http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1143869950132350.xml&coll=1
with a limited knowledge of trotters, I have to ask...was their a white corvair in the parking lot?
Shanahan,
Believe it or not they do drive Mecedes at the Meadowlands too.
NC Tony
http://sports.excite.com/news/04032006/v9075.html
It\'s good to finally see the REAL LAW get involved with putting away these cheating criminals as opposed to the \"slap on the wrist\" minor suspensions or mere 30 day observations like the racing commision gave to Mullins when he got caught.
Bob
Anybody know???Do other states(NY,KY,CA, etc.) have similar police units????
http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/divorg/invest/invest.html#hru
FROM NJ State Police web site:
Horse Racing Unit (HRU)
Is responsible for initiating and investigating complaints which violate N.J.S.A. 5:5-71, Title 5 of the Administrative Code, and Title 13 Chapter 70 and 71 Law and Public Safety Codes relative to Horse Racing.
Unit members investigate findings of foreign substances in participating horses, allegations of race manipulation by licensed participants as a result of illicit activities, pari-mutual ticket frauds, as well as all cases of hidden ownership. The unit conducts compliance investigations at licensed horse farms located throughout the state of New Jersey.
The Unit also investigates criminal activity that occurs on the grounds of the licensed pari-mutual wagering facilities in the state. Any violations of the Racing Commission Rules and Regulations that adversely affect the integrity of the racing industry within the state of New Jersey will be investigated. The Unit acts as a liaison between the New Jersey Racing Commission investigators, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) investigators and the United States Trotting Association (USTA) investigators in order to maintain integrity throughout the racing industry.
The Daily News had good coverage of this, if anyone wants to try to find a link. Named the other drug (which does not leave antibodies), and ran a box showing the move ups in time of some of the horses.
I guess I could write another letter to the editor of DRF. But you would think the industry would realize they are much better off solving this problem themselves than having the Feds come in.
Going back many years, it always seemed that the harness guys were ahead of the runners at doping. I remember milkshakes being an issue a long time ago at the trots but only more recently with runners.
Would be great if this guy and the vet go to the joint, if guilty. His results were OSCAR like if you read the move ups he accomplished.
TGJB--
I would rather see you (or someone with similar influence) (or even you AND Len, it carries a lot of weight when rivals/competitors are brought together by a certain issue) campaign for a single national racing body which could:
1) regulate and enforce an effective medication standard for all racing jurisdictions;
2)oversee the assignment of racing dates in all states so that tracks are not competing for horses;
3)coordinate the graded stakes schedule;
4)address issues concerning health care and insurance for backstretch employees, exercise riders and jockeys;
5)regulate and oversee the stewards in each jurisdiction, so that rules of racing are uniform and uniformly enforced in each state;
6)procure quality TV coverage of racing;
7)formulate a cogent strategy to compete with or interact with other forms of wagering;deal with the problem of offshore wagering sites;
8)regulate the construction of new racetracks and eliminate facilities which are no longer viable;
9) etc.
This needs to be done, it won\'t be done.
Considering the problems the country is facing inside, outside, and at our borders, it would be quite insulting if the \"Feds\" spent even $1 on Horse Racing issues.
In sports in which betting is illegal, the involvement of law enforcement agencies against cheaters is extremely limited because they obviously can't be seen to protect bettors against fraud since they technically are breaking the law. In those cases the sports commissions are allowed to handle the matter. Even so, when the steroid scandal hit baseball, government involvement went all the way to the level of congressional hearings.
Betting is legal in racing, however, and law enforcement not only has the right to protect legitimate betters, but the duty to do so.
Hopefully the landmark decision by the Superior Court judge finding that cheaters can be prosecuted for fraud, and the actions of the N.J. Police Dept. will inspire other states to do the right thing and go after these juicers with the power of the law.
Bob
Jerry, Local racing commisions can be very short sighted regarding both the future of the sport and even their own long term interests. I think NYRA made a good a good faith effort, though some of the big fish still found a way to get through the net. When they tried to do the right thing in Kentucky, the horsemen got together and effectively killed the reforms.
IMO,the feds would be less likely to cave in this situation.
Of course, they\'re influenced by political pressures as well, and there is not going to be one \"savior\" for the bettor, but the more allies we can get united against the bad guys the better.
The bottom line is these cheaters are breaking the law by defauding the public and that\'s what we pay taxes for the government to protect us against.
Bob
Richiebee,
Amen! but too many agendas, ego\'s etc for the racing officials and juristictions to sort out.
You would not believe the power group that runs NY racing in Albany.Completely \"racing\" incompetent.The sharks are hovering around the existing NYRA.It\'s disgusting. A bunch of lightweights with no financial clout to speak of, making lots of noise lately and beginning to influence some racing people in New York. Most of them just looking for a paycheck in the future set up, whatever that will be.For all the stupid things that NYRA has done, it\'s looking more to me that the possible alternative, a new owner/management may be worse.
