Posts Tagged ‘jeff mullins’
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Trainer Jeff Mullins has asked the general counsel for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board for assistance in getting paid $31,336 Mullins said he is owed by IEAH Stables from I Want Revenge’s victory and related expenses from the the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct April 4. IEAH bought a 50% interest in the son of Stephen Got Even from David Lanzman 10 days before the Wood.IEAH campaigned two champions (Big Brown and Benny the Bull) and 11 Grade 1 winners in 2008, finishing one vote shy of an Eclipse Award as outstanding owner.
There is precedent for the New York Racing and Wagering Board getting involved when owners may have failed to meet their financial obligations. Ernie Paragallo, now at the center of an animal abuse criminal case in New York, had his owner’s license revoked in 2005 because he had not paid a bill from the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton equine hospital.
Mullins was suspended for seven days by the New York Racing and Wagering Board for an incident that occurred inside the Aqueduct detention barn prior to an earlier race on the day of the Wood.
Following is the text of Mullins’ letter to Robert Feuerstein, general counsel for the Racing and Wagering Board:
Dear Mr. Feurstein,
I write to you on the advice of my attorney, Karen Murphy who met with New York State Racing and Wagering Board Steward, Carmine Donofrio, June 4 on a matter regarding IEAH Stables.
I am very concerned about IEAH Stables’ business practices as it relates to Thoroughbred racing, specifically their lack of meeting financial obligations to all concerned with the training, riding, care and services provided to I want Revenge, a horse trained by me who won the April 4 Wood Memorial.
From the day IEAH Stables purchased a 50% share of I Want Revenge from David J. Lanzman, last March they have failed to pay my bills, the travel expenses of jockey Joe Talamo, and the bills from veterinarians, lay-up farm, horse transporters, etc. To this day they have yet to pay me their 50% share of the 10% of the purse earnings from the $750,000 Wood Memorial. As you know, the race was run on April 4 of this year, making the bills four months outstanding. My accountant/bookkeeper has contacted them and their attorney on numerous occasions and they have repeatedly promised payment to no avail. It is my understanding that the New York State Racing and Wagering Board can assist me in assuring that these owners meet their financial responsibilities as they continue to race horses in New York and throughout the country.
IEAH Stables is scheduled to start several horses during the Saratoga meet including, Benny the Bull in the $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, August 9 and Court Vision in either the $500,000 Sword Dancer, August 15 or the $200,000 Bernard Baruch H, August 28.
It is unacceptable that a racing operation such as IEAH Stables be allowed to continue racing in New York or anywhere for that matter without first meeting their financial responsibilities to horsemen and the providers of services to their horses.
I urge the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and NYRA to immediately put a freeze on their horseman’s account in an effort to assure that all of their past due financial responsibilities are met before they are paid any purse monies.
I will list below those I know who have not been paid along with their contact information and the amounts owed to them. I will also be happy to furnish you with copies of bills/invoices from all. In addition to those out of state listed, owner David Lanzman spoke with Belmont Vet Group, Sallee Horse Vans and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and they are all owed quite a bit of money as well. Because they are all are owed such a significant amount of money they fear if they take any action right now, in an effort to get paid they will anger them and lose any chance of getting paid. Lanzman only contacted people directly involved with I Want Revenge and can only imagine how many other people they owe money to. Rumor in California has it that they owe backstretch horsemen in New York in excess of $500,000. It is unconscionable that they are allowed to continue racing.
Jeff Mullins………………..……………Trainer………….$31,336,04
(the above amount includes $20,625.00 which is their share of the purse money owed to me for the win in the Wood Memorial and training/board and travel expenses related to the Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby)
Dr. Foster Northrop…………………..Vet…………….…..$1,754.74
Joe Talamo/Access to Travel……..Jockey……..………$3,312.90
La Croix Farm…………………..…….Lay-up………….…$3,150.00
Dr. Melinda Blue………………………Vet…………..………$559.10
Please advise me as to what the next steps, if any may be necessary to take in assuring that I, along with the parties listed above are paid.
I thank you in advance for your help and attention to this matter.
Sincerely
Jeff Mullins
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: benny the bull, Big Brown, david lanzman, ernie paragallo, I Want Revenge, IEAH stable, jeff mullins, Jim Miller, kentucky derby, Mark Frimmel, Michael Iavarone, new york state racing and wagering board, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, robert feuerstin, ruffian equine medical center, state racing and wagering board
Posted in IEAH, Regulatory Issues, Thoroughbred Business | 29 Comments »
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
By Ray PaulickThe California Horse Racing Board has created a potential mess by appointing its former executive director, Ingrid Fermin, as one of three individuals on the board of stewards during the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meeting that began on Wednesday.
Fermin’s tenure as head of the state agency, which lasted three years, ended in 2007  when she said she did not want to relocate to Sacramento, home of the CHRB’s headquarters, as required by the board. There were several controversies and internal turmoil during her time as executive director, and some critics reportedly accused her of showing favoritism in appointments and contracts.
Foremost among those critics is owner Jerry Jamgotchian, who has filed several lawsuits against the CHRB, sent hundreds if not thousands of e-mails critical of Fermin, former CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro and others, and recently told the Paulick Report Fermin was “the most corrupt†executive director and steward in CHRB history.
 When Fermin (pictured, left) was named one of three stewards for the Del Mar meeting, resuming a career she began in 1981 as the first female steward in California history, Jamgotchian requested a hearing with the CHRB to stop the appointment, saying that Fermin was biased against certain trainers and owners. The furor over the appointment ramped up when several trainers, including Mike Mitchell, Jeff Mullins, Art Sherman and Doug O’Neill, appealed to have Fermin recuse herself from judging races in which they have horses. There have been accusations that Fermin specifically targeted certain trainers in post-race drug testing while she was CHRB executive director. Fermin told the San Diego Union-Tribune the accuslations were “baseless” and “twisted.”
