Couldnt agree more.

I find it all pretty funny since the ONLY ONE trainer that had a horse in the Belmont has never been suspended.  Kelly Breen is the only one.  All the others have had a fine and or were given days.

ITS THE GREATEST GAME ON EARTH!!!…& ALWAYS WILL BE…PERIOD…

The clouds roll away, the sun comes out,
…Story has a happy ending

Phsssst!

Totally agree–the spotlight on O’Neill is becoming more active for other trainers who play games with horse’s lives.  Inhumane tricks used by greedy owners and trainers have brought TB racing down.  The spotlight and scrutiny of O’Neill can make things better for our horses in the future and make the bad boys on the backside think twice before cheating.

Let me explain something that may bring this issue into sharper focus for you. The entire issue of whether somebody is cheating should be based not on technicalities, but on intent. When somebody has an overage for a legal drug, I don’t think this is cheating. This is simply an error. But when somebody uses any form of milkshaking, the intent is to take and edge and to cheat. You can minimize the components of milkshaking all you want to and make fun of the ingredients, but milkshaing remains one of the two most potent methods to move a horse up. The other is any form of enhancing the delivery of oxygen to the lungs. Buffering lactic acid and enhancing oxygen delivery are the gold standard of cheating to improve the performance of a racehorse.

I have read some nonsense about how Doug O’Neill is not a bad guy because he has never had a positive test for a Class 1 drug like a narcotic.

Pain management is mostly an issue that concerns lower level horses and there are plenty of ways to deal with painother  than having to resort to a narcotic. The fact that he has not had a positive test for a narcotic in no way should minimize the fact that he has been caught for horses in his care having elevated levels of TOC2.

Two entirely different careers. One does not have ANYTHING to do with the other. Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters were terrific racehorses, but they were marginal as sires. Doesn’t detract from what they did on the track. This is just your opinion. Under your definition, Citation was a bum!

I wonder how long these claques will be on the payroll?

Three fantastic races with three incredible finishes. Solid Triple Crown threat. Trainer finishes second in all 3 Triple Crown races. Great Mario Gutierrez story. Seems this year Triple Crown had so many positives for the sport to build upon, hope it does!

The real story is that racing dodged a major bullet.

I don’t even know Doug O’Neill but believe in giving him the benefit of the doubt…….do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  What I do know is what I read about all trainers throughout the years and since we’ve owned horses in partnership on the East Coast, we’ve spoken w/several trainers, breeders and horsemen over the years as well. To deny that many of our best trainers have had charges brought against them is ludicrous. Additionally, I intended no ill will against those trainers and quite honestly have a great deal of respect and admiration for them.  The point is that on any given day, the most careful of trainers can come up w/a violation.  Each horse, just as humans, is different and reacts differently when given meds.  I recall the Brass Hat debacle in Dubai some years ago.  Supposedly, the owner/trainer of Brass Hat followed all the rules.  Unfortunately, a small trace of meds was found in his system and he was disqualified following the race. 

I love Thoroughbred racing and hate to see so many folks in their blogs, on RP Report, etc…constantly tear down the sport. To be so negative and vengeful does not reflect well on the sport of Thoroughbred racing. 

With regard to the issue of Lassix, that is one issue that many owners/breeders/trainers shy away from.  Why is that?? If we put the horse first, as we should (and as the Jacksons do, for example), Lassix should have been banned years ago.  Why are we the only country using race day Lassix?  It’s wrong, it’s harmful to the breed from all the evidence and reports I’ve read, so why can’t we do away with it? Reports have stated that there is a very small percentage of horses that would not be able to race, because they are bleeders…if they are bleeders, they shouldn’t be racing anyway. 

When you go back to the 70′s decade..with Secretariat, Slew, Affirmed…these were phenomenal athletes and there was no Lassix on race day.  We need to begin breeding healthier, stronger Thoroughbreds so once again we can actually witness another Triple Crown.  It appears hypocrisy runs rampant throughout the industry, and no one wants to admit that it’s about the money, not the horse, but sadly, it appears to be so.

Davis, I agree with everything you have just posted, but as I tried to explain to you, when a horse tests positive for an elevated level of TCO2, the ONLY logical explanation is that the trainer of that animal tried to take an edge by manipulating its carbon levels. This is not like giving a drug like bute and having an overage. Milkshaking is not legal. Anybody that tries to run horses like this is cheating. That is the difference. Do you get it yet? People that continually do stuff like this do not deserve the benefit of the doubt, because there is no doubt.

Prey…couldn’t have written it better myself.

Don’t look for me to let up until racing starts to get rid of the drug cheats.

BafFART? lol.

“PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT LITTLE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!”

Barry, I was waiting for the facade of the cool, articulate and urbane “James D. Jimenez” to crack.  It happened.

“In my travels I have learned that you are not very well liked.”

This peer-pressure tactic was the DOOR prize from a kindergarden heist.  I had no idea they were shoeing kids that young, but there we have it.

Nice try Jimenez, or whomever is using your name on these boards or feeding you lines. Lambasting me will not lessen my credibility, because I am talking issues and youhave not and cannot respond to them, because you have no clue or you are blind to the truth. I have not attached you or Mr. O’Neill and have been very careful not to make any of this personal. I am talking issues and facts.

“…cool, articulate and urbane”…what comments have you been reading? 

Why do you and your merry band of followers insist that multiple people use my name? You have indeed attacked me personally and continue to do so by insinuating that I’m part of some PR plot. And as soon as you post one of your many negative post, here come your fans, employees, or family (whatever they are). Right after you post a comment the song Here Comes The Clowns should start playing because yours are in full force. Tell me, do you pay by the post or just a monthly fee? Barry, is your house so clean that you really feel it’s OK to be blasting anyone? People on three tracks in three states say it ain’t so clean!

