Posts Tagged ‘Roy Jackson’

By Ray Paulick
When Barbaro streaked to the wire 6 1/2 lengths in front to win the 2006 Kentucky Derby, there was tremendous buzz throughout the racing world over the contributions the unbeaten son of Dynaformer could make to the Thoroughbred breed as a future stallion.

Those hopes were dashed when Barbaro suffered a devastating hind leg injury shortly after the start of the Preakness Stakes, and lost a gallant battle for survival some 8 1/2 months later.

In a strange way, though, Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s homebred colt may yet have a greater impact on the breed than ever imagined. It was his injury—played out in the glaring spotlight of the mainstream news media—that provided the impetus for a two-day workshop in October 2006 to examine ways to improve safety and soundness for racehorses. One of the recommendations to come out of this Welfare and Safety Summit was the creation of a national on-track injury reporting system. A pilot program, collecting injury data from 30 racetracks, was launched the following spring and became the forerunner of the Equine Injury Database, one of the recommendations of the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee, formed after another high-profile tragedy—the death of the filly Eight Belles at the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

The Equine Injury Database, funded entirely by the Jockey Club as a service to the industry, is North America’s first national injury reporting program and includes approximately 84% of all Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, mule, Appaloosa, Arabian and National Steeplechase Association races. Click here for the list of tracks that participating. Tracks not participating include Oaklawn Park, River Downs, and Los Alamitos.

Veterinarian Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, has been an integral part of the data collection process from the beginning and serves as veterinary consultant to the Equine Injury Database. She provided an update on the work for the Paulick Report Forum brought to you by the Breeders’ Cup.

Can you provide an update on the Equine Injury Database after its formation nearly 18 months ago?
We implemented the quality control aspect of it in November 2008. What’s involved there is that the reporting veterinarians tick off a box for each live race date. That way we are able to know that we have complete reporting when no injuries may have occurred.

So Nov. 1, 2008, is the start of the quality controlled data period. We just sent 12 months of data to Dr. Tim Parkin, at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He has done quite a bit of injury epidemiology work for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and British Horseracing Authority.

Why are some tracks not participating?
No has told me why. The software development and all reporting are done at no cost to the tracks and very little time is involved—no more than a couple of minutes per incident. If they are unable to enter the reports into our password-secured database, they can fax in their reports or mail them and we’ll enter it.

What is the severity or type of injuries being collected?
The criteria for reporting to this point has been any situation where a regulatory veterinarian has to intervene—a scratch in the morning because of soundness, a post parade scratch, flipping in the starting gate, a horse who fails to finish and is injured or is injured or lame after the finish. The data base is set up to separate fatalities from non-fatalities.

Is it just for racing, or are training incidents included?
We are interested in getting training information, but at this point the participation is inconsistent. Part of that is whether there is a regulatory veterinarian present during training hours.

Have there been any adjustments in the type of data collected or the methodology?
Not really. Epidemiologists have looked at how we were collecting it and are coinfident it is usable. After they start working with it I suspect they will make some suggestions.

What are the benefits the industry may get from this?
First off, accountability. We will be able to compare apples to apples and have reliable data related to racing injuries. Everyone is using the same criteria, so a specific kind of fracture is reported the same in Washington as in Florida. And if you have turnover in regulatory veterinarians, you collect the data the same.

The next thing is that we have now established a database on a national scope and will be able to identify risk factors to injury related to exercise patterns. It can also be a tool for racing secretaries related to stall allotments. Tracks can look at scratch patterns. The more information you put in the more you can do with it. Injury prevention and understanding injuries is important. Tim (Parkin) is going to be looking initially at fatalities. Everyone wants the answer to the $64,000 question about the different surfaces. But we don’t have enough data to answer that. We don’t have the pre- versus post- data related to synthetic tracks. There is very little in the Equine Injury Database that is pre-synthetic.
 
Within the context of a single track, if you start seeing injuries occurring at the quarter pole, the horsemen will say there is something wrong with the track there. But if you see a trend nationally, regardless of track configurations, size or surface, if you see an injury distribution pattern that is consistent, you are not condemning the track or the surface.
 