Jamgotchian’s complaint against Fermin stemmed from an incident in 2005 involving a horse owned by Jamgotchian that he wanted to scratch from a race at Del Mar. After a steward refused to allow the horse to be scratched, the horse ran and suffered an injury. UPDATE: While Jamgotchian has alleged that the horse, John’s Kinda Girl, was injured in that Aug. 14, 2005, race, the filly subsequently worked out three times over the next six weeks, and raced Oct. 7, 2005, and 12 more times in the next year, winning two of those races.
Jamgotchian’s request for a hearing before the Del Mar meet opened was denied when Fermin declined to attend. After the board met privately in executive session on Thursday, CHRB chairman John Harris said during the public portion of the regularly-scheduled monthly meeting that the stewards named for the Del Mar meeting would be retained. Harris also was board chairman when Fermin was appointed CHRB executive director in 2004.
Things appeared to change somewhat on Friday, however, when owner Martin Wygod, a member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s board of directors and one of the most influential owners in California racing, reportedly asked Fermin to recuse herself from presiding over a race in which one of his horses was running. According to a report in the North County Times, former jockey Luis Jaurequi, now a “safety steward,†would have substituted for Fermin in judging any inquiry or claim of foul involving one of Wygod’s horses in that race. Does that mean Fermin would have judged foul claims in the same race if they didn’t involve Wygod’s horse?
Wygod is believed to have been upset with Fermin ever since an incident involving 2-year-old champion Sweet Catomine at Santa Anita three years ago when the filly left the grounds for medical treatment prior to the Santa Anita Derby. Wygod was charged, following an investigation led by Fermin, with having the filly falsely identified when she was vanned out of the stable area and exhibiting conduct detrimental to racing. The charges, which could have resulted in Wygod having his owner’s license suspended, were dismissed following a hearing.
Jamgotchian, citing numerous sources, provided the following commentary about the reported request by Wygod to have Fermin recuse herself from presiding over Friday’s race in which Wygod’s horse ran: “On July 24, 2009, around noon,†Jamgotchian wrote in a widely distributed e-mail, “a ‘secret’ meeting was held in the Steward’s office at Del Mar. At this meeting,Ingrid Fermin agreed to recuse herself from Race No. 2 at Del Mar. Her recusal was made orally at the demand of owner Marty Wygod because he believed that Fermin has a known, actual and direct bias and prejudice against him because of the Sweet Catomine incident and various statements made about Wygod in the Frank Moore declaration dated July 14, 2009.â€
Jamgotchian went on to say that Wygod threatened to scratch his horse from the race if Fermin failed to recuse herself as a steward in that race. “Fermin agreed,†Jamgotchian wrote, “and her recusal was made in front of fellow Stewards Scott Chaney, Tom Ward and in the presence of other parties in the room, including Wygod.â€
Jamgotchian said he called Wygod’s attorney, Roger Licht, “to confirm the above facts regarding their recusal agreement with Fermin†and that Licht told him “there was an ‘oral’ confidentiality agreement in place with Fermin and that he could not discuss Fermin’s recusal.â€
Jamgotchian said he also tried unsuccessfully to speak with Fermin by telephone before the first race and said he intends to file a complaint with the CHRB regarding the “Wygod recusal†and demand an investigation by the CHRB because of what he called a “unilateral†decision and one that was not publicly disclosed.
If the North County Times article and Jamgotchian’s assertions are accurate, it appears either the CHRB or Fermin are applying a double standard when it comes to Fermin recusing herself from races in which the principals involved feel as though there is a bias by her against them. If she recused herself in a race involving Wygod, shouldn’t she do the same in races involving the trainers who have made similar appeals?
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(UPDATED: SUNDAY, 5:15 P.M. , FIFTH PARAGRAPH)
Tags: art sherman, California Horse Racing Board, CHRB, del mar thoroughbred club, doug o'neill, Horse Racing, ingrid fermin, jeff mullins, jerry jamgotchian, john harris, luis jaurequi, martin wygod, mike mitchell, north county times, Paulick Report, racing stewards, Ray Paulick, roger licht
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Regulatory Issues, Stewards | 26 Comments »
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
By Ray Paulick
I Want Revenge, the Kentucky Derby morning line favorite, was scratched because of some lameness detected in his left front ankle that showed up on the morning of the race, trainer Jeff Mullins said during a press conference at 9:15 a.m. Saturday.
Mullins said a "touch of heat" was detected in the ankle after I Want Revenge’s bandages were removed early this morning, and the Stephen Got Even colt was then jogged up and down an asphalt roadway for soundness. "Actually he jogged pretty well," Mullins said. A flexion test of the same ankle showed some lameness.
"Knowing the weather and how well they sealed the racetrack and the possibility of how hard the racetrack may be today if the rain keeps coming," Mullins said, the decision was made to scratch the horse.
Veterinarian Foster Northrup, a member of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, also had the horse jogged and did a flexion test on the ankle that showed some lameness when the horse jogged again. Northrup said the lameness fell at one on a scale of one to five that veterinarians use, adding that "is not acceptable for any race."
Northrup commended Mullins and breeder and co-owner David Lanzman "for doing the right thing by the horse. They made the right call for the horse."
