Posts Tagged ‘indian charlie’
Monday, January 11th, 2010
By Ray Paulick
Edward Musselman, the author of the Indian Charlie newsletter distributed at a number of horse sales and racetracks, is scheduled for sentencing before Charles R. Simpson III, United States District Judge for the Western District in Louisville, Ky., at 11 a.m. on Friday morning.
Musselman last year pleaded guilty to one count of a felony charge for knowingly violating federal banking laws that require banks to file currency transaction reports with the Internal Revenue Service on deposits of $10,000 or higher. Musselman made twice daily deposits of $4,500 each over an eight-day period in July 2008. The deposits totaled $72,000. The term often used to describe this type of evasive activity is “structuring,” (An explanation of “structuring” can be read here.)
While the felony carries a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, the plea agreement between Musselman and the U.S. attorney’s office states that the prosecution will agree to probation, forfeiture of $2,617.21 seized from his banking account, and a requirement for Musselman to cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service on determination of his taxable income for 2008.
Click here to read the details of the charges against Musselman and his plea agreement.
Sentencing originally had been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 11, but Musselman’s attorney requested a brief delay so Musselman could atternd to out of town business. His newsletter is currently being distributed during the Keeneland sale of horses of all ages.
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Tags: bank structuring, charles simpson III, ed musselman, edward musselman, indian charlie, internal revenue service, Keeneland, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick
Posted in People | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
I guess this is what you call serendipity. Only a few minutes after I scraped a couple of high school kids off the hardwood of the YMCA basketball court in Lexington (okay, so maybe they were sixth graders), I received the following email from Elisabeth Jensen at the Race for Education, the organization that has done so much to help fund college educations for the sons and daughters of people who work in the horse industry:
“This year 16 teams will play for the trophy and prestigious title of Horse Farm Basketball Champions. The 2010 tournament will be held Jan. 20-25 at WinStar Farm and benefit the Race For Education and Blue Grass Farm Charity. Entry fee is $250 per team. Spectator admission is free. Last year’s tournament raised approximately $10,000 for scholarships for Dara and Chase Mullins.
“To enter a team or for more information call 859-252-8648.”
I checked with Elisabeth to see if the media could enter a team, and she said “bring it on!”
 Brad Cummings, associate publisher here at the Paulick Report, may be a little wet behind the ears, but I hear the boy can play a little ball, and I know I can pull from my long-ago high school experience as the 13th man on the Hononegah High School junior varsity team in Rockton, Ill., where I mostly learned to hold a clipboard (pictured, left, wearing No. 11).
So the Paulick Report is in, but we need some help, since five on two would make this a bit of a challenge, especially against those teams that include recently hired “interns” who all happen to be young, tall and fast (would Darley really do that?).
Therefore, I hereby am throwing down the gauntlet to recruit players from all the other Thoroughbred media here in Central Kentucky to team up for a very good cause. I would think that between Blood-Horse Publications, Thoroughbred Times (we’ll even let them include staff from some of their sister publications like Hobby Farms, Reptiles USA and Bird Talk), Daily Racing Form, Indian Charlie (maybe that Ed Musselman fella can rebound), we should be able to field a team that can put a few points on the scoreboard—or at least make it up and down the court without passing out. We compete against each other all year. Let’s all play on the same team for a change.
You know who you are and you know how to reach me. Game on. Let’s have some fun and help a good cause.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Bird Talk, blood-horse, Blue Grass Farm Charity, Brad Cummings, daily racing form, dara and chase mullins, ed musselman, elisabeth jensen, Hobby Farms, indian charlie, lexington, Paulick Report, race for education, Ray Paulick, Reptiles USA, thoroughbred times, winstar farm, YMCA
Posted in Kentucky, Thoroughbred Business | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
By Bradford Cummings
It is amazing what a difference a year makes at the Paulick Report. Traffic has more than doubled, debate is livelier than ever and Ray has pledged to stop talking about jet lag. (I’ll believe it when I see it…or don’t see it) We made a cross-country trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita and raised $75,000 for two great causes in the process. Ray flew to South Africa on the premise that some horse people actually wanted to hear what he had to say, then later to Japan (where apparently he and David Hasselhoff are quite well known), where he took in some very exciting racing. And we have been blessed to have such a strong stable of supportive advertisers who believe in the mission we set off to accomplish in June of 2008. Perhaps most remarkably, we started a business two months before the largest recession since FDR and we are still kicking.