The Holy Grail is to combine the work Mick Peterson is doing with the Equine Injury Database (click here for information on the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory developed by Drs. Peterson and C. Wayne McIlwraith). He monitors different track surfaces, has a hydraulic foot to measure the surface response to compression, ground penetrating radar, measures weather, temperature of surface, and drainage. All that stuff has been an art, and he’s brought science to it.

Will results, interpretation or recommendations made as a result of the data be made public at some point?
Dr. Parkin is planning to release descriptive statistics on behalf of the Jockey Club. He is going to give stats that will talk about fatalities per 1,000 starts, will likely reference dirt, turf, synthetic, the distance of races. We have to understand that those numbers, whatever they are, are not the same as a risk assessment. Let’s say there is a higher rate of fatalities on one surface as compared to another. In and of itself that does not mean there is a higher risk because of the surface, because there may be other factors.

For example, when I was in Florida, I observed that we were getting double the rate of right hind pastern fractures on turf vs. dirt. It was consistent over four to five years at both Gulfstream and Calder. The assumption is that turf racing is associated with increased risk for right hind pastern injuries. What is it about grass that makes a horse more likely to fracture his right hind pastern vs. dirt. Finally, someone from France said, “But where are all your turf courses?” (On the inside of dirt tracks.) The turn radius is too tight. It was the turn radius, not the surface. 

The epidemiologist will need to find subsets of the whole population and narrow things down to single variables. You really need someone who is very proficient.

Will there be a version 2.0 of the database?
I’m at this point the proud mother. I’m not the one who is going to direct how the data is analyzed going forward. Parkin and Ashley Hill from Colorado State will do that first. We may come up with some questions that say to them, “Look at the data. Can you answer these questions or do you need something else?”

We are going to hear from people in the industry, questions they want asked, and we’ll hear from other researchers who will come forward with proposals. Ultimately it will become an academic resource. We’ve got some tracks that have been putting in data since January 2007—a lot of them have participated in good faith. We’ve got to follow up on that. We’ve provided the tracks with a good tool to use internally. Some tracks have several years worth of data, and they need to be able to use it.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

Savvy businesses recognize value. Advertise in the Paulick Report.



Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick

On the surface, it seems unfathomable that the 40-some members and trustees, founding members and officers of the Breeders’ Cup who select the organization’s operating board of directors could have rejected Richard Santulli, whose business acumen is such that he is on the short list of candidates to succeed Warren Buffett, the “oracle of Omaha,” as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. But that’s what they did on Friday, when the group voted to fill seven positions on the 14-member board. Neither Santulli, a New Jersey-based Thoroughbred owner and breeder, or Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm owner John Sikura received enough votes to secure a board seat.

The members and trustees re-elected all five of the candidates who sought re-election to two-year terms: Breeders’ Cup board chairman Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm, Antony Beck of Gainesway Farm, Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, racetrack and casino owner R.D. Hubbard, and Satish Sanan of Padua Stables. Two open seats, made possible when board members Robert Clay and Joseph Shields Jr. were voted off the board of members and trustees by Breeders’ Cup nominators, were filled by Helen Alexander of Middlebrook Farm and Roy Jackson of Lael Stables.
Those seven are joined on the Breeders’ Cup board by the following individuals who were elected to two-year terms in 2007: Reynolds Bell Jr., Donald Dizney, Tracy Farmer, B. Wayne Hughes, G. Watts Humphrey Jr., and Robert Manfuso. The 14th board position is filled by the Breeders’ Cup CEO, Greg Avioli.

It is widely believed that the xenophobic duo of Farish and his father, Will, the vice chairman of the Jockey Club, lobbied heavily with the members and trustees to keep Santulli and Sikura off the board. Ironically, Santulli has been a client of Lane’s End, keeping mares at the Versailles, Ky., farm. Both Santulli and Sikura have been outspoken in their criticism of various aspects of the Breeders’ Cup in recent years. NetJets, the company Santulli founded and which is now part of the Berkshire Hathaway empire, was a Breeders’ Cup sponsor for several years but did not renew its sponsorship in 2008.
New Jersey-based Thoroughbred Daily News publisher Barry Weisbord, a close associate of Santulli, is believed to have lobbied to get Santulli elected. In addition, a number of Kentucky-based members and trustees pushed for the election of Sikura.