X-rays and ultrasound failed to show any specific problem, so neither Northrup nor Dr. Larry Bramlage, an equine surgeon, had a diagnosis of a specific injury. More tests will be conducted on the horse to determine the specific nature of the injury and when I Want Revenge could return to training.
The withdrawal of the morning line favorite was the most significant scratch on the day of the Derby since A.P. Indy was forced out due to foot lameness in 1992. The son of Seattle Slew returned a few weeks later to win the Peter Pan Stakes and the Belmont Stakes en route to 3-year-old champion and Horse of the Year honors. I Want Revenge’s sire, Stephen Got Even, is a son of A.P. Indy.
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Tags: foster northrup, I Want Revenge, jeff mullins, kentucky derby, kentucky derby scratch, larry bramlage, Paulick Report
Posted in Horse Health, kentucky derby | 17 Comments »
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.
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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.
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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.
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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 »
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Spring is in the air, with temperatures topping 70 in Kentucky, and visions of Roses in the minds of many horse owners around the country. Today’s Triple Crown preps start in New York with Aqueduct’s Gotham Stakes and continue in California with last year’s 2-year-old champion, Stardom Bound, the heavy favorite in the Santa Anita Oaks. But the capper for today’s outstanding racing is the Santa Anita Handicap — the Big ‘Cap — the race the great Seabiscuit won in 1940, the fixture that attracted an all-time record crowd to the Great Race Place in 1985 when Lord At War won in front of 85,527 fans.
Perhaps the Big ‘Cap hasn’t been quite as prominent since the Dubai World Cup took the spotlight away from winter racing for the handicap horses when it was inaugurated in 1996. It still carries a $1-million purse and carries Grade 1 status, along with a whole lot of prestige.
I’ll be providing commentary for the next few hours, beginning with the Gotham Stakes, won with a huge performance by California invader I Want Revenge, who pressed Mr. Fantasy on the lead for the opening seven furlongs, then kicked away at the top of the stretch to score by a wide margin–my guess in nine lengths. Imperial Council got up for second, just edging Mr. Fantasy at the wire, with Masala fourth. Final time on a fast track was 1:42.65 for the 1 1/16 miles after fractions of :23.76, :48.45, 1:12.69 and 1:36.46.
 This was the first "off synthetic" race for the Jeff Mullins-trained son of Stephen Got Even, who was coming off a third-place finish behind Pioneerof the Nile in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. Joe Talamo has been in the saddle for the last five starts of I Want Revenge (pictured, left), who races for David Lanzman. It was I Want Revenge’s second win in seven starts, but he’s never been worse than third, after beginning his career at Hollywood Park last July and breaking his maiden in his fourth start in October at Hollywood Park, his first race around two turns.
Back to the Big ‘Cap for a second. If you haven’t seen the YouTube video of Seabiscuit’s victory, check this out by clicking here.
4:46 p.m. (Eastern) …. Jeff Mullins is hot. His first-timer Leavenworth just aired in the fourth race at Santa Anita, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden event for 3-year-olds. Son of Forest Wildcast was ridden by Tyler Baze and drew down the stretch impressively. On to Nicarnor’s second race…
4:51 p.m. … Well, that was more like it. Nicanor (Barbaro’s full brother if you didn’t know) finished a game second at 8-1 behind 4-5 favorite Custom for Carlos in a seven-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park. Under Jose Lezcano, Nicanor broke well from the nine post, took the lead while setting fractions of :22.83 and :46.57 for the half, then yielded at the top of the stretch to Custon for Carlos , who was just off Nicanor’s outside flank from the beginning. It looked as though Nicanor might fade back as he did in his Jan. 31 debut (when he grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate) but he kept to his task, and was actually cutting back into Custom for Carlos’ lead when they hit the wire. Custom for Carlos (a More Than Ready colt trained by Eddie Kenneally and ridden by Kent Desormeaux) won by about a length, getting the distance in 1:23.55 after a six-furlong split of 1:10.55.
All in all, a good race for Nicanor. I’d like to see him stretch out next time, though I’m certainly not going to second guess trainer Michael Matz. Chart.
4:58 p.m. … Here are the quotes from the New York Racing Association from the connections of Gotham Stakes runners. I particularly enjoyed Kiaran McLaughlin’s comments wondering why Jeff Mullins and I Want Revenge didn’t stay on the West Coast.
GOTHAM QUOTES
Winning trainer Jeff Mullins of I Want Revenge (No. 8): “The horse was closer than I really wanted him to be. The horse kind of towed (jockey Joe Talamo) up there and (Talamo) stepped on him the whole way. I guess he knew what he was doing.
“We thought the dirt would move him up; I don’t know if that’s what did it or not. We might have just picked the right spot. He’s going to stay here and run in the Wood [Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial, 3 yos, nine furlongs, Aqueduct, Saturday, April 4]. We’re going to think about this one for awhile.” (I Want Revenge will be stabled in New York with trainer Anthony Dutrow).
Winning jockey Joe Talamo: “I have to give all the credit to Jeff (Mullins). He’s kept him fresh this whole campaign. I had so much horse the whole way around. Me and Alan (Garcia on Mr. Fantasy) were going pretty slow, but at the quarter-pole, my horse just took off. There is no comparison between real dirt and synthetic – he really took to it. When we went past the three-sixteenth pole, I was smiling. We’ll be back in four weeks.”
Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of beaten favorite Mr. Fantasy (No. 5): “They’ve got good races out on the West Coast. Why didn’t (I Want Revenge) stay out there? The best horse won today. We were second-best, even thought we didn’t get second. If that horse doesn’t ship East, we win by five.”
