All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.S15E22.Sport.of.Kings.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

by two separate

yet equally important groups--

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

I have to pick up my check
in the morning, Doeshee.

So you're gonna be all alone
tomorrow, okay?

Yeah.

Nice boy. Yeah.

Oh, my God.

Barneys is good. Bergdorf's--

99 bucks, Century Twenty-One.
With a vest.

You look great in a vest.
What's on the menu, Sarge?

Rice and beans, in his 20s,
three shots to the chest.

I don't like that.

Sorry. No offense.

Who is he?
No wallet, no I.D.

Any cash?
Just some loose change.

What do we got in
the way of witnesses?

Not much, guy upstairs heard
some shots, called it in.

Him and ten other people.

All right, thanks.
We'll get a canvass going.

Cheap shoes
and K-Mart duds.

Not a guy you'd think
be target for a robbery.

Do you see where
your head is, Falco?

You told the other officers
that you were a witness.

I ran back into
my vestibule.

Did you actually
see anything, Miss?

A dead man on the sidewalk.

Well, I'm afraid
that's not much help.

It's not my fault.

I've lived on this block
for two years.

It seems like the cops
are here every other night.

Well, why is that?

It's mostly because of that bar
down the street.

El Gato Rojo?

There are fights there
all the time.

Men hanging out
at the sidewalk

at all hours.

They really should close
that place down.

Police, NYPD.

Uno momento, por favo.

Bartender, turn down
that television.

Does anyone in here
recognize this man?

You, sir, do you
recognize this man?

Nobody recognizes him, huh?

Well, that's too bad.

Because this man is not going
home to his family tonight.

What happened to him?

He just got shot
down the street from here.

Come on, somebody in here
had to see something.

I was here about half an hour
before the cop cars came.

Scram.

There was this white guy
standing out there.

What's unusual about that?

He seemed nervous, like
he was waiting for somebody.

Height, weight,
hair color.

He was wearing a jacket
with a logo on the back.

What kind of logo?

Um, it was in the shape
of a triangle.

But he didn't look like
he was from around here.

Why is that?

Well, most of the white folk
around here are young.

He looked old.

Three gunshot wounds
to the chest.

Looks like one went directly
into his heart.

I'll know more
after I open him up.

If he doesn't blow away first.
This guy looks small.

Yeah, 5'2", 114 pounds.

Yeah, but cut.

Check out his biceps
and forearms.

He has calluses
on both of his hands.

My guess is that he's some
kind of manual laborer.

Would you do me a favor and look
inside his mouth, please?

Sure.

Acid erosion on this teeth.

He was bulimic.

This guy could be a jockey.

That's how a lot of them
make their weight.

The regurgitate their food,

and their digestive acids
eat away at their teeth.

Lovely.

Keep us in the loop, Doc.

We've checked out

every building on that block
and nobody, and I mean nobody,

knows this guy.

Or that's what
they're saying.

You check with
Missing Persons?

Yeah, we did.
We got skunked there too.

Fontana called it.

Prints came back.

He was licensed by
the State Racing Board.

Thank you very much.

Name is Oscar Salazar.

He came here last March
on a visa from Panama.

You have a current address?

Dorm Number Three.
New York Downs Racetrack.

No betting on City time.

We're lost.

The guy said it was past
Barn 22.

Where's that?

Like I should know?

We'll keep walking.

It's like another world
back here.

'Scuse me.

We're looking
for Dorm Number Three.

You passed it.

This is gonna be hell
on the Belgium loafers.

This is where Oscar sleeps.

Was he here last night?

He left around 6:00,
and he never came in.

Any idea where he was?

No.

How 'bout you guys?

We don't know where he is.
He never stayed out before.

Well, I'm afraid I have
some bad news for you fellas.

Oscar was found dead

last night.

Is this his family?

Yeah, it's his wife and kids.

They're in Panama.

Oscar came here to ride.

He was a pretty big jock
back home,

but this is where the money is.

How was he doing?

Not so good.

Oscar maybe got
one or two mounts a week.

Usually a bum.

He had to hot-walk
and work horses

just to make a few bucks
to send home.

He have any trouble
with anyone back here?

I've never met anybody with
a bigger chip on his shoulder.

He was always getting
into it with somebody.

Track security was here looking
for him just a few days ago.

Yeah, that's right.

He was involved in
an altercation with a trainer

outside the Racing
Secretary's office.