Simply put, Farish had the most juice in this election, and sources say it wasn’t even close.

The two new board members, Alexander and Jackson, represent old money. Alexander is an heir to the massive King Ranch, which raced 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault. She is widely respected for her independence and toughness, and support for her candidacy likely reached across the various factions.

Jackson, an heir to the Standard Oil fortune through his grandfather, William D. Rockefeller, is best known as the owner-breeder with wife Gretchen of Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner whose injury in the Preakness and unsuccessful battle to survive was a closely followed national drama two years ago. Having the conservative and low-keyed Jackson seek election was a stroke of genius by whoever convinced him to run. He and his wife, along with trainer Michael Matz, jockey Edgar Prado and veterinary surgeon Dean Richardson, were the human elements in the Barbaro story, and the Jacksons received plaudits from all corners for their handling of the horse’s post-Preakness struggles.

I’ve never heard anyone compare Jackson’s business experience with that of Richard Santulli, or his knowledge of the horse industry with John Sikura. But he is without enemies in the business and doesn’t make waves: a sure-fire qualification for an endorsement from the Farishes.

The respect for Alexander and the affection for Jackson notwithstanding, the rejection of a highly successful businessman like Santulli is mind-boggling. If he is good enough to be a candidate to run Berkshire Hathaway, it’s almost comical to think he would not be an asset on the Breeders’ Cup board.

The only conclusion I can make is that the most influential board members, led by Bill and Will Farish, are interested only in maintaining power by preventing individuals with different points of view from getting elected.

“Billionaires run the industry,” one horseman said to me after the election. “The only way to beat them is on the racetrack.” 

By Ray Paulick

Copyright ©2008, The Paulick Report

Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick.

Curlin was the story of the week, in the court room and on the racetrack.

The 2007 Horse of the Year made his grass debut Saturday in Belmont Park’s Man o’ War going 1 3/8 miles and ran a solid race to be second to Red Rocks, the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner. Solid enough to warrant a trip to France for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October? Not in my book, not when you consider how much stiffer the competition will be and how much more challenging the conditions at Longchamp figure to be.

The fact that Curlin even raced in New York is a tribute to the power of attorneys. Only a few weeks ago it looked as though the legal entanglement minority owners Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion were in was going to prevent the horse from racing in New York because the owner’s license of Cunningham had expired and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board said it would not resissue the license because it would not be in the best interests of racing. Cunningham and Gallion were on trial at the time on a wire fraud charge related to their legal fees in a class-action lawsuit involving the diet drug Fen-Phen. Attorneys for Jess Jackson, Curlin’s majority owner, fought to turn over the Gallion-Cunningham ownership to a court-appointed receiver, and an attorney for the people in the class-action suit who were allegedly gouged wanted Curlin sold in a public auction.

Gallion and Cunningham are to be retried (with a different judge presiding over the case) after their first trial ended with a hung jury and a mistrial. Jackson’s attorneys won this round and were able to race Curlin in New York.

But the legal entanglement won’t be over until the fat lady involved in the Fen-Phen case sings. Curlin will probably have little babies running around by then.

THE PAULICK REPORT’s anonymous news tip line got word that some past-post betting took place at Tampa Bay Downs on a race from Philadelphia Park June 28, and we had an exclusive report on that incident  last Monday. Our friends at the Thoroughbred Times did a quick rewrite of the story later that day, which didn’t go down too well with us. A Paulick Report follow-up focused on the two leading industry trade publications, including Bloodhorse, where I served for 15 years, touching on the cozy relationship those magazines traditionally have with the advertising community, which frequently wield their considerable clout to alter editorial coverage. The article was not meant to categorize Frank Angst, the Thoroughbred Times author who rewrote the Paulick Report story without attribution, as a bad reporter. Not giving credit to another publication is how business is done in the trenches of the Thoroughbred trade publications. Angst, in fact, is a very good reporter whose coverage of the wagering side of the industry has been the best in the business.