Alan Garcia, jockey of Mr. Fantasy: “He ran good – he got tired, but he ran so hard. He was a little warm in the paddock — just so happy to run — but he warmed up and settled down. I’m very happy with the way he ran. He’s a nice horse and we can do better than that next time.”
Rajiv Maragh, jockey of Imperial Council (No. 8): “This is a really talented horse that is going to appreciate more distance. He’s the best three-year-old I’ve ridden in New York. He galloped out tremendous.”
5:01 p.m. … Here’s the chart of the Gotham, actual winning margin was 8 1/2 lengths and I Want Revenge paid $8.30 to win. Aqueduct’s inner track appeared to be speed favoring for most of the day, with two big off-the-pace victories coming in the races immediately preceding the Gotham, including an exciting last-to-first win by Ah Day in the Toboggan Stakes. Here’s that chart.
5:10 p.m. … Glimmerglass, I am "in the dark" about the blackout on TVG and HRTV of the live feed of the Gotham. I don’t know if a New York regional sports network carried the race and had the rights, but it really seems ridiculous for both racing cable channels to have to show it on tape delay. I don’t get it but I’ll try to find an answer.
In the meantime, here’s another great YouTube video featuring the first running of the Santa Anita Handicap from way back in 1935. Watch Azucar leaving the winner’s circle. Does it make you wonder what the heck he was on that day? Video.
5:15 p.m. … Random Big ‘Cap thought. I wonder how many Santa Anita Handicaps my mother in law, Helen, has attended in person, and how many Big ‘Caps fell on her birthday, which is today. Next up… the Honest Lady, the first of four stakes on the Big ‘Cap card.
5:20 p.m. … Here’s the deal. When you see fractions of :22.08 and :44.10 on a synthetic track, start looking toward the back of the field for the winner. That’s what happened in the Honest Lady, with Sweet August Moon and John Velazquez picking up the pieces after a too-fast pace, drawing off to win by about a length and a half over another closer, Foxy Danseur, with Coco Belle third,. The early leaders, Synnin and Grinnin, Moonshine Alice, Kallokan Dancer and Starry Pursuit, were all spent when the real racing began. Final time was a quick 1:09.10 after a five-furlong split of :56.58. This was the first stakes win for Sweet August Moon, a 4-year-old by Malibu Moon trained by Brian Koriner. She’d won three of nine previous starts and was stakes placed in the Grade 3 La Habra last year. Chart.
5:30 p.m. … A lot of early money on another Brian Koriner runner, Hannahs Classy Boy, in the sixth race, a downhill turf allowance. He is 15-1 on morning line and 9-2 early.
5:35 p.m. …. Regarding Edgar Prado not riding Nicanor at Gulfstream. As much as I’m sure he’d like to have been on the colt, when any jockey has a chance to win a $1-million race, money trumps maiden races. Prado is at Santa Anita riding that terrific card, including Monba for Todd Pletcher in the Big ‘Cap.
5:40 p.m. … Here’s the answer about why HRTV and TVG both showed the Gotham Stakes on tape delay. Fran LaBelle of the New York Racing Association tells us that "the rights to the Gotham are part of the Belmont Stakes agreement with ESPN/ABC. Although they chose not to broadcast the race, we did not get their OK for anyone else to show it live, so we asked both HRTV and TVG to show the race on a delay." How’s that for arrogance — not on the part of NYRA but by ESPN/ABC? They have the rights to televise a race live, but elect not to show it and don’t want anyone else to, either. Who gets the shaft? You tell me.
5:42 p.m. … Jeannie, you are correct in your comment about Gomez picking up those mounts. My mistake. Prado was named to ride. Will have to see what happened.
5:45 p.m. … How’s this for back-to-back Big ‘Cap winners? Affirmed in 1979 (the first Santa Anita Handicap I saw in person), followed by Spectacular Bid, the best horse I’ve seen in my lifetime. Video of 1979 and 1980.
5:50 p.m. … From Gulfstream Park publicity department, here are comments on Nicanor’s second-place finish from connections of the winner and Nicanor.
Winning Jockey Quotes
Kent Desormeaux (Custom for Carlos):
“I got a beautiful trip, here…not a worry in the world. If anything, I was trying to settle him down before making that charge. I was on a very attentive horse today. He was listening when I asked. I spent the entire race just trying to slow him down.”
Jose Lezcano (Nicanor, 2nd)
“He’s still learning and you saw that today. He’s going to be a good horse, just needs to mature a little bit. I tried to break him well and put him in position, which I felt we did. But I really felt the experience factor really did us in today. He was intimidated coming around the final turn, and I couldn’t really get him to respond the way I wanted. Sometimes the public has a totally different perception from us here. It’s going to take three or four more races with him before we really know what we have here.”
Michael Matz Quote
Michael Matz:
“He’s a horse that needs experience. But he’s a good horse. Jose (Lezcano) said that when the other horse (Custom for Carlos) came alongside him he sort of shied and looked at him, but then once he got outside him, who knows, maybe another furlong he might have been able to catch him. He just needs experience, but he’s going to be a good horse.”
5:53 p.m. … Regarding Prado. According to a comment on Del Mar Forum, TVG reported Prado was sick and did not travel from California. This is not verified and I’m just passing the comment along.
6:10 p.m. … Santa Anita’s pick six starts off tough with a 12-1 win from Apoplectic in the 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf allowance. Raingear was second, with Buck’s Bro third. Winner is trained by Craig Dollase and coming off a nine-month layoff. That was a maiden victory going 1 1/16 miles on the Hollywood Park turf. The winner is a 5-year-old gelding by Nureyev stallion Unusual Heat, the red-hot California stallion who even has his own web page. Caution: if you click on his page, turn the volume down, unless you’re a big fan of the "Rocky" theme song.