A guy named Burton Fenster.

What kind of
an altercation?

I never found out.

But a dozen people said

they saw them pushing
and screaming at each other.

We heard that this kid
Salazar's a bit of a hothead.

Yeah, but Fenster's
no bargain either.

I mean, 95% of the trainers
out here are on the up-and-up.

Fenster's in
the other category.

He's been suspended twice
for doping horses.

Think he'd get the message.

We test for over 80 substances,
but there's always a new angle.

What's this guy Fenster
look like?

White guy, late 40s.

Yeah, I had an argument
with Oscar. What of it?

You mind telling us
what it was about?

What else? Money.

How 'bout being
more specific?

He was supposed to hot-walk
three of my horses last Sunday.

And he didn't?

He was a little confused.

Size one feet,
size one brains.

We heard it turned
into World War III.

15 bucks is 15 bucks.

Hey, why all these questions
about Oscar?

Because he was found
dead last night. Shot.

You seem real shook up
about it.

Hey, it's too bad.

But around here
kids like Oscar come and go.

Yeah, what about you?

Last night,
were you coming or going?

I tried to help this kid.

He was hungry for rides.

I'm the only trainer
out here that gave him any.

You ask anybody around here,
you don't believe me.

You still haven't answered
his question.

I get up every morning
at 4:00 a.m.

I was sleeping.

He gets the lay-up mix,
you moron.

That's the third time
I told you.

It's hard to believe

that this guy
was Oscar's patron saint.

Let's take him up
on his suggestion.

Good looking animals.

That's Rasputyn on the outside,

Dangerous Situation
on the inside.

From Caz Holliman's barn.

How do you know?

You recognize a face,
I recognize a horse.

They just breezed five furlongs
in 58 and change.

That's pretty quick.

We heard you were
the go-to guy around here.

Hey, you want tips,
you gotta buy my sheet.

This is about Burton Fenster.

Don't waste your money.

Hey, do you know,
did he ever use a jockey

named Oscar Salazar?

Once in a while.
Hey, that kid's a decent rider.

In the top ten over
at Presidente Ramon.

Can't catch a break here.

Although he did have a winner
a few weeks ago for Fenster.

Kahuna Baby. A maiden.
Never hit the board.

Salazar brought him in
at 24:1.

How much of that is the jockey?
How much of that is the horse?

I wouldn't be surprised

if it was something
completely different.

It was fixed.

Not unheard of.

How would you do
such a thing?

The same as Jason Giambi.

This isn't the majors.
The horses get tested.

Not for milkshakes.

You take
some sodium bicarbonate.

Mix it in
with some Gatorade.

And what,
the horse drinks it?

He doesn't have to.

They stick a garden hose
down his throat and pump it in.

It neutralizes the lactic acid
that builds up

in the horse's muscles.

So they could run all day
without feeling tired.

Or until it blows a tendon

and a jockey gets
trampled to death.

I got a feeling that this is
a lot more serious than $15.

That's Kahuna Baby on the lead.

He won by nine
or ten lengths.

That's big odds.

If he had a milkshake
before the race,

is there any way to tell?

The only way to detect
for sodium bicarbonate

is before a race.

We're not equipped
to do that...yet.

How much did Salazar get
for riding the winner?

The winning jockey gets
10% of the horse's purse.

In this case about $2300.

That's not so bad.

Only that's not
Oscar Salazar on the horse.

We were told
he was the jockey.

He was listed in the program
as the rider,

but there was a jockey switch

to Sam Barlow
the day of the race.

It was announced
on the PA at the track.

Who makes that decision?

Salazar came n
that morning and withdre.

I assumed that's what
all the yelling and screaming

between him and Fenster

was about that day.

We're gonna have to get

a look inside Fenster's barn
right away.

I'll call security.

There's nothing in there

but rundown bandages
and liniment.

He's right.

Now, maybe if you tell me
what it is you're looking for...

Sodium bicarbonate.

Go to hell!

We checked the stalls, Mike.
Everything's kosher.

Is it all right with you guys
if I go back to work now?

What about this Caddy?
That's mine.

Well, you don't mind
if we take a look inside?

I rent stalls
from this racetrack.

This car is mine.

You want to look inside it,
you gotta get a warrant.

Actually, I don't need one.

When you leased these stalls,
you signed a consent

for us to search any vehicle
you bring on the grounds.

