Posts Tagged ‘gato go win’
Monday, April 20th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
 UPDATED 1:10 P.M.:
If Jeff Mullins serves a seven-day suspension from New York authorities scheduled to begin May 3, he could be the first winning trainer in Kentucky Derby history who isn’t able to go to the stable area at Churchill Downs to check on his horse the morning after the race.
I Want Revenge, trained by Mullins, is the likely favorite in this year’s Kentucky Derby, to be run May 2. Mullins’ suspension is in connection with New York Racing Association detention barn rules he was found to have violated while administering an herbal product to Gato Go Win prior to the Bay Shore Stakes April 4, necessitating that the horse be scratched by stewards. It was at least the 22nd ruling by racing officials against Mullins since 2000.
UPDATE: After this report was published, we were reminded that Larry Jones, trainer of Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire, also will begin a seven-day suspension on May 3. That suspension resulted from a positive test for the bronchodilator Clenbuterol in a horse that won a June 8, 2008, allowance race at Delaware Park. It was the first ruling of any kind against Jones, according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
Suspensions generally prohibit licensed personnel from having access to secure areas of a racetrack, including the stable area. It is expected the New York State Racing and Wagering Board (and Delaware Racing Commission) ruling will be recognized by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
If I Want Revenge (or Friesan Fire) wins the Kentucky Derby, perhaps Churchill Downs will schedule a press conference at Wagner’s Pharmacy, a popular breakfast spot for trainers just down the road from the stable gate. Dozens of reporters and camera crews traditionally flock to the barn of the winning Kentucky Derby trainer the morning after the race to get quotes for follow-up coverage. This year, they might be able to get some scrambled eggs to go with their stories.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: bay shore stakes, churchill downs, gato go win, I Want Revenge, jeff mullins, kentucky derby, kentucky horse racing commission, khrc, New York Racing Association, new york state racing and wagering board, nyra, nysrwb, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, srwb
Posted in New York Racing Association, People, Regulatory Issues, kentucky derby | 16 Comments »
Monday, April 13th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
When launching the Paulick Report last June, I promised readers that we would provide unvarnished coverage of the Thoroughbred industry, reporting on the large reservoir of news left uncovered by the trade magazines and breaking stories other publications avoid. And I believe the fact traffic on the site has more than doubled in less than a year shows this promise has at least somewhat been fulfilled.
I received call at the time of our launch from a Central Kentucky breeder who wields a great deal of clout in both industry leadership positions and advertising decisions. “Good,” he said about the philosophy behind the Paulick Report. “It’s about time. I think the Thoroughbred media is in part to blame for the mess we’re in. It’s been too afraid to cover the tough issues.”
That comment stung, since he was saying that for the 15 years I was at Bloodhorse magazine I was part of the problem. As the editor of a publication owned by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and controlled by an old-guard board of trustees dominated by Jockey Club members, I had to pick my spots carefully when I felt the industry’s feathers needed ruffling. Criticism of the TOBA’s Graded Stakes Committee and calls for more transparency at Thoroughbred auctions didn’t go over real well. “You’re turning the magazine into the National Enquirer,” one Bloodhorse board member said to me after I wrote an editorial questioning the integrity of the auction process. “How are we ever going to get new people interested in buying our horses if you keep printing negative things?”
“Maybe if the auction process is cleaned up and more transparent, people will have increased confidence that it’s a fair marketplace,” was my naïve response.
I came away from that conversation convinced this particular individual wasn’t enamored with the idea of a free press, no matter what the U.S. Constitution says. Great guy to have on the board of trustees for a magazine.
I thought of that board member last week when the industry was awash in bad news on several fronts and Bloodhorse.com was putting a happy face on every story.
– Quality Road, the winner of the Florida Derby, was being treated for a quarter crack, something his trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, said is “always serious.” The Bloodhorse headline read: “Quality Road Quarter Crack Not Serious.”
– Trainer Jeff Mullins was allegedly seen by security personnel treating Gato Go Win with a prohibited substance in Aqueduct’s detention barn in a stakes race on the undercard of the Wood Memorial, a race won by the Mullins-trained I Want Revenge. Kudos to Throughbred Times for breaking the story. But California horsemen and fans familiar with Mullins’ history could only shake their heads when Bloodhorse.com ran a headline that said, “Mullins: NY Incident Honest Mistake.” To put an even happier face on the subject, Bloodhorse.com then ran a commentary under the headline: “Lets Look on the Bright Side of Mullins Incident.” If that wasn’t enough, Bloodhorse.com ran a third article saying: “Owner Not Angry With Mullins.” I’m sure that was reassuring to horseplayers.