Dear Moderator,

Were you at King Umberto’s Saturday night?  How would you know who was there if you were not. Atleast admit it.

Be careful, you will upset James D. and the Moderator…if they understand your delightful comment…

Again Barry’s clowns attack! The last 4 weeks I was at Pimlico and Belmont and rarely posted. The writing should be the same high school educated type post. You’ll found some spelling and grammar errors like Ray did with the, can and may, a few weeks ago, lol. You are obviously college educated and very smart as I’ll admit some of your post are over my farriers head.

I’m just a hard working farrier that pays his bills, never declared bankruptcy, and supplies a service at a fair non inflated price. And if someone were to give me let’s say $3,000,000.00 to give to another person or persons they would receive the full $3,000,000.00! You see there are many forms of cheating, aren’t there?

Of course, I’m sure that everyone that post here would also do all of the above.

“Here come your fans, employees, or family…”

JDJ, just for the record, I for one have no connection to Barry Irwin.

I have never met him; have never worked for him; have never been paid by him; am not his friend; and as far as I know, he is not my father (or any other member of my family, including my mother, I may safely add).

Independently, we happen to agree on the issue of Doug O’Neill being a trainer who, among other things, has helped to ruin the image of his fellow trainers and the sport of racing in America.

Do you really think that people have to be PAID to voice their objections to trainers who do this to a sport we love?

That will clean up one of your dozens of reprehensible & increasingly childish accusations.

*****

You know, you’re not doing Mr. O’Neill any good with these posts. 

In fact, given the current state of paranoia about anonymous Paulick posts, people are going to draw the following  conclusion:

You’re actually trying to damage O’Neill by posing as his supporter – and then, intentionally, further damaging O’Neill’s reputation by saying the things that you’ve said.

THEY MIGHT NOT BE WRONG.

Seriously, don’t you have some horses to shoe?

Good evening.

As you said it’s evening and all my work is done. Funny that you and Barry want the right to voice your opinions but when I or others voice an opinion that differs you attack. You, Barry and others have directly attacked me and others because the way we read the ruling indicates environmental issues, training, and lasix caused the high reading. You and the others have continued to use the “milkshake” angle because it’s what you want to believe. You are not looking for the truth or an answer you’re looking to say someone is cheating. We differ in opinions but you guys or girls threw the stones, not me!

Was any of this a consideration when Lava Man was brought back.  Don’t presume to know what I do or how long I have been doing it…just plain ignorant.

Well you just showed a complete ignorance of horses! Race horses rarely return to 100% of their original running ability with a tendon. Why would the owner and trainer want to devalue IHA as a stud by running him against the best when he will likely not be at his best. Also, a tendon will easily take six months to one year to fully heal which means he would miss the start of the 2013 breeding season. 

These kind of ill informed comments just show you the true knowledge of some of the people that post here.

P.S. Ace (below) if you can quote Rod Kaufman you’re OK in my book!

Union Rags is classy!

Union RagsGreetings dear friends,For today is Belmont Stakes day. I drew post number three for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 9th. I will be piloted by John Velazquez, carrying 126 pounds. I am most excited to start in the last Triple Crown race of 2012. I wish the greatest of luck to all, and may everyone come home safe.This will be my second start at Belmont Park where I won the October 8, 2011 Champagne Stakes (gr. 1).”Obviously we’ve been a little disappointed but we feel that Union Rags hasn’t really run his race (this year),” said owner Phyllis Wyeth. “We think he can do the mile-and-a-half and he’s training very, very, well. We’re all very confident.” “I just hope, in this race, he gets a clear chance to run,” said Michael Matz, the trainer of Union Rags. “I’d like him to get a clear trip, so he can show what he can do.”My deepest condolences to Doug O’Neill, Paul Reddam, and Mario Gutierrez the connections of I’ll have another. My team and I can only imagine your disappointment. Happy retirement I’ll Have Another, may your future foals shine as bright as you, and leave their mark on this world. I hope to provide all of you with thrills, chills, and winning ways, this Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park! I will look forward to seeing you then!=-) I bid you good day- Union Rags

We reserve the right to moderate, edit, or delete comments, and block individuals from posting comments.

I specialize in obscure historical references.  No one in these circles has ever heard of Talleyrand, which, by the way, was also the winner of the Arkansas Derby, three years running (1819-21). 

Maybe you’re not so intelligent after all, it’s shod!

This (event #3) was posted as a reply to Idavis’s (very) long response (event #2) to one of my posts (event #1).

As you can see, it is not attached to his/her/it’s response.
 
Thanks to this chaotic Disqus system, we’re going to have go back to the basic rules of correspondence -

Starting off by addressing our replies these as “To [Sample Name, in this case, "Idavis"], in response to [type in the first few words of the post written by Idavis, for reference]

- So that if our replies end up being posted elsewhere than where they belong, at least there’s a possibility of some connection between Post & Reply & Reply to Reply being established.

Also, I would urge everyone to date and time each post (“06/12/12 9:21 pm”), since the idea of chronological continuty in San Francisco (Disqus’s home office) – other than that members of Congress are re-elected every two years – has yet to sink in.

Why pick on California?  Tonight, TVG is replaying a “Classic,” one of the Dubai Duty Free races.  Year?  Date?  Who cares?  Did ya hit the exacta?

LOL

I thought he didn’t have a tendon. Just tendonitis