6:20 p.m. … Santa Anita Oaks coming up. HRTV does a nice piece introducing the importance to racing of Santa Anita Park and follows up with a pretty good feature on Stardom Bound, the 2-year-old filly champion and Oaks favorite. The comparisons to Winning Colors, winner of the Santa Anita Oaks, Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby are unavoidable, and Gary Stevens on HRTV provides some insightful comments about both fillies, since he rode Winning Colors and is part of the IEAH team that now owns Stardom Bound.
Let’s take another trip down memory lane and watch what it takes for a filly to win the Kentucky Derby. Video of Winning Colors in 1988. 6:30 p.m. .. The much-awaited interview with Michael Iavarone of IEAH, who has backed off a little bit on his ambition of running Stardom Bound against colts in the Kentucky, "My exuberance after the Las Virgenes might have been a little accelerated," he says during an interview on HRTV. After that victory, Iavarone said the Kentucky Derby was the absolute goal. A good win will probably get her a chance against colts in the Santa Anita Derby, Iavarone says, but he’s taking it one race at a time. Gary Stevens says the daughter of Tapit has been tough to gallop all week, and he hopes jockey Mike Smith can get her off the rail and relaxed in the race.
They are approaching the gate, with Stardom Bound 1-5 and no one else in single digits. Miss Silver Brook is second choice at 10-1.
6:38 p.m. … Wow….what a wild stretch run, with four noses on the line. Not sure if Stardom Bound got her nose up. Stardom Bound was last early and rallied about eight wide into the stretch.
Stardom Bound gets the head-bob photo. Third Dawn, a longshot by Sky Mesa who had just broken her maiden last out for John Sadler, was narrowly beaten…probably by a nose. There’s a good chance Third Dawn would have been taken down, however, as she shifted out into the path of Stardom Bound with about a sixteenth of a mile to run. Also in the photo was Hooh Why, another nose back, with Nan about a head behind her on the rail in fourth.
.jpg) There was a stewards inquiry but no change was made in the order of finish.
Burg Berg set the slow early fractions of :23.78, :47.54, and 1:12.12 for the first six furlongs, with Hooh Why and Robbie Albarado not far behind. Hooh Why moved to the front at the top of the stretch, but several fillies were on her heels. One of them, Miss Silver Brook, had to check sharply about 70 yards from the wire. Final time was 1:43.62 after a mile split of 1:37.17.
"Extremely wide, jockey error on my part," Mike Smith said after the race when asked on HRTV how wide he went. "I was anywhere from 15 to 20 at one point," he said. "I’m just so grateful that she’s so talented."
"I need a defibrillator right now," Iavarone told HRTV a few minutes after the race was declared official. "I think she worked pretty hard today against the girls. She’s going to really have to improve herself to be able to handle horses like Pioneerof the Nile. But I’m going to talk it over with the guys and see what they think. If they think that they want to go forward, then I’m willing to go forward. But she worked pretty hard against the girls today."
This was Stardom Bound’s fifth consecutive victory in a Grade 1 stakes. She lost her career debut sprinting by a nose at Del Mar, then was second in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar. She broke her maiden in the Del Mar Debutante, then reeled off wins in the Oak Leaf Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Las Virgines, the latter her first start of 2009. She raced for Charles Cono and trainer Chris Paasch through the Breeders’ Cup and was sold for $5.7 million to IEAH at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in November and transferred to Robert Frankel.
Oaks Chart.
7:05 p.m. …. Santa Anita publicity department quotes…
 MIKE SMITH, STARDOM BOUND, WINNER: “It seemed like she got lost out there early. We had a terrible trip. When I moved out with her turning for home, everybody else went out at the same time and we got caught really wide. From the sixteenth pole home, I thought we could grind ‘em down, but I was worried. At the wire though, she put her ears up and she was playing with the pony coming back. Maybe this is the kind of race she needed. I guess you could say it was a not-so-heady ride.”
TRAINER QUOTES
BOBBY FRANKEL, STARDOM BOUND, WINNER: “I thought she won, watching the race live . . . I’m just lucky my heart’s strong.”
(Asked about running against males in the $750,000, Grade I Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 4): “I’m not talking.”
Prior to the race, Frankel said she was more fit for this race than she was for the Las Virgenes Stakes: “She had to be. She only ran 10 lengths farther than anybody else in the race (Oaks) . . . Watching the replay, I knew I just got up. It looked like she got in front, then she lost the lead, and then she came back again.”
Asked if he was concerned about the fractional times: “I wasn’t paying attention to fractions, I was just watching her run. He (Mike Smith) said they (other riders) were looking for her all the way, you know? . . . I wasn’t concerned about any of them. I was just concerned about her.”
MIKE IAVARONE, PART OWNER: “I think she worked pretty hard today against the girls (when asked if the Santa Anita Derby might be next). She’s going to have to really prove herself to handle horses like Pioneerof the Nile . . . If they think they want to go forward, I’m willing to go forward, but she worked pretty hard against girls today.”
NOTES: The winning owners are Mike Iavarone (IEAH Stables) of Garden City, N.Y.; Paul Pompa of Warren, N.J.; and Michael Dubb of Jericho, N.Y. This is the third Santa Anita Oaks win for Frankel. He won with Ariege last year and You in 2002.
7:06 p.m. … Line of the day from Jeff Siegel of HRTV. "Not a bad warm-up race," he said of the Oaks.
7:30 p.m. … While I quickly down a dinner before the Kilroe and Big ‘Cap, thought I’d link to one of the best Big ‘Caps I ever attended. Here’s the video.