In what is turning into a tradition (if you can call twice a tradition) we are looking back at the year that was and rehashing the top ten stories based on reader interest. Basically, the more you clicked on these stories, the higher up the list they traveled. So take a trip down memory lane with us and let us know which stories still resonate with you today. Or let us know about a story that touched you we don’t have here. Because sometimes even 1.5 million user sessions can be wrong.
10. McLaughlin Horses Allegedly Test for Banned Substance in KY
In a year where horse racing started to admit it has a drug problem, it was disheartening to learn that Kiaran McLaughlin was a new member on the list of medication violators. A trainer that featured prominently on our American Graded Stakes Standings brought to you by Keeneland, McLaughlin had become a bit of a Paulick Report favorite as a successful trainer who found himself a bit under the national radar. Unfortunately for him, if his standing in Graded Stakes wins didn’t do it, our tenth most popular story of the year did.
9. Equibase Strikes Out
Perhaps no organization has had the upward trend on the Paulick Report that Equibase has experienced. In what was the most popular story on the Thoroughbred Racing Associations/Jockey Club-owned statistics company, we compared what Equibase provides versus what other major sports give their fans in the way of data. Unfortunately, the comparisons were not favorable as this industry seems content to charge its loyal customers for everything from parking to the very data Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA make readily available for its fans.
But whether it was the Paulick Report or an internal struggle that finally made its way to the light of day, Equibase started to get it right and quickly saw their headlines become more favorable. Equibase Takes Step in Right Direction and Equibase Gets It Right is more along the lines of what we’d like to write about. Keep up the momentum.
8. When It Comes to Douglas, Racing Stewards Share the Blame
Any time a jockey is paralyzed, it is an unspeakable tragedy. We saw it first hand on several occasions during our Breeders’ Cup or Bust fundraising tour when we had the opportunity to spend time with several permanently disabled riders. In a precursor to our decision to take on such a trip, Rene Douglas, the top rider at Arlington Park, was severely injured in a spill at the Chicago track when a horse ridden by Jamie Theriot brushed his mount in a move that stewards rarely penalize a rider for. Ray’s point was that stewards should keep a tighter rein on the race riding that goes on and far too often can lead to clipped heels and spills. By doing the best job they can do, stewards can help protect jockeys from serious injury.
7. Ziadie Blames Drug Violations on ‘Chaos’
What do you get when you combine a 60-day suspension for your 13th medication violation in Florida since 2004 with a rich stakes program at Calder? An opportunity to start four horses if you are legacy trainer Kirk Ziadie. One of several stories this year that were out there for the picking but ignored by the mainstream Thoroughbred media, people seemed to be drawn to the laundry list of infractions by this trainer who piles up the wins and medication violations in uncommon numbers.
6. Cullen: Sales Ban Only the Beginning
Know and Trust. That’s the ironic mantra of this Kentucky-based journalist turned bloodstock agent (hey, he’s giving journalism a bad name, if that’s possible!). It’s also the name of one of the horses that Jim Cullen consigned for his overflowing book of clients who have felt taken advantage of over the last several years. The evidence is too large to encapsulate in this brief recap but judging from the amount of people who read this story, you don’t really need a point-by-point description.
The only thing more disturbing than his previous actions was his personal defense, a convoluted web of seemingly nonsensical explanations that never really came close to exonerating him.
We aren’t saying he is the Bernard Madoff the horse industry, but there are some folks plenty mad at him. Oh, and Jim, the fact that Know and Trust ran a good race after this story came out is not newsworthy. It only proves that even a blind squirrel can find an acorn from time to time.