So either give us the keys
or Mr. Tradewski here

can pop the trunk for you.

Step back, Mr. Fenster.

Sodium bicarbonate.

And a hose.

And now you can come
to our house for a milkshake.

What's that got to do
with anything?

We think Salazar found out
you were juicing Kahuna Baby

and that's why he withdrew
from the race.

That's nuts.

Now listen to me.

We know that you two
had a fight before the race.

Maybe he threatened
to run his mouth off.

Bring the Racing Association
down on you.

A record like yours,

you can't affod
another violatio.

For starters,
no down-on-his-luck jockey's

gonna blow the whistle
on a milkshake.

If a horse gets them
in the money,

he doesn't care
how it got there.

So why'd Salazar
pull out?

That was my call.

The track was a little
off that day.

I decided to go
with a more seasoned jockey.

Sam Barlow?
Yeah.

How'd Salazar take that?

He started screaming
and hollering

about how he was as good
as Sam Barlow

or any other jockey around here.

Well, how'd you guys leave it?

I told him

if he couldn't run
with the big dogs,

he oughta stay on the porch.

And that was the last time
I saw him.

On the night that
Salazar got killed,

you said that you were at home.
What'd you do?

I went over the condition books
and made some phone calls.

To who?

There was this vet
out at Santa Anita.

I needed to talk to him about
a yearling I was looking at.

His name and number.

Tolls show that Fenster
did call California

on the night of the murder.

He was on the phone from
10:15 to 10:55 Eastern time.

And the vet confirms it.

So he's in the clear.

Not completely.

Racing Association's
investigating

the milkshake incident.

Fenster could have
his stalls revoked.

Well, from what I've been
reading in the papers,

he'll have plenty
of company.

Did Salazar have bad blood
with anyone besides Fenster?

Seems the only people he did
get along with were the horses.

What about that jockey
Fenster mentioned?

The one that took his ride
on the winning horse?

And took 10% of the purse.

I used to call him The Bull.

Why is that?

'Cause Oscar was impatient.

He didn't know how
to wait for the hull.

He was always trying
to push through.

So you two weren't
exactly friends.

When you're out on the track,
you got no friends.

But at the end of the day

we're all in here
playing Texas Hold'em.

We heard he didn't take it
too well

when you replaced him
on Kahuna Baby.

He must have gotten
over it

'cause when I saw him
after the race,

he was pretty upbeat.

Did he happen to mention why?

He said he'd just
been promised a mount

on one of Caz Holliman's
horses, Rasputyn.

That's that horse we saw
work out the other day.

Oscar loved that horse.

Said Rasputyn

was Triple Crown material.

And I see he's
on the program today

in the 70K stakes race.

And you're riding him.

Yeah, I gotta get ready.

Where can we find
Mr. Holliman?

Try the paddock.

Thanks.

There's Holliman.
The other guy is Mr. Varick.

One of the owners.

Thanks, kid.

Check out the logo on back
of Holliman's jacket.

The "V"?

During the day it's a "V"

At night it could be
a triangle.

Come on.

Mr. Holliman.

Can we have a word with you?

I got a race coming up.

We just have a couple
of quick questions

about Oscar Salazar.

That's okay, Caz.
I'll meet you up in the box.

Yeah, all right.

How well did you know
Salazar?

Hired him a couple of times
as an exercise rider.

That's about it.

We heard you promised him
a mount on Rasputyn.

A mount?

Where the hell
did you hear that?

He told the other jockeys.

He's probably just trying
to psych the other guy out.

We got a lot of
Napoleon complexes around here.

So it's not true?

No. Absolutely not.

I don't use unproven jockeys
on my horses.

Anything else?

No, no, no. Thanks.

How do you like your chances
in this one?

Might be worth a small wager.

Well, I don't think we'd really
be doing our job

if we didn't catch the race.

Bettin' on
the suspect's horse.

Don't worry, Falco.

They're not gonna
throw you out of law school.

More to the point, I wouldn't
want to explain it in court.

Down the stretch
and it's Rasputyn

and Midnight Racer running
nose and nose.

Rasputyn opens up a neck.

Midnight Racer can't catch him,

and it's Rasputyn
across the wire.

A magnificent performance
for this horse.

Winner's share was 40,000.

4Gs to the jockey.

You say the trainer fits
the description

given by the witness.

Same age and height,
but here's the thing.