The most important lesson to take out of the two articles is the fact that the pari-mutuel industry is operating with an antiquated tote system that could rock the integrity of the very core of the business. Past-posting has occurred, and no one can say with absolute certainty that it isn’t happening more frequently than we know.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF BETTING REVENUE among tracks, horseman’s purses and account wagering companies was at the center of the dispute between Ellis Park and the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association that prompted Ron Geary to throw down the gauntlet and threaten to close Ellis Park for good recently. Geary backed off on his threat, opening the western Kentucky track a week late in what can only be termed a victory for horsemen. They also won a victory against Churchill Downs this past week when a simulcast contract was signed between Florida horsemen and Calder. The account wagering dispute still lingers there, as it does in many jurisdictions where the account wagering companies, especially those owned by racetracks, are getting an increasingly bigger share of the pie.

A new organization, the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group, is trying to reshape the business model for account wagering, and the Paulick Report profiled how the THG leaders are going about it.

THE NEWLY APPOINTED KENTUCKY HORSE RACING COMMISSION had its first meeting last week, and indications are that it will be full-speed ahead on regulations or a ban on anabolic steroids. Lo and behold, the makeup of the commission shows some diversity of viewpoints, despite the politics that are inherent in this process, and the Paulick Report gave the governor and his close ally Tracy Farmer two thumbs up on most of the appointments.

FINALLY, THE BREEDERS’ CUP BOARD OF MEMBERS AND TRUSTEES held an election on Friday to fill seven spots on its 14-member board of directors. All five board members seeking reelection won, and two open positions were filled by Helen Alexander of Middlebrook Farm and Roy Jackson of Lael Stables, which raced Barbaro. 

I’ll have more on the Breeders’ Cup election in tomorrow’s Paulick Report post.

By Ray Paulick

Copyright ©2008, The Paulick Report

Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick.

The Paulick Report will be blogging live from Thursday’s hearing on horse racing from Washington, D.C.

9:45…The guests begin to assemble for the hearing on “Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: the State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred,” and Christian Fjeld, staff counsel for the subcommitee on commerce, trade and consumer protection, doesn’t seem very happy about Rick (no show) Dutrow. “We havent heard from him, so we are still expecting to see him here, Fjeld said. “His chair and name placard will be here unless we here from him before the hearing starts.” Fjeld said it is “unusual” for someone not to call the committee to say they are unable to attend.

“Unusual?” That’s a good way to describe Mr. Dutrow.

9:50…Debbye Turner, correspondent for the CBS Evening News, is here to put the finishing touches on a piece she has been working on about Jess Jackson and the horse racing industry. She said it will air tonight. TV people sure look a lot better than print folks. She’s seated next to me and Joe Drape of the NY Times, which could make anyone look good.

9:55…The room is filling up quickly. Heavy press attendance and horse racing folks who are not testifying, including Roy Jackson, who raced Barbaro with wife Gretchen.

10:07…Meeting called to order by Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. She acknowledges subcommittee chairman Bobby Rush of Illinois (yes, the former Black Panther, but that is sooo yesterday), who is recovering from a serious health issue. She then reads an opening statement that charges horses racing are “doped with cocaine, caffeine and anabolic steroids.” A breeding expert apparently, she goes on to talk about how Eight Belles was inbred too much to unsound horses. Someone on her staff must be a Bill Nack fan. Nack wrote a piece critical of the pedigree of Eight Belles, who died in the Kentucky Derby, being inbred to Native Dancer. “It has become almost impossible to tell what their natural condition is (because of doping).” Oh, brother, this is going to be a long day. “What’s going on here?” she asks. Hey, that’s not fair to use that slogan. The Blood-Horse editorial page owns that. “Work with us to clean up your sport,” she says.

10:12…Next up is Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, the ranking Republican of the subcommittee. He cites three primary problems. “Our horses race more on drug induced ability than on natural ability,” Whitfield says. Second problem, he said, “is a lack of transparency.” Third issue “is a lack of an authority to make decisions and enforce rules and regulations. There is not any one entity that can enforce regulations.”

10:15…In fairness to No Show Dutrow, Joe Drape leaned over and said, “They lie,” in reference to politicians. What? OMG. “I know for a fact Dutrow called Whitfield’s office,” he said. Sorry, Rick. You’re absence is excused as far as I’m concerned.