5. Indian Charlie: Racing’s Court Jester
It was a rough year for racing’s court jester, the sometimes funny and consistently offensive Indian Charlie aka Eddie Musselman. While his legal troubles were probably the most noteworthy news to come out of his newsletter in years, the readers of the Paulick Report really enjoyed reading the Indian Charlie parody being distributed on the grounds of the Keeneland September sale.
Who did the parody? We honestly have no idea. But at least it helped give what was a torturous sale a bit of levity.
4. Live Blogging: Kentucky Senate Committee Slots Hearing
The biggest news in Kentucky racing this year was by far the unsuccessful push for slots at racetracks through the state House and Senate. While it got narrow approval in the House, Gov. Steve Beshear’s slots bill stalled in the Senate’s Appropriations and Revenue Committee, stonewalled by David "Blackjack" Williams and his crew of Republican merry men.
Of course, Ray was there to watch the whole thing happen and reported live from Frankfort. Real time blogging, it’s the greatest thing since slots at the racetra…er…never mind.
3. Van Driver: Paraneck Horses Were ‘Walking Skeletons’
Not the way any website wants to experience a spike in traffic, but Ray was the first to uncover the absolute travesty that was the lice-infested and under-nourished stable of horses at Paraneck Stables in upstate New York. The pictures are gruesome and the effects of this tragedy are still being felt as horse welfare groups from around the country are trying to find homes for these truly victimized animals.
2. Live Blog: Mr. Paulick Goes to the Eclipse Awards
A man of many talents, Ray Paulick pulled off a feat of unprecedented magnitude…he live blogged the Eclipse Awards without a computer! Transmitting his thoughts and some appetizing pictures (we’re all still craving that dessert with the chocolate sticks on top) via his cell phone, Ray was able to give moment by moment updates to all of those people on the "tubes" who weren’t able to watch the TVG telecast. And looking at the number of comments and readers, that was no trivial number.
For those of you wondering, Barbara and I have since made up after she took offense to my comment about the shininess of Steve Asmussen. Love it or hate it, we call them like we see them here at the Paulick Report.
1. Hollywood Park Past-Posting Incident Under Investigation
At first blush, we were a little shocked that this story was number one. A past-posting incident, while surely problematic, is not the sexiest of topics. But when you consider it potentially hurt the pocketbooks of thousands of horseplayers across the country and the fact that we were first out of the gate with the story, it makes a whole lot more sense. Wouldn’t it be nice if the propeller heads at the tote companies were able to figure out how to stop betting when a race begins?
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: American Graded Stakes Standings, Arlington Park, bernard madoff, bradford cummings, Breeders' Cup, breeders' cup or bust, David Hasselhoff, david williams, eclipse awards, Eddie Musselman, equibase, ernie paragallo, Hollywood Park, indian charlie, jamie theriot, Japan, Jockey Club, Keeneland, kiaran mclaughlin, know and trust, major league baseball, NBA, nfl, paraneck stables, past-posting, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rene douglas, Republican Party of Kentucky, santa anita, South Africa, steve beshear, thoroughbred racing associations
Posted in Paulick Report, Year In Review | 16 Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
He doesn’t wear bright outfits or have jingly bells on his shoes or hat, but Eddie Musselman (aka Indian Charlie) willingly plays the role of the court jester to Thoroughbred industry royalty, entertaining them with stories about friends and enemies alike but always remembering who butters his bread while churning out a “newsletter†that lives up to its motto of never letting “the truth get in the way of a good story.â€
He’s been sued by some of those he’s attacked in print, and maligned by others. To his credit, though, this jokester has a steady stream of advertisers and supporters who allow him, like the Energizer Bunny, to keep going and going, from Gulfstream Park in winter, to the Keeneland and Churchill race meetings in the spring, to Saratoga in summer and back to Keeneland in the fall for the sales and races. He never seems to tire of telling the same jokes or victimizing the same individuals, year after year. But, like the court jester, his aim is to please those he serves.
