Prosecution rests case in Giannelli trial

Prosecutors in the Lisa Giannelli horse doping scandal rested their case yesterday but not before calling their last two (2) witnesses to testify: Adrienne Hall and Rita Noblett.

Adrienne Hall, a harness racing horse trainer and admitted client of Dr. Seth Fishman has been at the center of the controversy before yesterday because, according to her, in an article written by Debbie Little for HarnessRacingUpdate (HRU) on Feb. 11, 2022, she voluntarily agreed to testify for the government against Dr. Fishman, the veterinarian convicted this past February of two (2) counts of Drug Adulteration and Misbranding Conspiracy in his Jan 2022 trial.

Rita Noblett, a retired Special Investigator who worked for the Pennsylvania Racing Commission also testified yesterday.

In the article written for HRU and written by Debbie Little, Ms. Hall recounted that “I did not in any way have to testify.”  “I was never subpoenaed.”  “I was never forced or threatened.  I was voluntarily helping them because I knew the stuff that was said on those tapes was very damaging to Fishman.

“He said things on our calls that he did not say to anyone else.  I understood that and I wanted to help.  They made it clear that they were doing this to clean up the business and it would make it better for the horses and I said, yeah, I’ll help you guys.”

After Ms. Hall testified in Dr. Fishman’s trial on January 27, 2022, two (2) very different events happened:  Ms. Hall’s United States Trotting Association membership was revoked, but in a press release by Jeff Gural for the Meadowlands Racetrack, where Ms. Hall was currently racing, Mr. Gural stated that “We disagree with the USTA decision, and we applaud Ms. Hall for coming forward.”

Since that time, Ms. Hall has voluntarily relinquished her NJ license to race when she and the NJ Racing Commission could not reach an agreement when her hearing would be held.

The Justice Department asked that she not testify before the Commission until after she testifies in both the Fishman and Giannelli trials.  The NJ Racing Commission would not agree to delay their hearing until such time.  This writer contacted the NJ Racing Commission by phone this morning about the status of Ms. Hall’s racing license. The Commission has yet to return the call.

Ms. Hall testified that she first reached out to Lisa Gianelli, and then to Dr. Fishman because she had acquired a horse and was hoping that Dr. Fishman could help her with “pre-race options” for that animal.

Dr. Fishman had been recommended to her as a highly respected, top-notch vet. During her testimony, Ms. Hall stated “I bought two bottles of the PED “VO2” from Lisa Ranger”.  Ranger was the name Ms. Giannelli used during that period.

Prosecutors showed the jury a 2019 invoice where Giannelli’s home address was also used as the return address on the invoice. The total purchase price for these two (2) bottles was $158.

In an exchange during cross-examination, Louis Fasulo the defendant’s attorney, questioned Ms. Hall about the non-prosecution agreement under which she testified.

“I was committed to help regardless of signing an agreement or not”.  She also stated that “I believe this will help the sport, it will help the horses and we really need that today.”

This led Mr. Fasulo to ask, “You care about the integrity of racing?”  Ms. Hall replied “Very”.  Mr. Fasulo went on to say that “You were part of the problem and now you’re the remedy?”  Ms. Hall reiterated that she would indeed like to see change happen in the sport.

The second prosecution witness to testify on the last day of the prosecution’s case in Ms. Giannelli’s trial was the retired investigator, Rita Noblett, from the Pennsylvania Racing Commission.

She testified that at Parx Racing in February 2020, trainer Silvio Martin’s pick-up truck was pulled over and medications with no prescription labels and syringes and needles were found inside the truck.  The substances, according to Ms. Noblett were Banamine, Butaject and Dexium.

Prosecutors indicated that the bottles had been found in a box with a shipping label addressed to Fishman at Giannelli’s Delaware address.

After numerous attempts to reach Mr. Martin to interview him about the incident, when Ms. Noblett finally spoke to Mr. Martin, he stated that Dr. Fishman was the veterinarian for his farm.  She indicated that she thought it was odd that a Florida veterinarian was the veterinarian for a Pennsylvania farm saying, “It didn’t make sense to me”, but conceded on cross-examination that Mr. Silvio Martin’s private farm would not fall under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Racing Commission.

The trial resumed today, and Ms. Giannelli is expected to testify.

By Monica Bencal, for Harnesslink

Full Disclosure:  The freelance writer, Monica Bencal, is the wife of Robert Bencal, Jeff Gural longtime but now retired horse trainer.  Ms. Bencal is also partners with Jeff and Paula Gural on the broodmare Sina, who is the dam of Beautiful Sin & Robertsin. She is also a member of the United States Harness Writers Association with the Florida Chapter.