10:10…Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida talked about his home region in Ocala, Fla., then shifted to Eight Belles. “Was this a freak accident with Eight Belles?” He said he doesn’t want the federal government to run horse racing. “I don’t want you to work with us. I want you to work without us,” he said. Stearns talked about “rainers who give their horses cocaine and all they get is a slap on the wrist. Stearns said horses are committing suicide. I wonder, do they have mental problems, too, in addition to their physical weakness?

10:25…Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska saluted Jack Van Berg, the Hall of Fame trainer who will be testifying later. Terry said he worked at Ak-sar-ben (hey, that’s Nebraska spelled backwards!) during college and the Van Berg name was huge back then. Wonder if the good Congressman knows Ak-sar-ben is toast.

10:30…After all the opening statements by congressman are finished, acting chairman Schakowsky states, “This hearing is completely bipartisan.” That could be a first in this town.

10:35…Schakowsky slaps Dutrow a hard one. “Disappointed” by his absence, she says. Lot of chuckles from the audience when she says she hopes, after he feels better, Dutrow will join the efforts to clean up the sport. Now I am conflicted. Who should I believe: Joe Drape or a politician?

10:37…Alan Marzelli of the Jockey Club is the leadoff hitter. Says he is “grateful” to be here. Anyone have a lie detector machine around here? A look around the room shows it is standing room only. “The thoroughbred safety committee’s work has just begun,” Marzelli says, after outlining the recommended changes the committee announced Tuesday. Marzelli said he is “confident” that 2008 will be the last year anabolic steroids are used in horses for racing or training.

10:43…Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board gets off a good line: “We used to have twice the horses and half the vets. Today we have twice the vets and half the horses.” Is “pharmacopia” a word? Shapiro used it to describe the prevalence of medication in racing today. He cites clenbuterol as an example of a drug that is misused. “It was intended for cattle,” he said.

10:46…Shapiro cut off by the chairman…”You have one minute left.” He reads faster! Shapiro wants a national racing charter with one set of rules for all. He is against a national regulatory body, but wants a national racing commission. Not sure I understand the difference.

10:50…Van Berg not happy with the status quo. He needs horses, and he should tell the chairwoman that Alysheba isn’t dead (unless she knows something we don’t…thanks for the comment and the heads up Alicia)

10:53…Randy Moss is g-oo-oo-oo-d. He should be on TV, he is so Randy. Great inflections and solid commentary. He talks about how U.S. racing’s emphasis on drugs has hurt the sport, then slowly says: “This…must…change.”

Moss for racing commissioner. Seriously.

10:56…Arthur Hancock has a tough act to follow, but his folksy Kentucky accent should go over well. “No one’s in charge,” said Arthur. We’ve heard this over and over, and it’s been Arthur’s mantra for many years. Will this change things? “Chemical horses make chemical babies,” he said, discussing drugs. Great story about the cat and mice. Finishes on a nice touch, quoting Winston Churchill with a twang.

11:03…Jess Jackson trumps Arthur Hancock! “I’m an eighth-generation horseman,” he proclaims. Arthur, the poor sap, is only a fourth generation horseman. And Jackson said he saw Seabiscuit…the horse…not the movie! I heard the movie was better than the horse. But the book was better than both. But seriously. Drugs? “Ban them,” he says. Jackson also wants more disciplinary measures taken against veterinarians. David Foley, executive director of the American Association of Equine Practitioners looks sternly in Jackson’s direction and whispers something to veterinarian Wayne McIlwraith, who speaks on the second panel. Jackson wants a national owner’s organization and said two words should be changed in the Interstate Horseracing Act to accommodate a national owners’ organization to negotiate with the tracks. I’m afraid Jackson is going to get the gong from the chair if he doesn’t wrap it up.

11:10…Question time from the chair. Do you believe in a national body? Yes or no? All say yes (but Marzelli says “industry” not “government”). Mixed responses about the federal government regulating drugs: Marzelli was a clear “no,” but the others say yes, some with conditions. Should all drugs be eliminated? Yes, all around. This should be easy, then, right? She’s onto Marzelli’s confidence about swiftly changing the drug rules nationally. Why? “I’m an optimist at heart,” Marzelli said. “We certainly make it difficult on ourselves.” Now he is patting himself on the back about creating Equibase…there’s a smokescreen if I ever saw one to avoid a very good question.