There is an old expression that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess Eddie was flattered during this year’s Keeneland September sale when someone unknown to us went to the trouble of writing, printing and distributing a knockoff of the Indian Charlie newsletter that poked some fun at Mr. Musselman himself. I was a little disappointed it didn’t again feature that very flattering picture of yours truly. (Seriously Eddie, who does your artwork? I’m thinking of commissioning him or her to draw a life-size family portrait)
You can look at this parody by clicking here (the newsletter’s name and logo were removed by us so as not to breach any copyright laws). It was certainly a no-holds-barred mockery, with several allusions to Ed Musselman’s manhood (I’ve been concerned for some time that he might have a man-crush on me). For those of you not familiar with his “work,†my pal Ed seems to have a fixation with problems of my past. And that’s fine, I’m a big boy doing my own version of controversy. But as they say, what goes around comes around and it is clear that old Eddie boy has finally met his match, albeit an anonymous one.
Who is this masked man (or woman) that produced the parody? Why have they invested their time and money to make fun of a guy who is several hours beyond his 15 minutes and adds little value to an industry in need of serious people and serious solutions? How many licks does it take to get to the candy center of a Tootsie Pop?
I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but for right now it doesn’t matter. Enjoy the newsletter parody below and let me know what you think. After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the…Charlie.
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Tags: Churchill Dows, Court jester, ed musselman, Energizer Bunny, gulfstream park, indian charlie, Keeneland, Keeneland September, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, saratoga
Posted in Industry, Racing Media, Thoroughbred Business | 36 Comments »
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Friday’s Paulick Report article on the increasingly sad state of affairs at Bloodhorse magazine was not easy for me to write, having worked hard to help grow the company over a 15-year period and feeling tremendous sadness that many of my former Bloodhorse colleagues are now without jobs. It’s a very stressful time for those who remain employed there as they deal with changing readership habits, stronger competition and challenging economic circumstances that have brought many traditional print publishers to their knees.
This morning, I was enjoying a cup of tea in preparation for Christmas tree shopping with my daughter when an email of great interest came across my inbox from an old friend at the Bloodhorse. The email’s subject was ‘Bloodhorse (sic) Staff Cut 10%’ penned by company president Stacy Bearse. I didn’t realize how stressful things had gotten until I received this email from the man who hired me as editor in chief of the magazine in 1992 and fired me in 2007. The email, shown below in its entirety, was typed in big, bold face letters:
You wrote a truly shitty column on your alma mater, Crack Pipe. As usual, you got your facts all wrong (Purple Haze?). The more you embarrass yourself with this type of drivel, the more I realize the tragedy of a life and career wasted.
Stacy
Immediately, I checked the email address assuming it must be from a dummy account by an enemy of Stacy trying to frame him. After all, he couldn’t possibly have such terrible judgment as to send me something so vicious and mean-spirited. Alas, it was from sbearse@bloodhorse.com, his business email account.
My first and strongest reaction to these highly personal attacks from him was sadness. When I entered a recovery program in 2004 to deal with a personal issue, one of the spiritual principles I learned was to pray for those who may want to hurt you, in hopes that they can learn to see you in a different light. I’ll say my prayers tonight for Mr. Bearse, who is quite obviously going through a difficult period in his professional tenure at Bloodhorse Publications.
It is also troubling that a man who holds such a prestigious position in our industry would stoop to the level of a sideshow like Ed Musselman, the publisher of the Indian Charlie newsletter. The rants and vicious personal attacks of Indian Charlie are par for the course, but Bearse represents a far more respectable organization and I have always held him to a higher level of accountability.
Earlier this week, Bearse wrote a letter to the Thoroughbred advertising community explaining the company’s current difficulties that led to a $1.5 million budget cut and what he said was termination of 10% of the staff. It was written in a much softer tone than he exhibited with me but one with thinly veiled attacks on the company’s publishing competitors, presumably the Thoroughbred Daily News and Thoroughbred Times, two outfits that so far have weathered the economic storm without having to take the drastic measures that Bloodhorse has.