He has a jacket
with a "V" shape logo on it.

Which could look like
a triangle in the dark.

Any history of antagonism
between Holliman and Salazar?

No, but there is something
that doesn't add up.

Salazar told another jockey
that he was promised a mount

on Rasputyn.

By Holliman denies it.

He says that the only thing
he ever promised Salazar

was a morning workou.

Who can clear it up?

We could talk to the owner
Edgar Varick.

He was at the track
with Holliman this morning.

Do it.

When my father started Vartek,

he was printing fliers
for a local five-and-dime.

And now we make everything.

From toothpaste boxes
to billboard signage.

Quite a jump from toothpaste
to thoroughbreds.

Racing is my true passion.

Sorry.

Test is just back on
the wet strength label paper.

It's perfect.

I'll call the distributor,
tell them it's finally ready.

That's great, Ben.

This business.

They want the product

before the tree's out
of the damn ground.

How did you know
about my horses?

We caught
Rasputyn's last race.

That horse has a lot of guts.

He's won three out of seven
so far.

My secretary calls ths
my "ego wall"

There's nothing like
seeing a horse you own

thundering toward the wire.

Very impressive.

Do you weigh in
on jockey selection?

Nah, that's strictly
Caz Holliman's domain.

So you didn't tell Oscar Salazar
he could ride Rasputyn.

I didn't even know Salazar.

Well, how 'bout Holliman?

Did he ever mention
using Salazar?

Not that I recall, n.

You mind if I take this?

It's an old Racing Form,
but sure, help yourself.

I get down to the track

once in awhile.

Thought I might bone up.

Thank.

What was that all about?

That's a picture of Rasputyn
in the winner's circle.

Check out the groom.

He was one
of Salazar's roommates.

I remember asking this guy
about Salazar's whereabouts

on the night of the murder

and that he didn't have
too much to say.

Because he's on
Holliman's payroll.

You think
he's protecting him?

I think you don't bite
the hand that feeds you.

I think you might be right.

Yeah.

Caz Holliman's the best,
you know.

I'd been with him
five years.

How'd he get along
with Oscar Salazar?

No problem, you know.

Oscar did morning workouts
for him.

On Rasputyn?

Yeah.
Oscar loved that horse.

Yeah, we heard Holliman promised
Oscar a mount on Rasputyn.

You know anything
about that?

Not really.

Well, that doesn't sound
too convincing.

You know what I heard?

I heard that the weather
in Central America

is gorgeous
this time of the year.

That's right where you're going
unless you tell us something.

I don't know for sure
if Mr. Holliman promised Oscar.

I just know
they were gonna talk about it.

Oscar tell you that?

Mr. Holliman did.

He was looking for Oscar.
He couldn't find him.

So he gave me the message.

What message?

Mr. Holliman told me
to tell Oscar

to be at El Gato Rojo
to talk about Rasputyn.

He was gonna meet
Salazar there.

At 10:00. Tuesday.

The night Oscar was killed.

I didn't murder Oscar Salazar.

You lied to us about promising
him a mount on Rasputyn,

and you set up the meeting
at the bar where he was killed.

And you fit the description
given to us by an eyewitness.

Right now I'd say
you're our front runner.

Actually,
you're the only runner.

And if you don't
tell us something

in the next three minutes
to change our minds,

you're gonna get charged
with murder.

All right, yeah,
I set up the meeting.

But it wasn't with me.

Well, who was it with?

Mr. Varick.

He said he wanted
to talk to Salazar.

About what?

Varick told everybody
he bought Rasputyn in Dubai

for 28 grand.

But anybody who had ever
ridden that horse

knew he was worth
maybe 100 times that.

Including Salazar.

After his first exercise ride,
he came back to the barn

and said that was
the fastest three-year-old

he'd ever been on.

So why didn't he win
more races?

Because Varick instructed me
to hold him back.

He didn't want anybody to know
how good Rasputyn really was.

Well, what happened
with Salazar?

He got it into his head

that if he could just
get a mount on Rasputyn,

it would turn
his whole career around.

Got to be a real pain
in the ass about it.

So what'd he do?
Confront Varick personally?

Once he realized he wasn't
going to get his shot,

he started snooping around.

He wrote to the Panamanian
Racing Commissioner

and asked for information about

Rasputyn's bloodlines.

Me and Varick got a letter

informing us of the request.

Varick hit the roof.

