To TGJB and the Board: Do you have data or an opinion if bounces occur, or are more pronounced, with horses who generally run lower numbers than horses who generally run higher numbers.  That is, are faster horses more likely to bounce than slower horses. It would seem to me that horses who have the ability to run a zero or better, would be more susceptible to bounce than horses who can only run a 12 or an 18 as their best performance.  Also, what factor is the distance in a bounce. Does a horse who runs a top at 5 furlongs have the same propensity to bounce as a horse who runs a top at 1 1/8 miles?

Thoroughbred Times reports that Maryland Racing Commission Chairman John Franzone called Frank Stronach about the Magna firing of Lou Raffeto, former president of the Maryland Jockey Club (Laurel and Pimlico) and said \"Frank, this is without a doubt the dumbest decision you will ever make, and you guys have made a lot of dumb moves\".  Nothing earth shattering, but shows that many racing officials need a good swift kick in the rectum. Especially because of their horrible treatment of bettors, the lifeblood of the industry, on matters ranging from takeout and breakage, Caribbean rebates, service, racing policy, etc.  Does anyone have Stronach\'s cell phone number?

Really, is there anything so sacrosanct about NYRA?  They are/were inept and incompetent.  They stole money from the horsemens account.  They allowed tellers to commit crimes. They didn\'t have the foresight to see the potential of OTB\'s and allowed them to appropriate NYRA\'s birthright.  They never cultivated the NY legislature.  Even Yonkers was able to get VLT\'s and leave NYRA in its wake. What other gambling operation has had to file for bankruptcy?  To excuse them on the  basis that they were an ill conceived child of the legislature is insane. That they needed and required a compliance monitor to assure above board operations is testament to NYRA\'s malfeasance.  Since racing personnel are sanctioned for violations of the racing rules, why shouldn\'t NYRA pay the price and forfeit its license?

To TGJB:  Do you have any information on the scratch of Dwango?  On top of Noble Causeway\'s scratch, and then non effort?  Check out Dwango\'s last 3 workouts
5f 1:05, 4f 51, 4f 50. They significantly deviate from his earlier workouts, which were speedy.  This brings to mind the Pletcher stable from last year or the year before when one or more of his horses died.  It\'s not an analogy, but the horseplayers and the industry ought to have a fair explanation.  You talk about transparency lacking in business - look at NYRA, AIG, etc.  Maybe someone like Getnick ought to monitor the trainers.  While we are on trainers, what are your thoughts on the move up by Jerkens of the Leo O\'Brien horses?

Of course milkshakes \"don\'t harm the horse\".

Milkshakes can only kill them.

For reference, see the two following excellent newspaper articles:

1.  San Diego Union-Tribune, September 15, 2004, A Rising Problem for Horse

Racing, by Brent Schrotenboer, which quotes Richard Sams and George Maylin, both

well known veterinarians

2.  The Sar Ledger, July 29, 2001, Trouble at the Track, by Brad Parks.

You can easily locate these articles by doing a Google serach using the

words, \"milkshake\" and \"horse\" and \"die\".

To Fast Eddie:

You certainly can wager on NYRA.  You don\'t have to wager through Phila. Park.  You could set up accounts with YouBet, America Tab or Brisbet, Fairgrounds, or any of the 6 OTB\'s in NY, or others.



Post Edited (09-22-04 10:17)

To TGJB - Thank you.

To TGJB - Who did you throw out in the first leg, the 9th at Pimlico?  It appears that Crafty Guy, a former stakes winner, did have the best last race number in the race.  The other part of the entry was slow.  Granted that Gill\'s horses are erratic, and usually not worth 3/5, if anything is.

This is one reason why the officials and their rules are archaic.  Fouls should be subject to bifurcation.  Imperialism was impeded, and Flores ride on Rock Hard Ten subjected Imperialism and his rider V Espinoza to injury.  Imperialism was not going to either win or finish 2nd if Rock Hard Ten had kept a straight course.  The officials could leave the placing intact, and fine and/or subject the rider to days.  If necessary, the awarding of purses could be changed. There is no reason to change the placing and hurt the bettors.  One of the all time travesties was when Dr. Fager with Manny Ycaza won the Jersey Derby in 1967 by more than 6 lengths and was placed last for coming in on the first turn of the 1 1/8 mile race.  Ycaza then lost the mount on Dr. Fager to Braulio Baeza.  More recently, Megahertz won the Santa Ana H. on 3/27/04 at SA and was placed last, although she was clearly best.  It would have been more fair to simply fine and or give the rider Espinoza days without changing the order of finish.  The bettors were unfairly punished.