7:35 p.m. …. To answer an earlier question: Would Stardom Bound have won by more if not forced to alter course late? Yes, I think so, but she wouldn’t have won by more than a neck. As Frankel said, she ran 10 lengths farther than anyone else.
What a nice tribute HRTV has put together in honor of the late Frank E. (Jimmy) Kilroe, the longtime director of racing at Santa Anita. He was from another era, when racing secretaries were opinionated in assigning weights to horses and stuck by their opinions. Times have changed, and with so many other opportunities handicaps are no longer relevant.
7:45 p.m. … Is Ventura really that good? The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner is even-money in her second try against colts in North America, her first try resulting in a second-place finish behind Rahy’s Attorney in the Woodbine Mile last fall on yielding turf.
7:50 p.m. … Ventura’s trainer, Robert Frankel, said he wants her to be up close to the pace, in the first flight, behind Hewitts, in the Kilroe Mile. He told HRTV he was very proud of Stardom Bound, but I wonder what he might have said if asked about Mike Smith’s ride. Probably something not fit for the family hour on television….which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from a trainer about a jockey. Charlie Whittingham, when he trained Gato del Sol (in his later years), was stunned when jockey Sandy Hawley took the late-running Kentucky Derby winner to the lead early in a mile and one-half turf race. "If I had a rifle, I would have shot him out of the saddle," Whittingham joked.
7:57 p.m. … It just doesn’t get any better. Ventura looked like a sure winner of the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile at the eighth pole, opened what looked like a safe lead, but got nipped right on the money by the fast-finishing Gio Ponti, to lose by a nose…the photo makes it look like about two inches. Ramon Dominguez rode the winner for trainer Christophe Clement. Gio Ponti is a 4-year-old colt by Tale of the Cat whose biggest previous win came in the Virginia Derby when he beat Court Vision by a nose.
 Jockey Garrett Gomez said Ventura "took a couple of steps in (at the sixteenth pole), and I had to straighten her back up." Gomez took Ventura back to fifth off the early pace set by Hewitts, who laid down fractions of :23.26, :46.31 and 1:09.86 on firm turf. Hewitts was under pressure from Wise River down the backstretch. Dixie Chatter made the first run at the lead at the top of the stretch, but Ventura edged passed him inside the eighth pole and appeared to be en route to the win. But Gio Ponti (pictured, left) came flying down the outside to just get up, completing the distance in 1:33.65 after a seven-furlong split of 1:21.69.
Ramon Dominguez said he talked with Clemente earlier in the day for instructions on how to ride Gio Ponti, who was coming off a fifth-place finish in the Strub Stakes behind Cowboy Cal on Feb. 7. "He told me to try and save ground and wait as long as I could," Dominguez said. "I was trying to follow Ventura, who seemed like she was getting a great trip, and from then on it was going to really be a horse race."
The Kilroe was the sixth win in 11 starts for Gio Ponti, who races for Castleton Lyons. Chart.
FRANK E. KILROE MILE QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
RAMON DOMINGUEZ, GIO PONTI, WINNER: “I was trying to save ground and I was trying to follow Ventura. She was getting a great trip and so were we. My horse is usually on the bridle, but they were going pretty quick so he was nice and relaxed. When Garrett (Gomez) asked her to go at the three-eighths, that filly just took off and I didn’t know if I could catch her. I showed some emotion at the wire because I still feel bad about getting beat on this horse in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Turf, at Monmouth Park) two years ago. He should have won that day and today I feel vindicated.”
GARRETT GOMEZ, VENTURA, SECOND: “They were staying out off the fence, and a little ways up the backside, I lost my cover . . . She traveled well enough. I think the ground was a little softer than she liked. She likes the synthetic; it’s a little firmer and gives her a little more push. With her little feet, she kind of slips on the softer ground (grass), and she doesn’t quite have the huge acceleration that she really has . . . but she ran a very impressive race.”
TRAINER QUOTES
NICHOLAS BACHALARD, ASSISTANT TO CHRISTOPHE CLEMENT, GIO PONTI, WINNER: “Winning a Grade I like this is a big achievement. He didn’t run that bad his last race. Maybe I didn’t have him tight enough, but he came into the race in good shape this time and he ran very big . . . Ramon (Dominguez) rode this horse before, and that’s why we chose him. He knows the horse. He rode him well before. He was unlucky with him in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Turf in 2007), so I knew he wanted to get revenge.”
NOTES: The winning owner is Shane Ryan of Lexington, Ky., who races as Castleton Lyons.
Bachalard said Christophe Clement was in Florida today.
8:10 p.m. … A couple more memories of the Santa Anita Handicap. The Bid ‘Cap was always the biggest day of the Santa Anita meeting when I lived in Southern California, and it still attracts crowds of between 40,000 and 50,000 on-track. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for the crowd that showed up in 1985, the year Lord At War won the race for Peter Perkins, trainer Charlie Whittingham and jockey Bill Shoemaker. That day, a total of 85,527 turned out, an all-time Santa Anita record. The atmosphere was incredible.
There were "only" 72,752 at Santa Anita three years earlier when John Henry went for his second consecutive Big "Cap win, and that was another truly exciting day. John Henry won easily the previous year (with good old Flying Paster among those chasing him home), but he was in for the stretch duel of his life (except, perhaps the Arlington Million against The Bart) against the Whittingham trained Perrault in the 1982 Santa Anita Handicap. Laffit Pincay Jr. used all of his strength to get Perrault to the wire first, but his left-handed whipping caused the horse to drift out significantly, impeding John Henry, who got the victory via disqualification. It’s something you hate to see in a Grade 1 race, but the stewards made the only call they could.
