19 death of equine regulator John Breenan, but is not stopping the fed ’ s from busting horse dopers at the Yonkers Raceway. Yonkers Horseman Rene Allard was arrested in Nevada after the feds took down 29 suspected hoodlums al- legedly involved in massive horse dop- ing scheme. There must have been a rat, be- cause Rene Allard was not among the original list of names of those who were indicted that was released Mon- day by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Allard is second in the current trainer’s standings at Yonkers Race- way, behind only Richard Banca, who has also been indicted as part of the doping probe undertaken by the FBI. According to a source, Allard was arrested earlier this week while sup- posedly vacationing in Las Vegas. He is being charged with “mis- branding” drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. During its investigation of Allard and others, the FBI intercepted a dis- turbing phone conversation between Ross Cohen and Louis Grasso, who were among those indicted Monday, discussing the deaths of horses who were given illegal drugs by Allard. It reads (exactly): Cohen: What’s going on with the Allard death camp? Grasso: (Laughter) well I didn’t get anymore emergency calls yester- day so I am assuming Cohen: Assuming the number stopped at 7? Grasso: Well yeah Cohen” How many died? Grasso: Three Cohen. Jeez. What were you thinking? Grasso: Three or two maybe. The pair continue to discuss the situation before wrapping up: Grasso: One of them just died on the table they just cut him open and poof it died. Cohen: Holy fk did they do an au- topsy? Grasso: Their heart rate was like triple they were breathing real heavy their membranes were going f-ing purple.