Monmouth 6/13: $200,000 Monmouth Stakes

[TGJB]

Miff-- seriously, if you are not going to carefully read the stuff I post here, stop commenting on it, or I\'ll just delete it. I\'m not fond of having to say the same things over and over again.

YES, the test for EPO is a blood test. It is expensive, which is why they seldom do it. It also has NOTHING to do with what I am talking about, and have been here for quite a while. And that\'s the point I was making. The test was a waste of time.

AGAIN-- the problem appears to be the raceday use of Clenbuterol. This is problematic for a couple of reasons-- first, it\'s a legal drug when used other than when horses are racing, so if you raid a barn and find it, it is not a violation. Second, the test used everywhere I know of other than California and theoretically in Kentucky (I have some doubts) is a urine test, and if given on raceday Clenbuterol evidently does not show up in urine. SO THE ONLY WAY TO FIND IT IS BY BLOOD TESTING. And of the 18 labs currently used by tracks for testing, very few even have the equipment do that testing.

The gentlemen of the Jockey Club Committee investigating this problem would be comforted to know that it is a voodoo issue, not a real one. I\'m talking about Phipps, Dunker, Janney, Bramlage and all the others in the room when I spoke  last week (I was one of several speakers who went before that committee during the day). At one point someone mentioned that NTRA polls have shown that an even larger percentage of those within the industry think there is a major drug problem than bettors do. Phipps (senior) said, \"That\'s because we know better\". I was the only one that laughed.

[jimbo66]

Not for anything, but this discussion seems out of place related to Mary Hartman.  She is not on any reasonable persons list of move up trainers.  

Joe B,

Not sure how many of Precious Passions races you have seen, but what happened yesterday is not an aberration.  The horse has come again many times when passed.  I can think of 3 or 4 in the past couple of years in stakes races. He is a strange racehorse.  Runs hard early, seems to dawdle a bit about 2/3 of way through a race, then runs hard again in the stretch.  If you have access to replays (and care enough to check), you will see it.  Considering this is the only horse that Hartman wins with, it seems a bit unfair to call it drug enhanced.

Anyway, tough beat on Bancock.  I played him also and could have sworn late in the stretch he was getting up.

[alm]

For what it is worth, probably not much, I didn\'t view the race\'s finish as having Precious Passion \'dig in\' and come back.  I think he was passed by a tiring horse who couldn\'t finish the job.  PP\'s natural stamina put him back on top.

And as for the continuing and ongoing and ongoing and ongoing palaver about drug use, can\'t we just live with the expert advice we have from Jerry and let it go?  It offends me to think (and know) horses are being drugged, but that\'s it.  It doesn\'t affect my betting, because I take it into account when I think it may be relevant.

[TGJB]

What\'s the upside of letting it go?

[P-Dub]

Jerry,

I think he may be referring to the constant allegation of drug use any time a result looks suspicious or doesn\'t go a certain way from an individual\'s betting perspective. Precious Passion being the latest example.

I don\'t think anyone wants to just let it go,  but its the constant reference to drugs without any proof that gets tiresome.

Your work and the work of others, those that have statistical irregularities to back up claims, is important and well worth the effort.

Its the ones that scream drugs based on nothing more that 1 random race that gets tiresome.

[marcus]

I\'ve bet Precious Passion  before - but not on Saturday . I might have used the horse if could have guessed that all the faster ones would bounce - but it remains to be seen if that\'s actually what happened .  . .

[MonmouthGuy]

Agreed.  It was very hard to bet that horse on saturday.  There were 5 faster horses, PP was 0-6 at the distance and had run his tops on firm turf.

Strange race though. Very unusual for a horse to open up 7 lengths on the back stretch, have the pack catch up to him on the far turn and still have enough to re-break in the stretch.

Entire field finished within 3 lengths, it will be interesting to see the numbers.
I think Strike a Deal was 3W3W so he might have another \"concealed\" number.  In reality, he ran around the track like it was a merry go round. I don\'t think he passed anyone the whole race.