From DRF
Horse at Aqueduct got Lasix by mistake
By David Grening
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A horse who was mistakenly given a shot of the anti-bleeding
medication Lasix won a race at Aqueduct last week unbeknownst to the betting public.
Summer Sunset won the second race at Aqueduct on Dec. 29 – a $25,000 claiming race
for 2-year-old colts and geldings – by 6 3/4 lengths. Though he was not scheduled to
receive Lasix – the only one of 74 horses entered for that day's card not listed to
get Lasix – Summer Sunset was mistakenly given a shot by a New York Racing
Association veterinarian approximately 4 to 4 1/2 hours, the normal time frame,
before the race. That fact was not discovered until after the race was made
official, according to Carmine Donofrio, the New York State Racing and Wagering
Board steward. The NYSRWB is conducting an investigation into the situation,
Donofrio said.
Summer Sunset had not received Lasix in any of his four previous starts, including
the previous two made in New York. Bettors use first-time Lasix as a key
handicapping angle. Summer Sunset, who was beaten 50 3/4 lengths in an overnight
stakes at Aqueduct in his race previous to Dec. 29, also wore blinkers for the first
time in that race. He returned $11 for a $2 win wager.
Summer Sunset was trained by Karl Grusmark for owner Paul Braverman for that Dec. 29
race. He was claimed out of the race by trainer Dominic Galluscio for owner Francis
Paolangeli. Galluscio said he was given the option of keeping or returning the
horse, and opted to keep him.
"Because he won,'' Galluscio said.
Grusmark declined to comment "until after we have a hearing and see what happens,''
he said.
Summer Sunset could be disqualified from first-place and stripped of the $26,400
first-place purse.
Since January 2011, New York Racing Association vets have been responsible for the
administering of Lasix. The reason behind this rule is to prohibit private
veterinarians from entering a horse's stall on race-day.
NYRA hired four veterinarians who administer Lasix each morning. According to NYRA
officials, the vets are given two documents that guide them to horses which are to
be given Lasix. The vets then meet after the second race daily to go over the
paperwork, according to a NYRA spokesman. Since this happened in the second race,
the mistake was not caught in time.
According to NYRA officials, the time frame for administering the Lasix is such that
the veterinarians cannot meet until after the second race on a race day. The last
post on an Aqueduct weekday card is 4:15 p.m., meaning horses cannot receive Lasix
until 11:45 a.m. at the earliest. Many of the horses who race at Aqueduct are
stabled at Belmont Park. Following the administration of Lasix, the vets have to
drive to Aqueduct.
According to NYRA officials, since January 2011, there have been three instances in
which a horse was scheduled to receive Lasix but was mistakenly not given the
medication. In all three instances – each occurring in a race later than the second
one on the card – the horse was scratched. NYRA officials said in the six months
before January 2011, there were "many more errors than the four that have
occurred,'' NYRA spokesman Dan Silver said.
There was another instance in which a NYRA vet gave a horse Lasix against the
trainer's wishes because the trainer, Linda Rice, was going to scratch the horse and
run the following day. Since the horse, Rajadesaminaux, was given Lasix for a race
at Aqueduct on Nov. 19 – from which she scratched – she was ineligible to receive it
for the Nov. 20 race, because horses cannot receive Lasix on consecutive days. Thus,
when Rajadesaminaux ran on Nov. 20 she did so without Lasix and finished seventh as
the 8-5 favorite.
This latest incident comes on the heels of NYRA being found to have, for a 15-month
period, charged its bettors a takeout rate on certain wagers that was one-percentage
point higher than allowed by law. NYRA has since reduced takeout by two percentage
points on those wagers.
Asked if NYRA's credibility with its customers was an issue, Silver said, "We stand
behind our credibility. This was a mistake, but we feel we do a lot more than a
number of tracks do to maintain our credibility with our races.''
Hey Richie, I actually applied for one of those lasix vet positions, thinking I could get us some good inside info, but was told they were already filled. Maybe now there will be a vacancy!
You\'d have to say this is a lot more disturbing than the takeout fiasco.
This is a binary decision, gets/doesn\'t get lasix. Is it really that hard to get right?
richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From DRF
>
>
>
> There was another instance in which a NYRA vet
> gave a horse Lasix against the
> trainer's wishes because the trainer, Linda Rice,
> was going to scratch the horse and
> run the following day. Since the horse,
> Rajadesaminaux, was given Lasix for a race
> at Aqueduct on Nov. 19 – from which she scratched
> – she was ineligible to receive it
> for the Nov. 20 race, because horses cannot
> receive Lasix on consecutive days. Thus,
> when Rajadesaminaux ran on Nov. 20 she did so
> without Lasix and finished seventh as
> the 8-5 favorite.
Read this paragraph again closely and ask yourself how many of the people who bet on this 8/5 favorite -- straight and in gimmicks -- knew that she was supposed to be running on Lasix but did not receive Lasix.
Also wondering how the Stewards/ and or trainer Linda Rice could allow this runner to compete under these circumstances. Clear to me she should have been scratched to protect the wagering public.
richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From DRF
>
> Asked if NYRA's credibility with its customers was
> an issue, Silver said, "We stand
> behind our credibility. This was a mistake, but we
> feel we do a lot more than a
> number of tracks do to maintain our credibility
> with our races.''