I know that a rather informal discussion is going on with several racing officials concerning the bettor.Even here,different agendas and egos are beginning to show up. If they can go back to the initial plan of insisting on having someone represent the bettors, then some reasonable things might get done.
Miff:
Speaking of paychecks, Tim Smith has collected a very substantial one over the past few years, first as President of the NTRA and more recently as the head of the \"Friends of NY Racing\" without having any recognizable impact on racing anywhere.
You need to get people who love racing and/or who\'s livelihoods depend on racing to get involved to address racing issues. John Nerud, who may not be willing to take the time from his golf game, comes to mind. How about some of the organizers of large racing syndicates (Barry Irwin, Cot Campbell)? (IMO these syndicators have saved racing as some of the large wealthy owners of the mid 20th century drop out of the game). How about Crist or Beyer? How about a little input from the recently retired Jerry Bailey? How about Steinbrenner or Stronach? (egos would have to be checked at the door). These are people who would probably welcome the chance to have input and would seek no compensation. Someone just needs to get all of these distinct voices into one choir, so to speak. You would think that the amount of money being siphoned away from the racetracks (and the states they operate in) by offshore wagering facilities would be enough of a threat to bring some of these parties together.
Speaking of Crist (pissed at Crist, again) he was very offended that Gov Pataki tried to get Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro involved in NY Racing. His point seemed to be that she was an \"outsider\" and couldn\'t grasp the complexities of NY Racing; sometimes the \"outsider\" perspective can be more valuable than the \"insider\" perspective, and the \"insiders\" have not done so well with racing recently. (I must admit that I have admired Ms. Castro for the gracious way she has handled 15 years of abuse from IMUS in the Morning)
Rich,
I know about the I-MAN and Miss Castro whom I believe to be a classy lady with good intentions. I do think that she needs to surround herself with some salt of the earth racing people in this assignment though.In her initial speech she misspoke, did sound foolish and Crist attacked.
I like your selections to help NY racing survive and improve.Believe it or not the Phipps, Whitneys and Vanderbilts could help in keeping the upstate politicans in check too.The recipe for success in NY Racing is very complex and very \"upstate\" where the real power lies.With Pataki going out, things are apt to become totally political which, I believe, spells disaster.
The parasite NYC OTB Corp (filthy parlors with many incompetent managers/employees and without any accountability) is hanging on like a pit bull and has been nothing but a detriment to the overall process.If there was a legal way to revoke the OTB franchises, the whole thing would move forward very quickly.
Maybe we\'ll get lucky and some good people will end up running the game here in NY.
Miff:
To me the beginning of the end of OTB was Mayor David Dinkins\' appointment of Hazel Dukes as its head. This was one of the most transparent patronage appointments in the history of NYC, which is saying quite a bit. Ms. Dukes, a respected leader in the Civil Rights movement (an officer of the NAACP, I believe), had never probably been within 50 yards of a horse, a racetrack or an OTB parlor. That type of appointment without merit has plagued a certain current administration.
OTB had a chance to survive maybe 10 years ago as more and more simulcast signals became available. I have always contended that OTB should have initiated a $2 or $5 admission charge and made the places cleaner and more comfortable. On Staten Island, as you probably know, the OTBs for the most part for the last 15 years have been mostly inhabited by a bunch of 70+ year old men who are basically using the parlor as a park bench. They may bet a few bucks a day early in the month, but usually they will tap out by the middle of the month. They will appear each day thereafter to kill time until next month\'s check arrives.
Miff,
that was the influence of the Austrailian/new Zealand trainers in the sport . They brought the technique to Freehold/Monticello/Yonkers Meadowlands back in early 80\'s.
They have using EPO for quite sometime.
NC Tony
NCT:
May the horse be with you at Keeneland this weekend, my Jesuit friend.
I had always heard that the show horse people were the real chemists.
Richie-
May the Horse be with you too!!! I\'ll need some devine inspiration at KEE this weekend. Finally will be at live Horseracing!!!
NC Tony
Suppliers busted:
http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2006/04/25/1549425-sun.html
\"Also seized in the raid were bronchiole dilators and sildenafil citrate (generic Viagra), both believed to illegally enhance a horse\'s performance.\"
SAY WHAT!!! How can a woody make a horse run faster?
There is a chance this might work out very well. They find records of who bought the stuff, guys start giving guys up...
JB,
We both wish. A new guy will show up with a new formula within days.Going way back (80\'s) the french canadian harness guys had stuff.
Mike
Most of the stuff comes out of Austrailia and New Zealand first.
NC Tony