You still have the letter?

Yeah, it's back at the barn.

It's all yours
if you want it.

He said he just wanted
to talk some sense into the kid.

I feel bad about Oscar.

I really do.

I had no idea that anything
like this was gonna happen.

Nobody ever does.

Mr. Varick.

What are you doing here?

You wouldn't be
needing this.

What in the hell
is going on?

You're coming with us.

I can't leave.
I'm hosting this party.

We'll make sure
you get a doggie bag.

And don't tell me I can't
eat on the job either.

Take your time, Mr. Delgado,

and tell us
if you recognize anyone.

Or if you don't.

Make sure you look from
one end to the other.

Okay, that's him.

Number one.

Where do you
recognize him from?

That's the guy I saw
outside El Gato Rojo.

Docket 0-5-9-3-7.

People v. Edgar Varick.

Charge is Murdr
in the Second Degre.

How does the defendant plea?

Not guilty, Your Honor.

People on bail, Ms. Borgia?

The people seek remand.

That's outrageous.

My client is a respectable
and well-known figure

in his community--

who arranged to met
with the victm

at an out-of-the-way bar

and lurked under a street lamp
until he arrived.

Your Honor, Mr. Varick
is the CEO

of an established
family business

with over 300 employes
whom he is loyal t.

He is not going anywhere.

Bail's set at one million.

Motion's referred
to the Trial Part.

Varick made bail before
the bus left for Rikers.

I've come across
a few horse people in my day.

And I didn't recall
any of 'em

that didn't want
their horse to win.

Unless they were neck deep
in some gambling scheme.

If a bettor wins big,

doesn't the track have to file
with the IRS?

They never filed anything
for Varick.

And I talked with
some of his friends.

He's not a gamble.

What other reason
would he have

to misrepreset
his horse's abilitie?

That's what Oscar Salazar

was trying to figure out.

Well, you look
into bloodlines

when you want to know
a horse's lineage.

His sire and his dam.

Maybe Rasputyn isn't Rasputyn.

The trainer told us
everything he knows.

Go down the food chain.

Try the jockey.

Look, I don't know
anything about this.

Holliman told me to get
the horse stuck in traffic.

That's what I did.

And you never bothered
to ask why?

I got maybe 15 rides a week
from Holliman's barn.

There are other riders out there
getting four or five a month.

Like Oscar Salazar.

Yeah, like Oscar.

Oscar thought Rasputyn
was something pretty special.

That horse could win
any race he's in.

That's quite
an endorsement.

You might not notice
from the stands,

but when you're sitting
in the saddle, you feel it.

So how did Edgar Varick get him
at a bargain basement price?

I can't answer that.

Can't or won't?

I just try to get the horse
in the winner's circle, ma'am.

You want the dollars and cents,
check with Varick's insurance.

Rasputyn was purchased

from Sheik Ahmed Zahariou
at private treaty last year

in Dubai.

Private treaty?

A private sale.

What was the purchase price?

I'm not permitted
to reveal that information

to any person who's not
a named insured.

What if that person
has access to a subpoena?

$3 million.

Varick told the Jockey Club
he bought Rasputyn for 28,000.

He can tell
the Jockey Club

whatever he wants.

They don't have to reimburse him
in the event

of the horse's death or injury.

So you're saying Varick
insured the horse

for 3 million as well?

That's right.

We only write policies
for actual cash value.

I have the bill of sale
here in the file.

It's in Arabic.

Mr. Varick paid
12 million dirhams.

Turns out the $28,000 champion
is a myth.

Varick paid
just over $3 million

for that hors.

But we don't know
why he lied about it?

This might explain it.

From his bank statements,
there's no record

he even bought a horse.

There are no withdrawals
corresponding

to the amount of purchase
or the date.

Maybe he had a little something
stashed away under the mattress.

His account balances
are practically nil.

He barely even has enough
to cover his monthly condo fee.

So where did he get
the money to buy

a $3 million horse?

Maybe he did it
the old-fashioned way,

family money.

First there was skydiving.

Now it's racehorses.

I was thinking you were involved
with his horses financially.

Why would you think that,
Miss Borgia?

If I can be honest,
Mrs. Varick,

we don't understand how else
your son could afford it.

Oh, he explained
all that to me.

It's not that expensive.

You don't really think
that he had anything

to do with this man's death,

do yo?

Right now, we're just trying
to put the pieces together.