“First, we never compete with you. Unlike other media properties, we own neither seasons nor shares in stallions that may compete with your business.” This seems to be a reference to the Thoroughbred Daily News, a purely online publication produced by Barry Weisbord, who is an active Thoroughbred owner and breeder. So while this claim may be true, why does it matter? To my knowledge, Weisbord has been completely fair to any and all advertisers and this would explain why they have such a full booking of ads each and every day. Additionally, Bearse several years ago was involved in weanling-to-yearling pinhooking partnerships, so his assertion rings a bit hollow.
But perhaps most confusing is their contention that giving ‘special discounts’ to ‘special people’ on advertising is a bad thing. Assuming this dagger must be intended for the Thoroughbred Times, I still don’t understand the message. Isn’t it a good thing to thank loyal customers by offering them discounts or perks for their consistent business? I believe that’s the psychology behind the personal shopper cards at grocery stores, the reason I get a free bag of dog food after I buy 12 at Feeder’s Supply (it’s for my dog, not me), and how I am about to be named the next U.S. Senator of Illinois by Gov. Rod Blagojevich (the check’s in the mail, Rod!).
The Thoroughbred industry is facing tough times ahead. It’s a competitive business, whether it’s your horse racing against someone else’s or your magazine or web site trying to win advertising support over your rival. The Paulick Report will continue to provide unfiltered coverage on the business in ways that may not always please everyone.
One thing I believe we all can agree to is a wish for the Thoroughbred industry to regain its legs in 2009 and carry us all to a higher plateau.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Barry Weisbord, blood-horse, bloodhorse magazine, ed musselman, indian charlie, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, stacy bearse, tdn, thoroughbred daily news, thoroughbred times
Posted in People, Racing Media, Ray Paulick, bloodhorse | 46 Comments »
Friday, December 12th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Thursday’s announcement by Walmac Farm of a “breeders stimulus plan” that allows breeders to pay 2009 stud fees from the proceeds of the sale of weanlings or yearlings is further proof that an increasing number of Kentucky’s stallion farms are recognizing mare owners as partners in their business. The steep declines in bloodstock prices in 2008 and the very real threat that many breeders could go out of business if the economics do not change has led virtually every major stallion station to reduce 2009 stud fees and relax deadlines for when the payments are due.
In the most simple terms, without mare owners, stallion farms would have no customers. If stud fees were not reduced and payment schedules relaxed, there would be fewer breeders around for the 2009 breeding season. The changes were fueled by a survival instinct.
There are only a handful of stallion farms continuing what in recent years was the widely accepted policy of stud fees due in September or November of the year of conception. Even some of those holdout farms are showing flexibility on payment schedules. Most stallion operations have changed to a payable when foal stands and nurses program; some in that category offer discounts for breeders who are willing to pay stud fees early. Although the stands and nurses policy has been in place for years at some farms, a number of breeders pointed to the decision by Lane’s End to adopt that policy for 2009 as a bellwether move. Others quickly followed suit.
Two relatively new stallion stations, Darley and Stonewall Farm, have created unique incentive programs for many of their stallions. Some farms that reduced 2009 stud fees in September during the Keeneland yearling sale have come back with a second round of fee reductions because bookings were coming in at an alarmingly slow pace.
“Changing from payable on Sept. 1 to out of proceeds is a huge difference,” one breeder told the Paulick Report. “It gives a breeder two years of the use of his money. It should be the universal policy. It gives breeders the chance to stay in business. And let’s face it, the stallion farms need us. I guess you’ve got to really worry when stallion farms are hit; they’ve been in total control.”
“All the stallion managers announcing reduced fees want to be seen as benefactors,” said breeder Garrett Redmond. “In fact, they are trying to preserve their own business. Mare owners will be short of money next year because their 2008 sales were for less than needed or horses were not sold at all. They need help to pay fees due when foals stand and nurse in 2009. Reduction in fees due in spring 2010 will not help.”
“There’s a tendency to think the stallion guys took it to us for a long, long time and we overpaid, and we get even now,” said breeder Craig Bandoroff of Denali Stud. “That’s not totally fair. It’s a market economy ruled by supply and demand. I love the idea of stands and nurses, but if you want to pay on Nov. 1 you get a discount. That’s the best deal going. Payable Sept. 1 was terrible; you hadn’t sold your yearlings yet.”