11:16…Whitfield aims at Marzelli, too, about the powerless of the Jockey Club to get its recommendations adopted. “What power do you have?” he asked. “We have the power of persuasion and consensus building,” Marzelli said, in a very low tone. “I would like to see the industry regulate itself.”

11:23…”The Jockey Club is a fiefdom!” Jackson says in response to a comment from Marzelli. Much laughter from the audience. Congress wants to enforce rules against inbreeding or wants the Jockey Club to do that? Marzelli is against these “selective and arbitrary measures.”

11:28…”The army needs a general,” Hancock says, in reference to a change in the Interstate Horseracing Act putting owners in charge of simulcast contracts.

11:30…Voting break.

What he would have said. Dutrow’s written testimony:

When I was contacted by one of your staffers and asked to speak here today I agreed because I wanted to share my insights and points of view on some of these issues and I hope that I can be helpful here.

I also hope that I was not asked to be here because of some of the problems I have had in the past. I hope your staff people were sincere in inviting me because they valued my insight. I want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

I also ask for your patience today. I’m not always the best at explaining things. I’ve been taking care of horses all my life. I dropped out of high school more than 30 years ago to take care of horses and sometimes I think I do better with horses than with people.

As you may know, I am the trainer for Big Brown, the very talented horse who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness this year. Despite my best efforts and those of the team of people around him, he did not win the Belmont Stakes but that’s horseracing. Big Brown is healthy and our plan right now is to keep him racing this summer and fall.

In addition to Big Brown, I am responsible for approximately 150 horses at any one time – 110 in active training and 40-50 at various farms getting ready to race. My operation has about 75 people, including grooms, stable hands, exercise riders, blacksmiths and vets, who care for our horse on a daily basis.

While some people’s focus is on the big days, we care about our horses and keeping them safe 365 days a year. Taking care of horses is a way of life for us. Our horses get the best care we can give them. They are gifted athletes and are trained to give their best performance when they run.

During the Triple Crown, I was asked several questions about my past and I expect those will come up today so let me address them.

My barn has been penalized in the past for medication violations. I was suspended and fined five years ago when traces of a prohibited substance, mepivicaine, turned up in a test for one of my horses. I said then that we don’t use it and I don’t know how it happened.

We have also had violations when legal, permitted, therapeutic medications have shown up in race day tests because they were given to the horse too close to the race. That’s something that many trainers in the country have had to deal with. But I take responsibility for the condition of my horses.

During the Triple Crown I told the media that my horses are given Winstrol on the 15th of each month. This is an FDA approved medication and is within the current rules of racing in most states. It is something we started a few years ago at the recommendation of one of our vets.

People have asked me why I do it. My observation is that it helps the horses eat better. Their coats brighten. They’re more alert. It helps them train. Having said that, our barn has won hundreds of races with horses that weren’t on steroids. Earlier this winter, I won two one million dollar races in Dubai, where steroids are prohibited. If steroids are banned in the United States, we’ll stop using them.

I also said that I’m not qualified to speak to the science of it. For that, I would suggest that you talk to the vets and scientific experts.

Thank you.

12:05…During the break, Congressman Whitfield’s wife, Connie, has subcommittee staff counsel Fjeld cornered. She, of course, is the vice chair of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority accused recently by Kentucky State Sen. Damon Thayer of having a conflict of interest.

Interesting observation about the first panel from a Washington insider: “Well, they got that one set up just like they wanted.” In other words, the subcommittee is pushing for national oversight, and with the exception of Marzelli, all the witnesses said some form of national oversight is necessary.

12:25…Having some technical issues (hey, the Internet’s still new, right?).
During some lively (?) questioning from the chair, Arthur Hancock says the veterinarians are getting rich giving all those drugs to horses. Bet Arthur wishes he would have studied harder at Vanderbilt and gone to vet school. Foley and McIlwraith of the AAEP simultaneously lean forward with increased interest.