Here’s a recap of John Henry’s two wins in the Big ‘Cap, including the head-on of the stretch run between John Henry and Perrault. Video. Honestly, watching the replays and just thinking about the excitement of Santa Anita that afternoon sends shivers up and down my spine.
8:25 p.m. …. OK, Christine, because you mentioned Broad Brush’s sire, Ack Ack, here’s the video of his Big ‘Cap win. Another win for Charlie Whittingham, the second of his eight Santa Anita Handicap wins. There was nobody that could train an older horse like the Bald Eagle could, and later in life he showed he could even win the Kentucky Derby a time or two! Video of Ack Ack.
8:30 p.m. … HRTV’s ace handicapper Jeff Siegal picks longshot Monba in the Big ‘Cap. I’m going with Court Vision, who hasn’t been on a synthetic track since breaking his maiden at Keeneland. They are loading into the starting gate….
 8:35 p.m. … Einstein wins the Big ‘Cap under Julien Leparoux, getting a perfect trip from just off a very slow pace, winning easily under high weight of 121 pounds. Champs Elysees finished well to get second ahead of Matto Mondo, who set the pace, with Monba fourth. According to HRTV, the Helen Pitts-Blase runner was the first East Coast based horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap since Broad Brush beat Ferdinand.
Blue Exit was pulled up approaching the far turn with a fractured cannon bone, was vanned off and later euthanized, according to Santa Anita’s publicity department.
"We got a good pace, not too fast, not too slow," said Leparoux. "When you are behind horses like this it is very easy to relax, and he’s a good horse." "It’s an unbelievable feeling," said Pitts-Blase. "He means the world to me and it’s my biggest win."
Matto Mondo, who was co-favored with Court Vision at 9-2, set fractions of :24.52, :48.31, 1:12.93, and 1:35.59 under Rafael Bejarano. Einstein was never far behind and moved to the lead at the top of the stretch, gaining command at the eighth pole and drawing off to win by about a length. Final time was 2:01.93 for the 10 furlongs on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface. Colonel John, the morning line favorite, was scratched by trainer Eoin Harty when he spiked a temperature on Saturday morning.
Einstein was winning for the 10th time in 24 starts (his first time on synthetics). He races for the Midnight Cry Stable, which also owned two-time Horse of the Year Curlin when he broke his maiden and retained a minority interest in the horse for the remainder of his career. Pitts was Curlin’s trainer when he broke his maiden.
Santa Anita Handicap chart. Will try to get an update on Blue Exit. But otherwise, that’s it for Big ‘Cap day.
SANTA ANITA HANDICAP QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
JULIEN LEPAROUX, EINSTEIN, WINNER: “I got a good trip. I got him covered up, and the race went like we expected. I expected Johnny (Velazquez on Cowboy Cal) and Rafael (Bejarano on Matto Mondo) to go. I expected to be third or fourth. I came running on the last turn, and we made a good run at the finish. Jose Valdivia’s horse (Champs Elysees) came flying at the end. But we had to make a move when we did. And I think if we could have waited a little longer, we would have won much easier than that. He handled the Pro-Ride surface just fine. He’s a good horse on the turf.
He’s a good horse on the dirt. He’s a good horse on anything. I guess there had been a question mark. We didn’t know really about this track, but we were pretty sure he was going to handle it, and he sure did.”
JOSE VALDIVIA JR., CHAMPS ELYSEES, SECOND: “All last winter I’ve been working this horse, and I love him to death because he is the kindest horse. I got lucky when Bobby Frankel gave me a call in the Hollywood Turf Cup, and I’ve been begging him to run him back over this stuff. Man, we were just second best. I was gaining on that winner, but the pace didn’t help. The winner had a real good trip. Even though I had a great trip, I think if the pace had been a little hotter, we would have had a better chance at the end. But take nothing away from the winner, his first time running over this stuff.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO, MATTO MONDO, THIRD: “We got a pretty easy lead, but I had to let him go running a little bit earlier than I wanted. Maybe if I could have waited a little bit longer, it would have been better.”
GARRETT GOMEZ, MONBA, FOURTH: “He ran a very respectable race. I was glad to see him get back on form. We know he’s got a lot of talent. It’s just trying to get him to use it. He seemed interested pretty much the whole race. But when the pace quickened, he’s just pretty much of a plodder. But I was just glad to see him put some effort into it.”
SANTA ANITA QUOTES
TRAINER QUOTES
 HELEN PITTS-BLASI, EINSTEIN, WINNER: “I can’t believe it. He (Julien Leparoux) rode him absolutely beautiful. They’re a great team, those two. It’s an unbelievable feeling. It just means the world to me.
He was very comfortable with this track from the time he got here. I worked him on the grass, and I galloped him on the grass, and he felt very similar on the Pro-Ride. It certainly is an option (coming back for the Breeders’ Cup at Oak Tree on Nov. 6 and 7). We’d have to supplement him, but obviously, after today, it’s worth doing it.”
BOBBY FRANKEL, CHAMPS ELYSEES, SECOND: “It was a good race.”
RICHARD MANDELLA, MATTO MONDO, THIRD: “No excuses. Everything went as well as we could plan.”
NOTES: This is the first $1 million victory for Pitts-Blasi.
She is the first woman trainer to win the race in this, its 72nd running. Pitts-Blasi said Einstein is scheduled to return to Florida next Tuesday or Wednesday. The winning owners are Bill Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. of Lexington, who race as Midnight Cry Stable.
Today’s on track attendance was 31,496.