Am I the only one who thought that the phrase \"we do a lot more than...\" was going to be followed by \"professional wrestling\"?
Anybody else up for getting together, buying some land, starting our own racing association? Sorta like Keeneland?
I\'m sure we can do far better than NYRA. Good lord!
Geez, this horse was on \'lasix detox\' as the favorite and was up the track. AND, they all knew about it and didnt announce over the PA that the horse was going to race WITHOUT lasix? Or, they could have run the horse for purse money only, NY has been known to do that on occasion.
NYRA PR guy Silver fits right in over there, delusional , out of touch, thinks all of us are morons.
Mike
Silver voices a logic fallacy more often heard from petulant 9 year-olds than adults. Well, I didn\'t lie as much Billy, so I\'m a really good boy, right? \"Billy\" has nothing to do with your transgression, Mr. Silver.
Racing \'execs\' have been thinking horseplayers are morons since the beginning of time. That\'s why the game is in the state its in. Racing execs are like sports commentators such as Mike and Mike, Cowherd, etc. They have tv gigs so they come across as \'sharps\' but if any of them had to gamble for a living on sports, they would be broke in a month. Same thing with all these \'execs\' in racing, if they had to bet on their own product to support themselves, they would be broke in the blink of an eye.
Think NY State Comptroller Di Napoli trying to topple Clueless Clowns at NYRA??
Bloodhorse:
NYRA Criticized Again in New State Audit
By Tom Precious
Updated: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 3:36 PM
The New York Racing Association is masking financial troubles and is not taking steps state auditors have urged in the past to right its fiscal condition, the state's chief fiscal watchdog said Jan. 24.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli criticized NYRA for not controlling staff and outside consultant costs, and said any financial breaks NYRA will catch this year from revenue from video lottery terminals at Aqueduct will only serve to cover up its structural budget problems.
"More than a year after my office's last audit and real-time financial monitoring of NYRA, the organization still has much work to do to carry out the reforms we recommended," DiNapoli said.
The comptroller said NYRA is poised to "squander" VLT revenue, in part because the racing corporation has failed to conduct his idea of a "top-to-bottom" review of its operations.
NYRA has not fully carried through on nine recommendations state auditors previously identified as areas for NYRA to improve. The comptroller noted NYRA is expecting to lose $19.7 million on its racing operations in 2012—that number is not specifically contained in the actual audit report—but said its overall net revenue is expected to increase by $48 million as a result of VLT funding from the Aqueduct casino that opened last fall.
DiNapoli said NYRA took a number of steps, including cutting staff and ending an expensive contract with an outside "integrity" counsel, but that it failed to perform an analysis, for example, on what kind of staffing levels would be appropriate for each of its departments.
He said NYRA, while it has cut some costs in the area, still needs to look into charging horse owners for transporting horses to and from its three tracks. The audit said NYRA has also not implemented in any substantial way "surprise" cash counts of mutuel department clerks.
NYRA took issue with some of the conclusions in the report, in the following statement that was issued Jan. 24:
\"The New York Racing Association, Inc. took very seriously the recommendations that were made in the two 2010 audit reports from the Office of the New York State Comptroller.
\"NYRA has and will continue to maintain financial discipline.To implement all of the recommendations made in the 2010 audit reports inside of a year would have required more money and resources than NYRA could prudently spend at that time, but we fully understand the importance of this process and remain committed to completing it.
\"However, as the actual audit report notes, NYRA has made strides in implementing the 2010 recommendations, including plans to enhance revenues, staffing analysis and cuts in overall staffing, the termination of our former integrity counsel and the awarding of a more cost-effective integrity counsel, cost savings on the transportation of horses between NYRA tracks, and several other cost-cutting initiatives.
\"In the statement, the comptroller's office references that the audit found that NYRA expects a $19.7 million loss from racing operations in 2012. This figure is misleading. It should be noted that the 2012 budget was not within the scope of nor was it referenced in the audit, and was never discussed with NYRA management. Furthermore, NYRA's 2012 budget contemplates approximately $19 million of net income, not a net loss. Additionally, operating income solely from current racing operations, and without giving effect to Video Lottery Terminal proceeds for operations and capital expenditures, is projected to be $1.4 million.
\"The comptroller's statement expresses concern regarding how NYRA will use the money from VLTs. As a reminder, the use of VLT proceeds is regulated by statute and primarily allocated to purse money and capital expenditures. NYRA conducts a rigorous annual budget review and approval process and NYRA's budget is reviewed by the Franchise Oversight Board. Furthermore, NYRA's financial results and internal controls are routinely audited. NYRA is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance, integrity and management.\"
While noting some fiscal improvements, DiNapoli's auditors raised ongoing worries.
"We are concerned with the limited responsiveness to our prior audit report recommendations, particularly because NYRA may have less incentive to be attentive to cost savings initiatives as its financial condition improves with the influx of VLT revenues," the audit report said.
The audit raised the recent error by NYRA—uncovered during an ongoing state audit of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund—of overcharging bettors on pari-mutuel takeout over a 15-month period. The embarrassing mistake brought in $2 million in additional revenue to NYRA, which is being required to pay back what it can to bettors.
"That such an error could remain unchecked by NYRA for such a period of time further increases our concerns over NYRA's fiscal management," the audit states
Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/67125/nyra-criticized-again-in-new-state-audit#ixzz1kPfgmpYD