Well, I'm sure that
this won't amount to anything.

When Edgar's father passed away,
did your son receive

a windfall of any kind?

An inheritance?

N.

My late husband believed
that Edgar should earn

his own way in life.

And he thought Vartek
would give him that opportunity?

Mm-hm.

Lewis founded the company
in 1959.

No formal education,
plenty of street smarts.

And we invested everything
we had back into the company,

which wasn't much.

Lewis, he worked
seven days a week...

for over 40 years.

And then he passed
the company on to your son.

Well, he put Edgar in charge,

but actually,
I am the sole shareholder.

Edgar assumes ownership
after my death.

So do you have any involvement
with the company now,

Mrs. Varick?

Not really, only as trustee
for the Employee's Pension Fund.

The pension fund?

My husband started it
for the workers.

Some of them have been with
the company since we started.

Edgar comes by every now
and then with all these papers

for me to sign.

It's the only time
I see him these days.

Besides you, is anyone else
involved with the pension fund?

There is one other trustee.

Ben Shaney, he was
Lewis' foreman for 42 years.

When Edgar told me we needed
to move the money

to a mutual fund,
it sounded like a good idea.

I'm not a banker,
Mr. McCoy.

I run the production line.

He never explained
why he was making

these pension fund
transfers?

Something to do
about a better return.

Does this have something
to do with this crazy case

you have against him?

Last February
Mr. Varick went to Dubai.

There was a convention.
Converted paper products.

He also bought a racehorse
while he was there.

That's right.

Rasputyn.

Did he happen to tell yu

how much he pad
for that hors?

It was none of my business.

$3 million.

3 million?

Are you kidding?

We have documentation.

You know, company profits have
been down the last few years.

Edgar hasn't even
taken a salary

so we can make payroll.

Where's he going to come up
with $3 million?

You signed the papers
for the pension fund.

Weren't you suspicious?

Now wait.

What are you--

What are you saying?

That Edgar took our money?

Ever wonder how he afforded
his lifestyle?

Well, I figured his old man
left him something.

Not a penn.

He just let his son
run the company.

There are 300 employees
depending on that money.

Are you telling me
it's all gone?

Big chunk of it.

We don't have
the final figures yet.

We've been building that plan
for 40 years.

If that money is gone,
what are we going to do?

That's our retirement.

It's all we've got.

I'm sorry.

to take people's retirement
money and buy a racehorse?

Rasputyn was the tip
of the iceberg, Arthur.

Over the past few years,
Varick treated himself

to six other horses,
a 40-foot sailboat,

a Jackson Pollock.

All courtesy
of the Vartek Pension fund.

How'd he pull it off?

Once the trustees signed off,
most of the money

was transferred
into a mutual fund

in the name of the pension.

But there was
a revolving sell order

which diverted the proceeds

into a bank account
in Delaware,

which Varick could access.

To the tune of $90,000 a week
for the past three years.

Make sure you add
first degree Grand Larceny

to the indictment.

How'd the horse figure
in the murder?

It would have raised eyebrows

if Varick had come back
from the convention

with a $3 million horse.

So he said he bought it
on the cheap.

He's been gradually
moving it up under the radar

into some major races.

Until Oscar Salazar
exercised the horse.

He started asking questions

which would have led
to the pension fund.

Varick killed
a hardworking immigrant

in order to conceal his greed.

In addition to a life sentence,
I'd like to see this guy

hauled out in stocks
in Foley Square.

A preclusion motion
from Varick.

The D.A.'s notice
of physical evidence

is very impressive, Judge.

Horses, cars, boats,
paintings.

Too bad none of it
is relevant.

Every item was a separate theft
Mr. Varick had reason to hide.

He's not charged with
any of these larcenies.

This is nothig
but a thinly veiled attemt

to prejudice the jury
by portraying

my client's lifestyle
as excessive.

The defendant had no qualms
about flaunting his lifestyle

until it became clear
it was financed

from his employees'
retirement account.

And Oscar Salazar was unaware
of any of this.

But your case, Mr. McCoy,
is based upon

the premise that the victim
suspected some hanky-panky

with the horse?

That's correct, Your Honor.

It's a close question,
but I'm giving the defense

this one.

I'm precluding the introduction
of any evidence

of Mr. Varick's
lavish purchases

except Rasputyn.

The next one this tight
might not go your way,

Ms. Hammond.

