Carmel veterinarian named in large horse-racing indictment
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Dr. Gregory Skelton is one of 27 people charged in what prosecutors call the largest federal indictment in the history of horse racing. Skelton holds two veterinary licenses here in Indiana.
He is listed as the veterinarian at Skelton Equine Sports Medicine LLC. The address listed for the practice is for a home in Carmel.
I-Team 8 went to the address Tuesday morning to ask Skelton to further explain his portion of the indictment. According to the person who answered the door, Skelton wasn’t available.
The 40-page indictment alleges that Skelton and another veterinarian manufactured, sold and customized performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs, for two horse trainers. One of those trainers was that of the disqualified winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
According to the indictment, Skelton supplied PEDs, analgesics and a joint block, which blocks pain to the horse during a race. The number of horses drugged and races affected is not noted in the indictment.
It is unclear if Skelton prepared the compounds at his office in Carmel. According to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, his veterinarian license gave him access to all veterinarian drugs with the exception of Schedule I drugs.
I-Team 8 reached out to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, and they sent a statement regarding all the people mentioned in the indictment.
The Indiana Horse Racing Commission works tirelessly to ensure that horse racing is conducted with the utmost integrity. Over the years, the commission has dedicated significant time and effort to innovations in our drug testing programs and we will continue to do so.
While we are not prepared to comment on individual cases from other jurisdictions, we take allegations against all licensees very seriously and generally make note of disciplinary actions in other states when and if an applicant applies for a license to race in Indiana.
Indiana Horse Racing Commission