“The pendulum is definitely swinging back from stallion farms to the mare owner,” said Olin Gentry of Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds. “Popularity and demand has allowed some farms to get away with Sept. 1, but there’s more and more pressure to give stands and nurses. There aren’t many holdouts.”
One farm staying with a Sept. 1 policy on some of its stallions is Airdrie Stud. “We believe that everybody has the right and should have the opportunity to set their stud fees according to the way they are the fairest relative to the product they are selling,” said owner Brereton Jones. “We raised Indian Charlie’s fee 50% and he’s already booked full; his fee is due Sept. 1.”
Jones said some other fees will be due at time of foaling. “We work with each breeder who calls in here, and it depends on the stallion they want to breed to; it’s the free enterprise system at its best. We’ll discuss packages with anybody; if someone wants to breed three mares to a stallion, we will work out an arrangement. I think the general attitude of breeders is that Airdrie’s fees have always been extremely fair, and consequently they’ve been successful.”
The key to Airdrie’s fees and schedule, Jones said, is flexibility. “Our policy is geared to the success of both the owners of the stallion and the owners of the mares.”
Darley set all stallion contracts for stands and nurses when it was established at the former Jonabell Farm Sheikh Mohammed purchased in 2001. In 2007, the farm introduced pay from proceeds fees that stallion nominations manager Charlie Boden said is actually a “pay when you sell with forgiveness” policy. “We try to assess the risk on the front end,” Boden said, “but if we’re wrong and the resulting offspring brings half the stud fee, we don’t bill them for the difference.” The policy was introduced a few years earlier at Darley’s stallion operation in England.
“We’re trying to help breeders make a prudent decision in not overbreeding a mare,” Boden said. “It makes more sense to people these days. I think the days of overbreeding mares should be screeching to a halt unless the stallion is overpriced.”
Darley’s policy lets breeders decide whether to pay from proceeds of a weanling or yearling sale. Not all stallions are eligible for the program; Boden said he tries to limit it to stallions standing for $20,000 or less.
Boden also said Darley has offered what he calls a “Grade 1 club” on certain stallions, giving a free season to mares that were Grade 1 winners or Grade 1 producers.
In light of Sheikh Mohammed’s enormous wealth, Boden was asked if these policies were designed to put the squeeze on competing stallion farms. “Sheikh Mohammed wants breeders to make money,” Boden said. “He wants the business to thrive. He’s a fan of the sport and the industry as a whole. He’s not trying to put anyone else out of business. He’s trying to help a breeder raise a top horse at a competitive price. His goal is to perpetuate an industry that he loves.”
Stonewall Farm’s first breeding season was 2006, and in order to make a splash in the industry it adopted several creative incentive plans for breeders. One offered free seasons (for stallions the farm owns wholly) to graded stakes-winning or graded stakes-producing mares. Another provides a free return season to stallions for mares that produced a stakes winner from that stallion. A third policy permits a breeder to come back for a free mating for a mare if it produced a top three weanling price for that sire.
In an effort to reach out to some of the lucrative state incentive programs, Stonewall is now offering a complimentary no-guarantee season for approved mares that will foal in Louisiana, New York or Pennsylvania, in exchange for being named co-breeder (the mare owner would remain the full owner of the foal). By so doing, Stonewall would be eligible for half of the breeders awards in those states.
The programs evolved from Stonewall’s owner, Audrey Haisfield, and her husband, Richard, according to Clark Shepherd, a Stonewall manager and pedigree analyst. “They looked at how things were done in the business and decided it didn’t have to be that way,” he said. “We’ve since seen a lot of other outfits begin to follow suit.”
Will the innovative policies, fee reductions and relaxed payment schedules be enough to help breeders return to profitability?
There seems to be no consensus on that question.
“In the face of the financial crisis, a lot of syndicate managers might be a little too dramatic in fee reductions,” said Olin Gentry, “particularly some of the ones that announced a second round of cuts. People are going to breed their mares; they’re just coming in slower because they are tentative, waiting to see if there are going to be more reductions.