9:35 p.m. … Very sad to report that Blue Exit was euthanized, according to the Santa Anita publicity department, the result of a cannon bone fracture suffered in the Santa Anita Handicap. The 4-year-old son of Pulpit was pulled up on the far turn. Owned by the Blue Exit Partnership and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Blue Exit began his career in France and won one of four starts since returning to his native U.S. last year. He most recently finished a fast-closing second to Cowboy Cal in the Strub Stakes. Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Barbaro, big 'cap, custom for carlos, einstein, gio ponti, gotham Stakes, helen pitts, I Want Revenge, jeff mullins, michael matz, nicanor, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, santa anita handicap, ventura
Posted in Derby Prep, Triple Crown preps, santa anita park | 34 Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
John Sadler, the leading trainer at the recent Del Mar meeting whose barn was raided Aug. 18 by California Horse Racing Board investigators amidst allegations of multiple postive tests for anabolic steroids in horses he trains, has taken a "voluntary leave of absence" from his position as president and as a member of the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.
In a Sept. 8 email to the Paulick Report, Ed Halpern, executive director of the CTT, confirmed that both Sadler, who in July was elected by the organization’s board of directors as president, "and the board agreed" on the action at an August meeting "because of the controversy surrounding recent revelations by the CHRB."
In addition, Halpern said, Jeff Mullins, a member of the CTT’s board, also agreed to take a voluntary leave of absence
"while current CHRB charges against him are litigated." Jack Carava and Clifford Sise were named as interim directors by the board. Jim Cassidy was named to replace Sadler as president of the organization.
During a phased-in ban on anabolic steroids, the CHRB began testing July 1 without treating positive tests as violations but informing trainers and owners if a horse tested positive. From Aug. 1-Sept. 3, positive tests were to be reported as violations but but penalized. Beginning Sept. 4, penalities are to be meted out on steroid positives. According to Thoroughbred Times, Sadler accounted for 18 of 38 positive tests after testing began.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: anabolic steroids, California Horse Racing Board, california thoroughbred trainers, CHRB, clifford sise, ctt, Del Mar, ed halpern, Horse Racing, jack carava, jeff mullins, john sadler, Medication, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Medication | 3 Comments »
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
By Ray Paulick
California racing fans who are curious why Del Mar’s leading trainer, John Sadler, reportedly has had 18 horses test positive for steroids since July 1 will have the opportunity to quiz him on the subject during a “Donut Days” promotion at the Southern California seaside racetrack Saturday morning from 8-10 a.m. The program, emceed by track announcer Trevor Denman, promises a “behind-the-scenes look into the world of Thoroughbred racing.” If medication issues come up with questions from the audience, however, it may not be the behind-the-scenes examination the track’s marketing department was looking to promote.
(UPDATE: Sadler scratched from Donuts Days)
 Sadler, with 25 winners from 83 starters at the current meet for a 30% win percentage, will saddle Zappa in Sunday’s Pacific Classic. But he’s been in the news this week following a search of his Del Mar barn by California Horse Racing Board investigators and the disclosure by CHRB executive director Kirk Breed that Sadler’s horses have accounted for 18 of the 38 positive tests among all trainers for anabolics since July 1. Mike Mitchell, who is second behind Sadler in the Del Mar trainer standings, has had 10 horses test positive for anabolic steroids, according to Breed. Those figures were first reported by Thoroughbred Times. A total of 418 tests have been conducted.
Jeff Mullins, third in the trainer standings, is facing a possible suspension and fine after one of his horses exceeded the permitted level for TCO2 (bicarbonates, or milkshaking). The positive occurred while Mullins was on probation for an earlier violation. Doug O’Neill, who is fourth in the trainer standings, was forced to have his horses stabled in a detention barn at the outset of the Del Mar meeting because of an earlier medication charge by the CHRB.
Sadler currently is president of California Thoroughbred Trainers and Mullins is on the organization’s board of directors.
The CHRB’s ban on anabolic steroids was phased in after testing began July 1, with warning letters issued for positive tests during the month of July. Starting Aug. 1, a positive test was to be considered an official violation, with a notation on the trainer’s record and public notification, but no penalties were to be assessed until Sept. 4, when steroids are reclassified from Class 4 to Class 3 drugs. Beginning with races on Sept. 4, steroid positives could result in a fine, suspension and redistribution of the purse.
The CHRB’s chairman, Richard Shapiro, and executive director Breed have admitted with the benefit of hindsight that the phased-in approach was a mistake. On Thursday, the CHRB took an additional step of announcing that any horse administered anabolic steroids on or after Aug. 22 will be placed on the vet’s list for a minimum of 30 days.
A Thursday press release from the CHRB quoted an “obviously angry” Shapiro saying, “We mean business!” after the board’s medical director, Rick Arthur, reported at a Medication Committee meeting that some trainers were still using steroids. The press release also quoted CHRB vice chairman John Harris saying: “We will have no sympathy for any owners or trainers who flaunt our rules.” The meeting occurred the day after the search of Sadler’s barn.
The “Donut Days” promotion takes place at the west end of the grandstand. Other scheduled guests are retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye and Jockeys’ Guild representative Darrell Haire.
Donuts are being provided by Yum Yum Donuts.
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Tags: anabolic steroids, California Horse Racing Board, california thoroughbred trainers, CHRB, ctt, darrell haire, Del Mar, donut days, doug o'neill, eddie delahoussaye, jeff mullins, john harris, john sadler, mike mitchell, milkshaking, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, richard shapiro, rick arthur, steroids ban, tco2, trevor denman
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Medication, Regulatory Issues | 5 Comments »
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