– Undernourished and lice-infested horses owned by owner-breeder Ernie Paragallo were found at a New York livestock auction’s kill pen, and allegations of malnourishment of dozens more were first reported in the Paulick Report and by Joe Drape in the New York Times on April 3. Yet it wasn’t until four days later that the first staff-written account of the deplorable situation made its way onto Bloodhorse.com, and that story was mostly generated by press releases from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and Jockey Club. ThoroughbredTimes.com did no better on this one, writing its first story on the Paragallo investigation that same day, well after the story had been picked up by other mainstream publications.
(To be fair, Daily Racing Form’s Matt Hegarty wrote an outstanding and balanced article on the issue of horse slaughter, spurred on by the Paragallo investigation.)
Was the hesitation on the part of both Bloodhorse and Thoroughbred Times due to the fact that Paragallo is co-owner of Unbridled’s Song, who stands at stud in Kentucky at Taylor Made Farm, a major advertiser with both publications?
I can speak from personal experience that fear of advertising repercussions by bean-counting publishers is at the heart of some editorial decisions at horse industry trade publications. There is a fear by these publishers, unwarranted in my opinion, that advertisers are not interested in reading the truth about their industry.
I think a majority of the advertisers are more like the breeder who called when I launched the Paulick Report and encouraged me to be tough, honest and fair in what I write. They understand that without a strong and independent press, we will continue to sweep our problems under the rug, something this industry can ill afford.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: bloodhorse, daily racing form, ernie paragallo, gato go win, I Want Revenge, jeff mullins, jimmy jerkens, Jockey Club, matt hegarty, new york state racing and wagering board, paraneck stable, Paulick Report, Quality Road, Ray Paulick, thoroughbred media, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, thoroughbred times, TOBA, trade magazines, trade press
Posted in Racing Media | 59 Comments »
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Following his alleged violation of detention barn rules in New York, Jeff Mullins may be claiming ignorance of the rules of racing regarding medications or treatments that can be given to horses on raceday. The trainer was allegedly seen by New York Racing Association personnel giving a substance that came in a bottle marked Air Power to Gato Go Win in the Aqueduct detention barn last Saturday, necessitating the late scratch of the horse from the Bay Shore Stakes,
Mullins, who trains likely Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge, was quoted in published reports saying it was a treatment that he routinely gives to his horses before a race. He called it an “honest mistake” (has anyone ever heard of a “dishonest mistake”?), and some apologists are buying his act, saying it wasn’t that big of a deal and the media is blowing it out of proportion.
Mullins has previous rules violations. Click here for a list of rulings against him.
If it’s true that he routinely gives Air Power to his horses on raceday in California, where he is based, then Mullins is routinely violating the rules of the California Horse Racing Board. The raceday rule was specifically communicated to all licensed California trainers in 2007. Presumably, Mullins was one of those trainers who read the memo.
On Sept. 7, 2007, just after the conclusion of the Del Mar meeting, veterinarian Rick Arthur, the Equine Medical Director for the CHRB, sent a memorandum to all trainers reminding them of what can and can’t be given on raceday. The memo’s subject line, which seems relatively easy to understand, read: “WATER ONLY ON RACE DAY.”
The memo was written, widely posted and distributed to trainers after three horses had to be scratched during the Del Mar meeting because several trainers apparently were unclear on what can and can’t be given to a horse on raceday. One of those trainers was Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg, who administered a substance described as a peppermint mouthwash to the filly The Golden Noodle shortly before the Del Mar Debutante. It was something Van Berg said he had been doing for years. The Golden Noodle was scratched after security observed the filly being given the substance.
“This suggests there is considerable misunderstanding as to what is permitted under the rules and what is not,” Arthur wrote in the memo.
“To be clear, this rule prohibits the administration of any drugs or other substances except as provided in the rule. There are few exceptions. Only water may be administered on race day to wash a horse’s mouth. Throat flushes, no matter how innocuous their ingredients, are not excepted. This includes old-time remedies containing menthol, oil of wintergreen, oil of eucalyptus, camphor or any similar products, ‘natural’ or otherwise including peppermint.
“The rule is simple: WATER ONLY. Mixing prohibited products with water does not make them permitted. If this is observed the horse will be scratched.”
Air Power contains honey, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, menthol, oil of eucalyptus, lemon juice, ethyl alcohol, according to the manufacturer.
Click here to read the entire memo, which includes the applicable CHRB rule, 1843.5: “Medication, Drugs and Other Substances Permitted After Entry in a Race.”
California trainers should have a pretty clear understanding of the rule.