“It’s all a cycle. If you put pressure on stallion values, what people are willing to pay for yearlings is affected. You need a happy medium where it’s fair. You don’t want the stallion owners to make all the money and you don’t want it too easy for the breeder. “
Garrett Redmond disagreed. “Owners can avoid a problem in 2010 by not breeding in 2009,” he said. “If stallion managers are serious about helping, they should retroactively reduce the fees contracted in 2008. The least they can do is change the fees coming due to the fees they are advertising for 2009. They might also convert contracts to foal shares or pay when you sell.”
“The one thing you are seeing is no matter what the advertised stud fee is, your client wants to know, ‘Can we do better?’” said Bandoroff.
Another breeder boiled it down to a simple good news/bad news scenario.
"The good news is prices are down for stallions," he said. "The bad news is it shows what deep shit we are in."
(Note to readers: Take our poll on how stallion farms have reacted in the face of the economic crisis and falling bloodstock prices. The Daily Paulick Poll can be found on the left-hand column of the Paulick Report home page.)
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: airdrie stud, audrey haisfield, breeders stimulus plan, brereton jones, charlie boden, clark shepherd, commercial breeders, craig bandoroff, darley, denali stud, gaines-gentry thoroughbreds, garrett redmond, indian charlie, jonabell farm, Keeneland, kentucky thoroughbred industry, Lane's End, olin gentry, Paulick Report, pay from proceeds, Ray Paulick, richard haisfield, sheikh mohammed, stallion farms, stonewall farm, stud fees, Thoroughbred breeding, thoroughbred stallions, walmac farm, yearling sales
Posted in Breeding, Kentucky, Stallions, Thoroughbred Business | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
(UPDATE: A Paulick Report reader pointed out that by including a link to Indian Charlie or Ed Musselman on our home page, we may tacitly be approving or condoning potentially insensitive or offensive material in the Indian Charlie newsletter. To erase any doubts, we do not approve or condone such material. The home page links to the newsletter are being removed.)
Jim Squires, the former editor of the Chicago Tribune who with wife Mary Anne operates Two Bucks Farm in Versailles, Ky., was scratching his head after being the subject of what many saw as a race-baiting cartoon in the Indian Charlie newsletter recently, so he did what many people would do under similar circumstances: He wrote a letter to the editor of the publication, Ed Musselman.
The cartoon depicted Squires in the company of three prominent African Americans — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, along with political activitists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson – under a headline: GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE, and said Squires was “poising” with the three men at what Musselman referred to as a “DemocRAT fundraiser.”
The letter, emailed from Squires to Musselman, read:
Subject: equal space
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:22:58 -0400
Dear Indian Charlie, I have been looking for you at the sale to thank you for putting my picture in your sheet with my buddies Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama.
I know you are just trying to help me sell my yearlings to the liberal African-American community organizer share of the market that Tom Thornbury has assured me will definitely show up in week 16, Book 26, where I am catalogued.
If you see them before I do, please tell them my yearlings come with a free supply of Clenbuterol.
Gratefully yours, Two Bucks Jim Squires
Musselman opted not to run the letter and give equal space to Squires, who followed up his years at the politically conservative Chicago Tribune by serving as spokesman for the third-party presidential candidate Ross Perot in 1992 (the same year he bought his first Thoroughbred; Squires later bred 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos). Squires also was a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission. His reference to Clenbuterol in the letter to Musselman is connected with a reported positive test for Clenbuterol in Delaware in a horse owned by Squires and trained by Larry Jones. Squires is disputing the test result.
Instead, Musselman put his cartoonist to work on another racially-charged cartoon, this one showing Squires sitting next to a woman the newsletter parodied as TV talk show host “Offa Winfrey” in front of a large television monitor displaying Obama’s picture. The cartoon accompanied a story under a headline about an “Irate DemocRAT,” Squires, who had complained to a fellow consignor at Keeneland about the original Indian Charlie cartoon. The story included an “apology” from Musselman that said: “We would like to sincerely apologize to Two Bucks if we hurt his feelings.”