I was meeting some friends

at El Gato Rojo.

As I turned on to DeLancey,
I saw a man standing around.

What do you mean when you say
"standing around,"

Mr. Delgado?

Like he was waiting
for somebody.

Do you see the man
in court today?

That's hi.

What was he wearing?

A jacket with a "V" on i.

I show you People's 7,
which police recovered

from the defendant's home.

Was this the jacket
that you saw,

Mr. Delgado?

That's it.

When you talked to the police
you were at a bar,

Mr. Delgado?
Yes.

You had a few drinks in you?

Beer.

You told the police

the logo you saw
was a triangle.

Not a "V."

If you couldn't distinguish
what a first-grader could have,

what makes you think you could
identify the man's face?

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained.

Nothing further.

Mr. Varick came back
from the trip to Dubai

and told me
he'd bought a horse.

A three-year-old
named Rasputyn.

He had it shipped
to my barn

here in New York.

What did he say
about the horse?

He said he watched it run
and that the sky was the limit.

But that there was
a specific training strategy

he wanted to follo.

Which was what, Mr. Holliman?

Which was to only entr

Rasputyn in soft races
at first.

And then to gradually move him
into stiffer competition.

He didn't want anybody to know
how good the horse really was.

Did he tell you why?

He didn't say.

So how was
this strategy accomplished?

I told my jockey,
do whatever he needed to do

to hold the horse back
without getting caught.

Even then, Rasputyn still won
three of his first seven races.

Did Oscar Salazar
ever ride Rasputyn?

Not in a rac.

I used Oscar a few tims

in the morning
to work the horse

when my regular jockey
was sick.

What, if anything,
did Mr. Salazar say to you

after riding Rasputyn?

He begged me to let him
ride Rasputyn in a race.

How did you respond
to these requests?

I kept putting him off.

I told Oscar

it was up to Mr. Varic.

And after awhie
he started getting push.

He said that he knew
we were up to something

and that he was gonna
tell somebody.

What happened?

A couple weeks later

Mr. Varick called me
and said that he wanted

to talk to Oscar
about Rasputyn.

He said to have Oscar
meet him at this bar downtown.

I had one of my grooms
relay the message.

Was that the night
Oscar was murdered?

Yeah.

So let me understand this,
Mr. Holliman.

You admit that you cheated
by holding Rasputyn back.

Yeah.

And you were the one
who personally told

the jockey not to win.

Yes.

And you were the one

who Oscar Salazar
was angry with.
Right.

And you were the one
who sent him to the location

where he was killed.

Yeah, but I wasn't there.

So you say.

Do you own a jacket

with the Vartek
racing stable logo on it?

Of course I do--

So other than the word
of an admitted cheater,

do we have one iota of proof
that my client did the things

you say he did?

The transfers
from the Vartek Pension Fund

were authorized
by its two trustees:

My mother and Ben Shaney.

Were the monies used
to buy Rasputyn?

They wer,
but you have to understad

that transaction was
for investment purposes.

I wanted the employees
of Vartek to reap

the appreciatin
in value of the hors.

Did you intend to steal

from the pension fund,
Mr. Varick?

That is the last thig
I would ever d.

Many of these people
were with my father

when he started the company.

So how do you account
for your actions?

I know I cut
a few administrative corners,

but when it comes
to the welfare of my workers,

I'm not conservativ.

The return n
the Vartek Pension Fud

was averaging
less than two percent.

And when I saw this horse,

I knew that I could double
or even triple our money.

For God's sake,
Smarty Jones was syndicated

for $39 million aftr
only two years of racin.

You heard
Caz Holliman's testimony

that you instructed him
to hold back Rasputyn

to disguise his value.

And that's
completely false.

I think it was some kind
of betting scam

Caz was operating to run p
the odds for one big scor.

And as far as Oscar Salazar,
Mr. Varick.

I never met the fella.

I-I had nothing against him.

And I did not kill him.

Are you seriously telling
this jury

that you considered a racehorse
to be a sound investment

for your employees'
retirement money?

Before I bought Rasputyn,
I did extensive research

on his bloodlines.

I had X-rays taken
of his legs

to detect any injuries.

I consulted with
a preeminent

veterinarian in Dubai
on the horse's confirmation.

If Rasputyn belonged
to your employees,

why did you race the horse
in your own name?

A pension fund can't get
an owner's license

in New York, Mr. McCoy.