Moss makes a good comment in response to a question from Whitfield about why people don’t want a national authority. “Fear,” Moss says, “fear of lack of control.”

Van Berg sounds bitter talking about these “young guys” who come onto the racetrack and want to win and will do anything to win. “The veterinarians are mostly training the horses now,” he says. “If you don’t know what’s wrong with the horse yourself, you shouldn’t have a trainer’s license.”

12:36…Hancock was asked why the various organizations can’t work together, and whether any one organization is worse than others. He said no one was worse than others. “Ego has a lot to do with it,” Hancock said. “They all envision themselves as the saviors of racing. They have their own CEO. It’s some good people trying to pull a wagon, but they’re all pullin’ in different directions.

12:43…Whitfield asks Marzelli if the Jockey Club gives money to organizations that rescue or retrain Thoroughbreds for careers after racing. Like a good politician, Marzelli avoids the direct question, talking about the Jockey Club Foundation for human charities and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation that funds research on horse health issues. Whitfield repeats the question. Marzelli responds: “We believe every owner is responsible for their horse.” In other words, the Jockey Club does not support horse rescue/retraining operations. At least the Jockey Club is opposed to slaughtering horses, according to Marzelli…and probably babies, too.

12:48…Second panel, mostly veterinarians reviewing research, so for the next 45 minutes or so I’m going to do all I can to stay awakezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

12:54….Rep. Pitts of Pennsylvania stifles a series of yawns during Dr. Stover’s testimony reviewing statistics on fatalities at California racetracks over the past 25 years. Whitfield learns forward and does that squinty thing with his eyes, suggesting he is trying very hard to understand all this data flowing his way. Nowhere near the fireworks of panel one. But wait till Alex Waldrop is up and the subcommittee members turn on him.

1:00…Wayne McIlwraith takes the mike. He is one of the best veterinarians in the business and has probably presented research thousands of times during his distinguished career. If every practitioner at the racetrack had his ethics and knowledge, we wouldn’t be in such a mess.

Incidentally, for those who want to read the testimony of the veterinary panel and the previous panel, their written statements will be posted on the subcommittee’s web site later today: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Subcommittees/ctcp.shtml

1:10…Dr. Mary Scollay is reading too fast for me to comprehend at this stage, but I think she must have had some Jockey Club Kool-Aid during the break. She said “Jockey Club” a whole lotta times during her review of the research she’s been involved with.

1:12….Allie Conrad has a lot of passion for what she does at CANTER Mid Atlantic, and the subcommittee members seem to paying far more attention to her than to the previous veterinary presenters. Perhaps it’s because she is talking in layman’s terms, or maybe because she is “on message” with what the subcommittee wants to hear. In talking about some of the horses she ends up with at CANTER, she said: “These horses weren’t injured from a freak accident or a tragic misstep. They were injured over time with the assistance of trainers, owners, and veterinarians — all who shoud have put the horse’s welfare as a higher priority. … Racing is not bothering to take care of its own horses, and are allowing the public — often not even racing fans — to take care of the problems.” Powerful stuff and effective with the committee members, I’ll bet.

1:18…Here comes who I bet will be the day’s whipping boy, NTRA’s Alex Waldrop, who proudly said his organization is a “consensus builder.” Alex sounds defensive already, like he knows what’s coming during the Q&A session later. Maybe he can be saved by the bell (when the members have to go vote.)

1:21…Waldrop is almost shouting now. “This industry is no longer a rudderless ship.” Take that Arthur Hancock! “The last thing this industry needs is yet another layer of regulation.”

1:26…Brief question session because of an upcoming vote. Whitfield doesn’t ask a question of Waldrop but makes a statement to him: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the government to set minimum standards. I think the first panel displayed very clearly that there are serious problems within the industry.”

1:30…Who’s to blame, one Congressman asks, for the drug problems in racing? The consensus answer from the panel: “everyone.”

1:32…Hearing adjourned abruptly for a vote. Alex Waldrop walks away and mutters, “Saved by the bell.” Wonder if he’s been reading my blog?

Line of the day from Jack Van Berg when asked what it’s like to train horses today: “It’s chemical warfare out there?”

That is all for now….

Copyright ©2008, The Paulick Report