In the accompanying article, Musselman wrote that Squires “ was not happy with what this publication thought was a complement (sic), referring to Mr. Squires as having a ‘great mind,’ which he obviously does, having won the Pulitzer Prize while editor of the Chicago Tribune.” (The Tribune actually won seven Pulitzer Prizes under Squires’ leadership.) The article concluded by saying Squires will be “the featured guest on the Offa Winfrey show this Friday afternoon.” (Oprah Winfrey’s talk show is taped in Squires’ former residence, Chicago, which is also the home of Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama.)
These newsletter items about Squires are not the first sarcastic or potentially offensive references to members of minority groups by Musselman, who has repeatedly referred to California owner-breeder Jess Jackson as the “white Jesse Jackson” and in a recent edition referred to Kentucky breeder Arthur Hancock as “the luckiest white man in Bourbon County” because he “got a good woman AND a hoe.” Another reference this week used the term “Chinaman’s chance,” which Asian American organizations and others have called offensive.
The United States Constitution protects free speech and freedom of the press, which entitles Musselman to continue to publish what some may view as an often racially charged publication. What is curious about the Indian Charlie newsletter is what might be interpreted as tacit approval of Musselman and his racial parodies by Keeneland, which has constructed a specific distribution box for the publication in the entrance to its sale pavilion.
Keeneland, which has supported the newsletter through advertising, does business with buyers and consignors of many races, religions and ethnic groups from around the world. The company also has a history exclusively employing African Americans in such positions as washroom attendants and auction ring handlers.
Perhaps Squires should have directed his letter to Nick Nicholson, the president and CEO of Keeneland, rather than to Musselman. Nicholson might be able to better explain the meaning of Musselman’s attempts at ethnic humor and why Keeneland does everything possible to support the newsletter. While he’s at it, Nicholson also might explain that to Keeneland’s African-American work force.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: al sharpton, arthur hancock, barack obama, chicago tribune, democratic party, ed musselman, Horse Racing, indian charlie, jess jackson, jesse jackson, jim squires, Keeneland, kentucky derby, kentucky racing commission, monarchos, nick nicholson, oprah winfrey, Paulick Report, pulitzer prize, Ray Paulick, ross perot, Thoroughbred Auctions, tom thornbury, two bucks, two bucks farm
Posted in Keeneland, Racing Media | 20 Comments »
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
Musselman, in fact, seems almost obsessed with the Paulick Report, based on the number of recent references he’s made in his newsletter, which stands true to its motto: “We never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” The most recent reference to the Paulick Report can be found in today’s Indian Charlie, in which Musselman comments on the Paulick Report’s recent two-part series about Keeneland’s very profitable history ( Lexington’s Fort Knox) and current governance and ownership ( Who Owns Keeneland?).
Since the June 16 launch of the Paulick Report, Musselman has shown a potential “man crush,” writing six fictional stories about the Paulick Report and its editor and publisher, Ray Paulick. References to the Paulick Report since June 16 can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.
That number puts the Paulick Report in good company with such regular Indian Charlie cast members as Jerry Bailey, Bob Baffert, Cot Campbell, Robert Clay, Christophe Clemente, Terrence Collier, Bob Evans, Terry Finley, Arthur Hancock, Barry Irwin, Ken McPeek, Niall O’Callaghan, and Dallas Stewart.
“We would like to sincerely thank Mr. Musselman and his billionaire Jockey Club member ghostwriters for the free publicity,” Ray Paulick told the Paulick Report in an exclusive interview, “and we encourage all of them to keep up the good work. Of course, we hope his ghostwriters are able to continue doing such a terrific job running the Thoroughbred industry.”
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
Support the Paulick Report. Make a donation today.
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Tags: arthur hancock, barry irwin, Bob Baffert, bob evans, christophe clemente, cot campbell, dallas stewart, ed musselman, indian charlie, jerry bailey, Jockey Club, ken mcpeek, niall o'callaghan, pacemaker, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, Robert Clay, terrence collier, Terry Finley
Posted in Jockey Club, People, Racing Media | 31 Comments »
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