If you'd done your homework,

you'd know tha.

Well, that's convenient,
Mr. Varick.

So you were able to use
your expertise in these matters

to conceal your thievery.

Objection.

Sustaine.

You under-reported
the price of the horse.

It's common practice
in the industry.

No one wants to publicize
what they paid for an animal

in a private sale.

It's part of the game.

Of deceiving the public.

I may have misld
the Jockey Clu,

but I insured the hore

for what I paid
so that none of my employees

would lose a penny of their
money in the case of an injury.

And what about
the fancy parties you threw

with our pension money?

And the yacht you took
to the Caribbean?

Please, sir, sit down
and be quiet.

You're a thief, Edgar.

A thief!

Remove him from the courtroom.

And your father.

Your father would roll over
in his grave

if you knew what
you were doing to us.

Come up.

Well, that was an end run
around the Court's ruling.

Which the prosecution knew
absolutely nothing about.

Oh, I'm sure.
I'm moving for a mistrial.

A curative instruction

will suffice here, Judge.

We'll let the jury go home
for the day.

I am loathe to derail this trial
because of this.

But I will hear your arguments
at 9:30 tomorrow morning.

I just lost my head.

Sitting there watching
Edgar lie like that.

I know it's upsetting,
but you can't just--

All that bull about
the welfare of the employees

it's just one big snow job.

Cross-examination

is complicated, Mr. Shaney.

The first few questions often
lay a trap for later.

I'm sorry.

I shoulda just let you
do your job.

Yes, you should have.

Very poor judgment on your part.

It's ten past 11:00,
Ms. Hammond.

Where's your client?

I don't know, Your Honor.

He hasn't answered any
of the numbers we have for him.

Have you sent someone
to his home?

And his place of business.
We still can't find him.

Our detectives
have checked the morgue.

They've checked every hospital
in the borough,

and they've sent local police
to his mother's house.

So what's your pleasure,
counselors?

Apparently,
Mr. Varick has fled.

Since he voluntarily absented
himself from his trial,

he shouldn't be able
to claim it's unfair.

Your Honor should deny

his motion for a mistria.

And what then, Mr. McCoy?

Continue the trial
in absentia.

If Mr. Shaney's outburst
was prejudicial before,

it's doubly so if it appears
to the jury

that my client was driven
from this courtroom.

The defendant should have
thought of that before he ran.

This is a pattern
with Mr. Varick.

Profiting from his own
malfeasance.

And it's time for it to stop.

As much as I would
like to continue

without Mr. Varick,
I am going to play it safe.

I'm declaring a mistrial.

A bench warrant
is ordered.

Anything new?

They found Varick's Mercedes

in a lot at JFK.

I'm checking with the FAA.

They should be able

to track his passport
and find out where he's headed.

I doubt if he'd ue
his ow.

But don't put away the file.

Notice the defense
for motion pursuant

to Penal Law Article 4-50.

Call the NYPD Mounted Unit.

They must have a spare
horse trailer.

The People have no right
to dispose of stolen property

until there is an adjudication
that it is, in fact, stolen.

That's not what
the statue says.

It allows
the District Attorney

to restore stolen property
to the lawful owner

upon written notification
to the defendant.

Who is not here
to challenge the allegation.

Because he fled
the jurisdiction.

His car was found at JFK.

Your Honor, this so-called
stolen property,

it's not evn
in the D.A.'s possessio.

At 6:00 this morning
Rasputyn was seized

from Caz Holliman's barn
and placed in a police vehicle.

It is our further intention
to seize every item

in Mr. Varick's possession

since he began lootig
his company's pension accoun.

From the racing stable
down to his martini shaker.

For spite?

To restore
Vartek's pension plan.

Your Hono,

the tail is wagging
the dog here--

If Mr. Varick has a problem

with the People's application,
he has 48 hours to appear

and convince me
why I shouldn't grant it.

So what now, Jack?

Auction off Rasputyn
to recoup the pension money?

That'll be up to the Trustees.
It's their horse.

A.D.A. Borgia.

Are you kidding?

Hold on.

They found Varick.

We towed the car in
from JFK...

finally got around
to doing an inventory.

Here lies Edgar Varic.

One in the head.

How many people
did this guy screw over

at his company?

300. Throw in the family
and friends of Oscar Salazar,

that's a lot of suspects.

And a lot of justice.