Arthur opted not to comment to the Paulick Report on the Mullins investigation being conducted by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. In 2005, however, he made the following observations about Mullins to John Scheinman in the Washington Post, saying Mullins was a good trainer who didn’t have a clear sense of ethics: “It’s an attitudinal problem, and those things are hard to overcome,” Arthur said. “It’s basic ethics is what it is. The bottom line is [Mullins] basically lives in his own world, and you can tell by his comments that’s the case. He’s oblivious to everything around him and does things his own way and thinks it’s right.”
It looks like not that much has changed since 2005.
Honest mistake? I don’t think so.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Air Power, California Horse Racing Board, CHRB, detention barn violation, gato go win, jeff mullins, new york state racing and wagering board, nysrwb, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rick arthur, srwb
Posted in Medication, People, Regulatory Issues, Uncategorized | 59 Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
The investigation by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board into possible violations by Jeff Mullins in the detention barn prior to the running of Saturday’s Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct is the latest in a string of controversies involving banned medications by the California-based trainer. Gato Go Win was scratched by the stewards after security personnel alleged Mullins was attempting to give an over-the-counter cough formula, Air Power, to the horse while in the detention barn.
A short time later, Mullins saddled I Want Revenge for an impressive victory in the Wood Memorial, setting him up as the potential favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Twice in the last 4 ½ years, Mullins-trained horses tested for a higher than permitted level of sodium bicarbonate (commonly called milkshakes) in California, forcing his starters to undergo 24-hour pre-race surveillance for a specified period. Last year, Mullins was also suspended 90 days, with 70 days stayed, after a horse he trained tested positive for mepivacaine at Hollywood Park in 2006.
After Mullins received his first sodium bicarbonate warning in 2005, he created a firestorm when quoted by a Los Angeles Times columnist calling horseplayers “idiots.” He went on TVG a few days later to apologize for the comments, even though he said he was quoted out of context. Earlier that year, Mullins was fined $1,000 for a positive drug for a horse running in a stakes race at Fair Grounds in Louisiana.
According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International, Mullins had his first medication violation at Wyoming Downs in 1986 when RCI shows that he received a one-year ban and $1,500 fine for a positive test for prednisolone.
Mullins is currently ranked 14th among North American trainers by 2009 earnings. He’s won 38 races from 150 starts (25%), with $1,443,330 in purses through April 5.
Following is a list of rulings against Mullins since 1986, compiled from the RCI and California Horse Racing Board databases:
September 2008, necessitated late scratch at Del Mar, $300 fine
August 2008, excessive levels of sodium bicarbonate at Del Mar, horses put under 24-hour pre-race surveillance
June 2008, late to the receiving barn with a horse at Hollywood Park, $100 fine
May 2008, late to the receiving barn with a horse at Hollywood Park, $100 fine
January 2008, mepivacaine positive at Hollywood Park (in 2006), suspended 90 days, ,with 70 days stayed
September 2007, ineligible starter at Los Alamitos, necessitating late scratch, $300 fine
February 2007, prenisolone positive at Santa Anita, $400 fine
June 2005, Bute overage at Hollywood Park, $300 fine
February 2005, ranitidine positive at Fair Grounds, $1,000 fine
January 2005, excessive levels of sodium bicarbonate at Santa Anita, horses put under 24-hour pre-race surveillance
November 2004, failed to deliver horse to receiving barn at Bay Meadows Fair, $200 fine
October 2004, Methocarbamol positive at Oak Tree, $300 fine
October 2004, failed to comply with official veterinary directive at Oak Tree, $100 fine
July 2004, horse improperly shod for turf course at Hollywood Park, $100 fine
April 2003, late to the receiving barn at Santa Anita, $100 fine
December 2000, entered ineligible horse at Turf Paradise, $100 fine
October 2000, entered ineligible horse at Turf Paradise, $100 fine
January 2000, entered ineligible horse at Turf Paradise, $100 fine
January 2000, dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO) positive at Turf Paradise, $250 fine
January 2000, dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO) positive at Turf Paradise, $250 fine
January 2000, failure to appear, $250 fine
March 1999, unlicensed employee at Turf Paradise, $100 fine
November 1994, dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO) positive at Turf Paradise, $250 fine
April 1992, failure to have owner’s license at Turf Paradise, $50 fine
January 1990, failure to take care of business in proper manner (no foal papers in racing office), causing late scratches in two races, $200 fine
August 1988, positive tests for poly-ethylene glycol in two horses at Wyoming Downs (no fine or suspension listed)
September 1986, prednisolone positive at Wyoming Downs, suspended one year and fined $1,500
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Tags: Air Power, association of racing commissioners international, bay shore stakes, California Horse Racing Board, gato go win, I Want Revenge, jeff mullins, New York Racing Association, new york state racing and wagering board, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick
Posted in Medication, People, Regulatory Issues | 40 Comments »
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