Baffert redux

[rezlegal]

https://apple.news/AMHLhd9-BTFybY8ZzMKdUpg- from todays Louisville Courier journal. ( I hope I cut and paste this correctly)

[confused]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of \'Lance Armstrongs\' in this business.  I\'m not confused about that.

[Boscar Obarra]

They just busted a pack of Quarter horse trainers for using magic powder.

https://paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/this-is-no-mistake-louisiana-commissioners-lengthen-penalties-for-trainers-in-zilpaterol-cases/

This Rosendo Valdez clown had 50% winners and earned over 2 million in 2021,  much of it for his FATHER as the owner.

[Strike]

https://www.drf.com/news/nyra-hearing-officer-recommends-two-year-ban-baffert

[jbelfior]

Someone on Twitter said it best....\"at this point if Baffert was pulled over for a broken tail light he would be arrested for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey.\"


Good Luck,
Joe B.

[HP]

Really? This is saying it best? How about "if Baffert was pulled over for a busted tail light he would say he meant to fix it but he was a distracted when he saw a groom pissing on a pile of hay." I like that better. Baffert is not a victim. He has no qualms about dragging down what's left of the credibility of the sport.

HP

[jwbcardinals]

Honestly I don\'t think Baffert is an outlier, and in a multi-million dollar competitive industry everyone is skirting the rules while looking for an edge.  Baffert is similar to baseball players using steroids (McGwire admitted it and was still allowed to be a coach), the Houston Astros and Yankees stealing signs in baseball (but still keeping their championship), Patriots various cheating scandals, or NCAA basketball coaches recruiting violations (but almost all of them keeping their jobs).  In fact in the case of UNC a few years ago was very clear, but the industry decided to keep it in the shadows and just move on...not wanting to impact a winning program or tarnish the legacy of Roy Williams.

\"The NCAA did not dispute that the University of North Carolina was guilty of running one of the worst academic fraud schemes in college sports history, involving fake classes that enabled dozens of athletes to gain and maintain their eligibility. But there will be no penalties, the organization said, because no rules were broken.\"

So I guess the industry as a whole just needs to decide if it is better with a high-profile media friendly person like Baffert, or better without him.  Right or wrong, other sports seem to have taken a less aggressive approach.

[Strike]

From the DRF article I cited earlier about the possible 2-year ban --

The hearing officer, O. Peter Sherwood, a retired New York Supreme Court justice, recommended the two-year ban after accepting arguments from NYRA's attorneys that the "evidence establishes that Baffert has engaged in conduct that is detrimental to the best interests of Thoroughbred racing in that he has harmed the reputation and integrity of the sport, as well as the public's perception of the sport's legitimacy."
According to Sherwood's report, "NYRA also proved that each time Baffert was charged with a violation he provided an implausible excuse, and blamed others for conduct that he, as the trainer, was responsible for as a matter of law."

As for punishments by other sports you mention --
Astros were fined $5 million and forfeited first and second round picks in 2020 and 2021. Severe enough? Not really -- but I am biased. (Still significant).

Patriots \"Spygate\" scandal resulted in a $500,000 fine for Belicheck, $250,000 fine for Astros and loss of first round selection in 2008 draft. (Pretty significant).

As you say, UNC got off easy.

Maybe, a better comparison of Baffert\'s situation is Marge Schott, former owner of the Reds. Her racist comments led to a 2 year ban from MLB.

[TGJB]

Apparently, the judge, during the trial, asked what a paddock is. Among other things.

Again— this is an accidental administration (they listed it as a medication they gave, to the CHRB), by a vet, of something that can't move a horse up (hence it's designation as a Class 2 drug). The horse had to be DQ'd, the rest is hyped up nonsense.

Also again— people who have been here since this site started know that nobody has fought longer or harder against PEDs than yours truly. This ain't that. It's the industry pretending it's doing something about that, instead of spending the money and doing the work to really do it.

Some months ago we helped the Jockey Club develop a tool to identify possible cheaters. As far as I can tell the over/under of racing offices using that tool is close to zero.

[hooper]

Did the tool you developed ever point in the direction of BB?

[Strike]

Why do you think they are hell-bent in taking down Baffert in the states of New York and Kentucky? Just asking. I agree most of this is \"hyped up nonsense\" but they are really after him. I say again that in my opinion it is because he (under the surface) is very unlikeable. Also, arrogant; refuses to accept ANY responsibility for anything; acts like he is untouchable (he IS in California); and has too many lawyers and friends in high places.

He has really pissed of those who run racing outside of California. Should that matter? Possibly not -- but it always does.

[Roman]

My wife spent a lifetime on the back stretch of tracks , so I asked her if grooms piss in the horses stall, she said all the time, the horses do it.
If they are testing at those levels, picograms, if the horse would eat the straw that the groom just pissed on, logic would have it that the horse would ingest whatever toxins are in the urine from the groom. The problem I have with trainers , BB included, is not running a tighter ship, they should tell the grooms not to piss in the stalls, how about wearing latex gloves so as to not cross contaminate with lidocaine, BB said he needed to run it clean like a hospital, not a barn, and he did not.

[Boscar Obarra]

He doesn\'t move them up .  They start up .

[johnnym]

On a side note
Taiba trained 6F today

[Tavasco]

jwbcardinals Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly I don\'t think Baffert is an outlier, and
> in a multi-million dollar competitive industry
> everyone is skirting the rules while looking for
> an edge.

How did you verify everyone is skirting the rules.

Brilliant!