Post Edited (04-05-04 17:22)

So tell me.  What happens when one trainer rats on someone else and accuses him of using drugs.  How do you prove it.  Does the NYSRWB raid that trainer\'s barn a la Vladimir Cerin at Santa Anita.  Horses get tested for drugs and routinely show nothing.  Do you have barn surveillance?  A quarantine facility for 24 hrs prior to racing?  Everyone alludes to rampant illegal medication.  Proving it, legally, is something else. There are also libel laws.  Did Finley mention names in his article?  Of course not.  It\'s not so easy.

If you have influence, maybe you could help us get the good Senator, William Larkin,  to raise the takeout for everything to 25%. That way we could get a 15-20% rebate, and let the suckers who don\'t get rebates, pay the freight. With Thorograph, the lower the number, the better the race.  Similarly, the higher the takeout, the higher the rebate. The intelligent way to raise revenue is to increase the track\'s charge for the signal to the non-racetrack venues such as Nevada and Indian casinos, Connecticut OTB\'s, offshore sites, etc., which don\'t have to pay or contribute approximately 50% of wagering revenue to fund purses. The whole issue will lose some significance once slots, excuse me, VGM\'s, appear.



Post Edited (03-24-04 03:27)

Thank you very much for your response on the \"vetting\" and prosepective purchase of Brass Hat.  Some follow up questions.  Are there any sources you can provide to a bettor to ascertain the physical problems or peculiarities of a racehorse, or its training regimen, other than the ubiquitous DRF, Thoroughbred Times, Blood Horse.  In the sale of a horse, you have access to the horse, a vet\'s and trainer\'s comments, which are not really for public consumption.  For example, I love the quote of Lukas\' NY 2nd trainer, Peter Hutton, on Quick Actions\'s 4th place finish in his 2nd start on 12/26/03 from DRF\'s David Grening on 1/13/04 - \"I hate to say it but we didn\'t have him ready for that race\".  Where do you get that kind of info before the race?  And he was the 4-5 favorite.  In England, it\'s even worse.  In professional sports, especially football, which I don\'t follow, there are injury lists.  The lists are important for those wagering on that sport.  In horse racing, it is much more guarded, perhaps for good reason.  But here millions of dollars are also being bet, and the bettors, for too long, get the short end of the stick, on information and losing money via excessive takeout.  At least you are helping, not for charitable reasons,  to address the takeout issue via pooling resources to obtain rebates.  An interesting on-line streaming video discussion of betting and rebates is offered at www.harnesstracks.com or robertscomnet.com by Maury Wolff, Dave Cuscuna and David Willmot, CEO of Woodbine from the recent HTA-TRA conference March 4, 2004 in Florida.

Regarding the sale of Rushaway winner Brass Hat, which fell through, DRF\'s Marty McGee wrote that the veterinarian came up to Brass Hat\'s trainer William Huff, after the Rushaway, and said, \"I thought those people bought the horse.\"  He said his vet told him, the horse had a few little things wrong with it, but nothing that would keep anybody from following through if they really wanted him.  What was wrong with the horse? War Emblem sold for $900,000 with ankle chips to Thoroughbred Corp after being turned down by other prospective purchasers including trainer Elliot Walden.  Obviously, it\'s a judgment call.  When you identify racing prospects, do you use bloodstock agents or do you strictly use numbers?

Does anyone have any thoughts why some of Baffert\'s horses periodically run awful races and finish up the track.  This post is written after Congaree\'s last place finish in the San Antonio.  Congaree\'s form was also somewhat erratic in his early 4 yo season in 2002. I recall Silver Charm serveral times ran up the track, after his Triple Crown participation; I believe one was at a Kentucky track after running in the World Cup race at Dubai.  Do the numbers indicate any explanation for the regression; or is the effect of chemistry a possible reason.  Other examples of Baffert\'s failures were Indian Charlie, who I believe was retired without any specific explanation just prior to the Kentucky Derby where he was among the 3 yo leaders.  Another was Officer who failed to develop after his 2 yo seson. Worldly Manner was another but that was after he was purchased by Sheik Mohammed from a Baffert owner.

Nose the Trade is a scratch in the San Antonio today, leaving a 4 horse field.