Posts Tagged ‘two bucks’

John Wayne, executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, told the Paulick Report that Jones indicated he would appeal the ruling, which was handed down on Wednesday. The commission is expected to hear the appeal on Oct. 21. Jones was granted a stay until that time.

The ruling against Jones was the first of any kind during the trainer’s 25-year career, according to the data base at the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

The penalties assessed Jones are significantly lower than the model rules recommended last month by RCI, which Wayne said call for a suspension of 60 days to six months and up to a $1,500 fine for Clenbuterol, a Class 3 drug according to RCI guidelines. The seven-day suspension and $500 fine is in line with other first-offense Clenbuterol rulings in the Mid-Atlantic reguib, according to Wayne.

“The testimony given would be taken into consideration by the stewards,” said Wayne, who did not attend the hearing. Wayne said mitigating circumstances also may be taken into consideration by stewards when ruling on medication violations.

The Stones River case gained national attention when Jim Squires, co-owner with wife Mary Anne of Two Bucks Stable, issued a statement after being notified of the positive test, saying that it was a “highly suspicious” case and suggested it may have involved sabotage of the horse or drug test. Squires was notified of the result two days before a Congressional hearing examining drugs and welfare issues related to Thoroughbreds; a one-time member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, Squires has been an outspoken critic of the drugging of horses. An author and former editor of the Chicago Tribune, he also wrote a blog for the New York Times during this year’s Triple Crown in which he called for a ban on anabolic steroids.

“We have faith in the integrity of Delaware racing authorities and their interest in fair treatment. But we also are aware how staff and budget resources limit the ability of regulators to conduct thorough, successful criminal investigations. If this were a case of cheating in NASCAR or the NFL, there would be a commissioner with full authority and investigative expertise to step in and get to the bottom of it. In view of the highly charged public atmosphere surrounding the credibility of racing, the full resources of the Jockey Club, the NTRA, Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association should be offered to the Delaware Racing Commission and the Department of Agriculture to assure a fair and credible resolution of this matter. If necessary, the entire purse from the race should be used to supplement required resources. As an owner, Two Bucks Stable is far more interested in the credibility of our horse, our trainer and our industry than we are the money.”

The cartoon depicted Squires in the company of three prominent African Americans — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, along with political activitists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson – under a headline: GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE, and said Squires was “poising” with the three men at what Musselman referred to as a “DemocRAT fundraiser.”

The letter, emailed from Squires to Musselman, read:

These newsletter items about Squires are not the first sarcastic or potentially offensive references to members of minority groups by Musselman, who has repeatedly referred to California owner-breeder Jess Jackson as the “white Jesse Jackson” and in a recent edition referred to Kentucky breeder Arthur Hancock as “the luckiest white man in Bourbon County” because he “got a good woman AND a hoe.” Another reference this week used the term “Chinaman’s chance,” which Asian American organizations and others have called offensive.

The United States Constitution protects free speech and freedom of the press, which entitles Musselman to continue to publish what some may view as an often racially charged publication. What is curious about the Indian Charlie newsletter is what might be interpreted as tacit approval of Musselman and his racial parodies by Keeneland, which has constructed a specific distribution box for the publication in the entrance to its sale pavilion.

Keeneland, which has supported the newsletter through advertising, does business with buyers and consignors of many races, religions and ethnic groups from around the world. The company also has a history exclusively employing African Americans in such positions as washroom attendants and auction ring handlers.

Perhaps Squires should have directed his letter to Nick Nicholson, the president and CEO of Keeneland, rather than to Musselman. Nicholson might be able to better explain the meaning of Musselman’s attempts at ethnic humor and why Keeneland does everything possible to support the newsletter. While he’s at it, Nicholson also might explain that to Keeneland’s African-American work force.