Derby Day Dope

[Silver Charm]

Interesting article by Hegarty on the DRF.com site regarding the increased emphasis on Drug Testing this year. While they haven\'t gone all the way to where they say they are eventually going it is at least a start.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/64396.html

This Board has been one the most vocal venues and I would like to think it had some impact maybe very little but some. Even Len Friedman was quoted (I guess Razzle was unavailable for comment) and he has been vocal, just not as much as perhaps TGJB, but he has used his pulpit to bring the issue embarassing visibility for officials who fought long and hard to keep doing nothing.

The Trainer comments are comical, those that said they only gave their horses Lasix and nothing more I say give up your Vet records. And when Baffert talks about if \"you give a horse too much stuff he can be dulled\" doesn\'t Point Given on Derby Day come to mind.

When he says the previous backstretch security was fine why would he care if he isn\'t spending the money on the increased security and \"only\" administered race day Lasix. Seems to me the increased security would benefit him.

More Testing and more Security, its only taken 125 years but somebody \"brought enough heat\" to force their hand enough to make them do it.

If it was us I say \"lets have a toast.\"

[TGJB]

Yeah, this is interesting all right-- especially since the horses in the Derby are trained by Pletcher, Frankel, Ritchey, Zito, and Mullins. It will be also interesting to see how these trainers do with other runners Derby week-- assuming the same precautions are in place, which is no sure thing.

Hegarty is the best, though. In the middle of an article about drugs, here comes the shot at rebates. And you have to wonder how Friedman showed up in there, especially since I was the one who wrote the letter to the editor-- on the other hand, maybe it was because of it, since I went after Matt for his biased, alarmist coverage.

[NoCarolinaTony]

TGJB,

When will you update the derby contender special next time (if at all)?

Thanks,

NC Tony

[TGJB]

Next product will be the final sheets, sold with the seminar.

[Silver Charm]

TGJB you have a point about Len showing up in the article considering how much more vocal YOU WERE than he was. However, in an effort to be sanguine about the coverage I tried to give credit to everybody who spoke up. They deserve it and especially yourself.

This has to be doubly tough for you guys, not only as a handicapper but also someone who is actively looking at horses to buy for clients. Is the horse naturally fast or was it the drugs? Can make for precarious evaluations.

>assuming the same precautions are in place, which is no sure thing

If they are not it needs to be in HUGE BOLD PRINT everywhere possible to put pressure on those involved to implement the same Derby Day procedures.